On our farm in East Sussex we now grow over 40 different herbs. What started out as a hobby growing veg and a few staple herbs on an allotment, soon became the basis and backbone of our farm. Herbs not only deliver a wealth of flavours - pineapple, lemon, chocolate and even tutti-frutti but they also produce the most amazing aromatic edible flowers that we use in our herbal bouquets along with the foliage. Loved by pollinators, herbs have been a key element in increasing insect populations and creating a more balanced ecosystem on our farm.
We'll share our favourites, from the culinary greats you shouldn't be without to those that'll excite the taste buds with their incredible flavours, and give our top tips on how we get the best results every year.
5 herbs to grow now
Follow Sinead's advice on growing five popular herbs that every gardener should have at their fingertips
Basil
Basil likes warmth and light, so it's a good time to start sowing seeds now. Regular and deep pinching out of stems just above the leaf nodes will encourage a bushier plant with lots of fresh growth, while also maintaining good flavour. Once the plant begins to flower, the flavour becomes more astringent.
Water regularly, in the morning and at the base of the plant as wet leaves in humid spaces are an invitation to mildew and basil won't like sitting in the wet overnight. When harvesting, cut a few lengths at a time, just above those leaf nodes and then place the stems in water out of direct sunlight. Avoid the fridge as it encourages bruising and wilting.
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
We love June
We're cruising towards midsummer: this is a month full of love and abundance. Wherever you look there will be something in your garden that lifts the spirits and makes you glad to be alive. We have colour to cheer us, we have leaves that still have the bounce and freshness of small puppies, we have the first berries fattening up, there are birds frantically parenting very demanding broods of chicks, the bees are all over the place, it's prime barbecue and picnic season, and we have lawns as lush and green as billiard tables. What a month to fall in love.
Your wildlife month
The female will usually lay one clutch of up to eight eggs
An edible garden in pots
Join Lucy Bellamy in creating an edible container garden for all seasons, as she harvests what's ripe now and starts later-season crops
Garden craft with kids
Fill the summer holidays with fun nature makes for kids, including botanical printed t-shirts, seed sowing in upcycled food containers and a hanging home for beneficial insects. Jaime Johnson and family show you how
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Using a colour theme is an easy way to give any garden a strong, unified character - Nick Bailey shows you how
Indoor plants, outdoor treats
Break the rules and give your house plants a summer holiday, with Michael Perry's mixed pot display ideas
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
The first few weeks of summer are a good time to get spring-flowering plants in shape. Follow Frances' guide for best results
Gardening for wellbeing
As the pressures of modern living bear down, our outside spaces can provide soothing respite for our minds and bodies, says Arit Anderson
Your greenhouse guide to A fruitful summer
Get the best from your greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops this summer, with these tried and trusted growing tips from Adam Frost
Stars of the show
Agapanthus is the perfect midsummer plant, flowering with spectacular blooms from June onwards and, as Monty explains, it loves to grow in a pot
