hi!
was thinking about starting a small herb patch! are there any herbs that are guarenteed winners out in the great british weather or any to avoid?
i was thinking of...
rosemary
basil
parsley
corriander
mint
lemon grass
any advise would be amazing! thanks a million in advance!
lets see, we grow all of them and do well, most years
rosemary likes poor soil,
basil, slugs like it and it's frost tender
parsley, the same, I grow it inside the poly with the basil and coriander, mint likes it's own pot or it goes mad,
lemon grass I grow inside, don't think it would like it outside
thyme and sage can be grown with the rosemary, I also grow lemon balm in it's own pot, it's a bit like mint, a thug, just in case you're tempted ;D
Thyme and oregano hardy and tasty oh and lavender for the more fragant dishes(and drawers)
oooh sounds good! its going to be nice not tro depend on tesco! and their "i'll live for three days if your lucky" herb pots! ;D
You can grow all of these. Rosemary is a weed, don't let it take over! Basil is tender, it will be fine outside in the summer but won't survive the winter. Take cuttings before it gets cold and grow them on indoors in a pot for the winter. Parsley is 50/50. My patch came through the winter, was still able to pick stems and it's back in full growth now. But I'm in a mild area. Coriander is tender, won't survive the winter but you can let it self-seed for next year. Mint is another weed that will take over. Sink a pot in the ground to contain the roots. Lemon grass is best in a pot so that you can bring it in for the winter.
Sage, fennel, lavender, chives all do well.
Coriander does well as an annual - you'll have it appearing year on year if it's in a sheltered spot. I have it appearing in pots & tubs & places I have no idea how it got to now, but it smells great & weeds out easily. Give it a go too.
oops, just read through your post properly & it's on there already. :)
Corrianders the most important one! its conna be salsa a go go this year! all with fresh lottie ingreadience! (apart from the lime juice hehe)
any other exotic herbs i should try! i'm getting quite excited about it all :o
with coriander, keep doing repeat sowings during the summer, as it tends to go to seed, and of course, you use a lot
lemon verbena is a lovely little shrub though we don't use the leaves. Tender, but will overwinter.
with basil, mint, thyme, sage you can get all different flavours, colours etc
I've got spearmint, peppermint, ginger mint, pineapple mint and orange mint started off at the moment, but all in pots, I made the mistake of putting it in the ground in the garden last year and it had a little riot all of its own! The ginger mint is my favourite though.
GINGER MINT?!?! i feel some cocktals coming on.... Ginger Mint Mojito anyone???
get a lime tree stevefarr440 ;)
Quote from: stevefarr440 on May 14, 2008, 09:27:32
any other exotic herbs i should try! i'm getting quite excited about it all :o
In addition to those already mentioned I grow Fennel (you can get green or bronze), Anise Hyssop, Chenopodium giganteum (also know as Tree Spinach with the most gorgeous purple young leaves) and Allium tuberosum (known as Garlic/Chinese Chives) to name but a few. I warn you, once you start growing herbs it becomes an addiction! ;D
G x
winter savoury, fenugreek, ajwain, chervil, dill (if not already mentioned)
I think your original post said "small' herb patch ;D
I can see myself having to extend the spot i've planned by a foot or two! everything mentioned sounds great! :0) cant wait to get experimenting!
Coriander comes in two different types some mainly intended for leaf and some for seed. I used Coriander Cilantro (from Nicky's Nursey) for leaf last year. Sown in August it produced plenty of leaf and it over wintered well in a container outside the back door. Started flowering about three weeks ago, so will have to re-sow. but I'm very pleased with it.
Have you tried 'Alberto's Quillquina'?
I am doing so for the first time,as it is good in salsa and fried beans. So I am told!
Quote from: ceres on May 14, 2008, 08:59:58
Mint is another weed that will take over.
That's what everybody says, but it never does for me. I am fed up with planting it only for it to disappear by the next year.
Another is french tarragon. I bought a pack several years ago from the reduced counter at Sainsburys, used the tips as cuttings and have kept it (in pots and indoors in Winter) for several years.
valmarg
savoury, summer and normal, great with beans, sweet cicely, good with rhubarb.. ;D
You really can't beat the classics - Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I've set them all over the last couple of years and I'm just adding a few more unusual ones - lemon balm and bergamot.
I'm doing bergamot as its the main thing that flavours Lady Grey tea and I love the stuff!! Yum!
Dill is the other one no-one has mentioned yet - lovely with fish and in omlettes.
Quote from: pippy link=topic=41969.msg420382#msg420382 date=1210777482
I'm doing bergamot as its the main thing that flavours Lady Grey tea and I love the stuff!! Yum!
/quote]
I think you'll find that the bergamot that flavours Earl Grey tea is a member of the citrus family, ie oil of bergamot.
The herb bergamot aka monarda has nothing to do with the flavour that is used for Earl Grey tea.
valmarg
The list is endless.
However, growing herbs for the table means that perennials like sage thyme rosemary and lavender get very woody after a year or two and need to be replaced with freshly sown seed or cuttings.
Softer herbs like coriander, parsley, basil are best grown fresh each year too.
Chives and mint seem to go on coming up for years without any problem.
I prefer to grow each herb in a large container rather than have a herb bed. It saves weeding and means that the herbs can be moved about, even brought indoors to extend their life.
Pick one or two leaves from each herb to add to a green salad. You may find the flavour strong when you try tasting just the herb on it's own but a mix, chopped and sprinkled on to lettuce and the like means that there is no need for salad dressings, the herbs provide the flavour. Young tender herbs are essential.
In June, cut back your herbs down hard to prevent them getting leggy and flowering then going to seed. A fresh lot will grow in no time.
Buy a pack of seeds from the grocer (those intended for cooking like coriander and fennel, these seeds are a lot cheaper than a packet from a garden centre and do grow into decent greenery for table use.
If you have coriander seeds left, they are lovely crushed in a mortice and pestle (put through a pepper mill or crushed in a coffee grinder if you need to) sprinkled over carrots.
wow! cheers for the masterclass!
think i like the idea of growing herbs in seperate pots instread of a bed! think i'll get cracking at the weekend :0)
some of mine ;D
I grow many of mine for the flowers which attract beneficial insects. I can't remember if I've posted this before but here's a short slide show of some of them (mostly in pots). Click on the picture to start. G x
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Herbs/th_Agastache2sep.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Herbs/?action=view¤t=1fabf640.pbw)
I think you'll find that the bergamot that flavours Earl Grey tea is a member of the citrus family, ie oil of bergamot.
The herb bergamot aka monarda has nothing to do with the flavour that is used for Earl Grey tea. - Valmarg
Gosh - yes you are right valmarg, but my research says you can use monarda for tea and to flavour meat. The one I have is Monarda Fistulosa - Wild bergamot which is supposed to have strong scented flowers too. It's a bit of an experiment so I'll let you know how I get on.
I love Earl Grey - the decaffeinated too as the bergamot seems to work just as well as caffeine!!
ive got golden margoriam too and mint, will be adding to my herb collection tho :) i love herbs :)