.jpg)
.jpeg)
Basil
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a tender annual herb grown for its aromatic leaves that are added to fresh and cooked dishes. Sweet basil, also called Genovese basil is the most widely grown due to its delicious anise clove flavour.
Basil is often planted with tomatoes and peppers because they have similar growing conditions – well draining soil and 8 to 10 hours of sunlight.
When starting seeds indoors a lightweight seed starting or potting mix is essential. These mixes are typically made up of materials like peat moss, coconut coir, compost, vermiculite, perlite, and fertilizers. The ideal growing medium for seed starting is one that retains water, but is also quick draining to promote healthy root growth.
.jpg)
Coriander
Corriander (Cilantro) is a great addition to any herb garden because it is a relatively easy plant to grow and its parts and seeds are useful in cooking. The name cilantro refers to the plant's thin, green stems and flat, lacy leaves, which are best eaten fresh. Its other common name, coriander, refers to the seeds, which are used as a common cooking spice, especially in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisines. Cilantro is best planted in the early spring in full sun, but also can be started in the autumn. It grows quickly, often yielding its first harvest of leaves within 30 days. Its seeds will be ready for harvest closer to three months from planting. Plant successive crops if you want the leaves only. It is great to use with poultry and seafood.
.jpg)
Chives
An incredibly versatile herb, chives can add a mild garlic or onion flavour to your dishes. Pick and use to flavour fish, poultry, eggs or sandwiches or garnish soups and salads. They also look great in the garden, with their attractive grass-like foliage and edible purple flowers. Chives will spread readily, so grow them in a container perhaps and pick off the flower heads to prevent the seed establishing a new plant when it falls and germinates.
Chives can be sown from spring through to autumn in cool climates such as Tasmania. (all year round in warm climates) and will grow into a 20 – 30 cm tall clump of fine, dark green leaves. The seed can be sown 5 mm direct where the plants are to grow, in a sunny or partly shaded garden bed or pot. Seed takes up to 21 days to germinate, so be patient and keep the soil or potting mix moist.
Chives are a great herb to have on hand during the cooler months in dishes like sun dried tomato & chive potato mash, corn, chive & cheese quiche and pumpkin & chive soup. They add a dash of bright green and a delicious mild onion flavour.
Dill
An attractive aromatic herb with fine, feathery foliage that can grow up to 1m tall in the right conditions. This clumping herb can be grown year-round in most climates, avoiding extreme heat and cold. Leaves have a sweet, grassy flavour with notes of aniseed and parsley. Delicate yellow flowers appear in spring and summer but should be removed to allow the plant to focus on leaf growth. Dill flowers, like the leaves and seeds, are edible.
Dill is often used to flavour fish, boiled and scrambled eggs, and poultry dishes. It can also be finely chopped and used in gravy or as a garnish for soups, roast vegetables, and salads. Its fine, fern-like foliage makes an attractive feature in pots and flowerbeds.
How to grow Dill
Grow dill from seed or seedlings. Choose a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil and protection from strong winds. If growing from seed, sow directly into pots or garden beds, lightly cover and water. Keep the soil moist while plants are germinating and, when the seedlings are big enough to handle, thin them out to 20cm apart. Sow seeds every few weeks to extend the harvest.
Caring for dill
Dill is a relatively easy-to-grow herb. Water regularly to keep the soil moist and use an organic mulch, like sugar cane or pea straw to help conserve moisture. Remove flowers when they appear as this will encourage more leafy growth.
Mint
Mint plants (Mentha spp.) are very hardy perennials that can be grown indoors in containers or outdoors in the garden. These plants spread aggressively as their long stems grow upward, flop over, and root wherever they touch the soil. Mint plants produce small white or purple summer-blooming flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Mint is a culinary delight and digestive aid known for its refreshing taste and its spicey scent also serves as a pest repellent. Mint is toxic to animals.
Oregano
An aromatic evergreen ground cover, oregano is a naturally spreading herb that will grow in a cool climate if kept in a pot. It prefers dry soils and achieves maximum flavour in full sun, even though it does grow well in part shade. Perfect for pots, containers or windowsills, where it may become too wet in summer, so do not over water. Oregano is a versatile and useful herb. It’s related to marjoram, and the two can often be interchanged in recipes.
Parsley
The secret in growing parsley is to use fresh seed in cooler weather in early Spring.
Parsley seed germinates slowly and shoots best before the soil gets warm.
If sown in October it will sprout readily. If after this time the bed needs to be kept regularly moist to guarantee a reliable germination.
Parsley is normally a vigorous grower under most conditions and soil types.
Parsley is an insect pollinated biennial, so after over wintering and a short cropping period in early spring it will run to seed, allowing you to gather new seed to sow elsewhere if you wish, or to allow it to re-seed for the new season in the same bed.
A garden without parsley is lacking I feel, as it is the most delicious herb being valuable as a garnish for most dishes and especially good in winter soups and with tomato in summer
We grow parsley outside our formal vegetable patch underneath our apple tree with a northerly aspect. That way the parsley always gets the sun, the shade of the apple tree falling on the south side
.jpg)
Rosemary
Rosemary is a perennial herb which originally came from the rocky highlands of Italy. It grows best when lengthening days in spring through Summer stimulate its growth.
It is best grown in a well-drained pot so it may be brought inside during the winter when growth stops. be careful not to over water.
Water thoroughly and then allow the plant to tell you when it needs more water by its flagging tips.
When pruning Rosemary for the table, snip the growing tips to about 2 cm of the branch. This will cause the plant to send out 2 new shoots. Dot cut into the bare wood, as the plant will not regrow from this point.
During the winter it is helpful for the plant to be brought inside to prevent the extremes of the Winter.
Sage
Sage is a hardy edible herb that can be incorporated into the garden as an ornamental grey foliage plant, as well as being cut for use in the kitchen as required.
Sage is a popular herb as well as a versatile drought-tolerant grey foliage plant. Many different cultivars are available, each varying in height and characteristics, but all come from the same type of sage, which has been selected for its culinary and medicinal attributes. A compact shrub, the foliage is covered in fine hairs, which is a big hint that it's water efficient and drought tolerant.
Sage is most commonly available in pots, which makes it even easier to plant and establish at home.
In a pot, plant in a premium potting mix. In the garden, improve soil with compost and decomposed manure before planting.
Select an area in full sun with good drainage. Sage hates sitting in wet or damp soil, so if the best area is wet, either raise the height of the soil or plant in a pot.
Water sage prior to planting to help reduce transplant shock.
Dig a hole twice the size of the pot. Remove from the pot and place in the hole. Backfill with soil so that the plant sits at the same height in the soil as it did in the pot.
Firm down the soil and water well.
Thyme
Thyme is available in many different leaf shapes, colours, sizes and flavours, but it always has the same characteristic savoury flavour, and all varieties are equally easy to grow. It is a hardy, drought-tolerant herb for gardens or pots.
Variegated thyme has yellow and green foliage, lemon thyme has a hint of lemon aroma and flavour, while French thyme looks a little like rosemary! Commonly paired with chicken, thyme is a versatile culinary herb and an essential component in a bouquet garni.
There are also ornamental thymes, which have little to no aroma or flavour. These are usually planted as drought-hardy ground covers. How to grow Thyme can be grown in pots or in full sun in a garden bed. Make sure you leave it a little room to grow, as must culinary thymes are spreading. As thyme is very hardy and not fussy about soil, pH or water, simply add some organic matter such as compost or well-aged manure to the soil at planting. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot. Remove plant from the pot, place in the hole and backfill with soil so that the plant sits at the same height in the soil as it did in the pot. Firm down the soil and give it a water. Water during establishment, and whenever the soil is dry.
Caring for thyme
Thyme is almost maintenance free, and the best flavour comes from plants grown with a little tough love. Water thyme only when the soil is dry or during establishment. Thyme does not usually require any supplementary fertiliser but, as with most herbs, the occasional application of a liquid fertiliser or seaweed solution in spring or after flowering will be beneficial to overall plant health. How and when to prune thyme Prune thyme in autumn to maintain a compact growth habit and to contain its spread. Use these cuttings for propagation, or dry them to use in cooking.
Variegated thyme has yellow and green foliage, lemon thyme has a hint of lemon aroma and flavour, while French thyme looks a little like rosemary! Commonly paired with chicken, thyme is a versatile culinary herb and an essential component in a bouquet garni.
There are also ornamental thymes, which have little to no aroma or flavour. These are usually planted as drought-hardy ground covers. How to grow Thyme can be grown in pots or in full sun in a garden bed. Make sure you leave it a little room to grow, as must culinary thymes are spreading. As thyme is very hardy and not fussy about soil, pH or water, simply add some organic matter such as compost or well-aged manure to the soil at planting. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot. Remove plant from the pot, place in the hole and backfill with soil so that the plant sits at the same height in the soil as it did in the pot. Firm down the soil and give it a water. Water during establishment, and whenever the soil is dry.
Caring for thyme
Thyme is almost maintenance free, and the best flavour comes from plants grown with a little tough love. Water thyme only when the soil is dry or during establishment. Thyme does not usually require any supplementary fertiliser but, as with most herbs, the occasional application of a liquid fertiliser or seaweed solution in spring or after flowering will be beneficial to overall plant health. How and when to prune thyme Prune thyme in autumn to maintain a compact growth habit and to contain its spread. Use these cuttings for propagation, or dry them to use in cooking.