Growing herbs with the experts

Discover how to grow your best-ever herbs this year with the experts at Aweside Farm as they reveal their tips for growing masses of plants for flavour

- SINEAD FENTON

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.

Dark Opal