Britain's native wild garlic is a perennial herb. Their white flowers carpet the banks of the stream in our ancient woodlands in spring and their fragrance hangs in the damp woodland air. Fully edible

Regarded as both a nutritious vegetable and curative medicinal, the Burdock root is widely used in all sorts of cuisines from the classic English summer drink to the classic Japanese 'Kinpira'. Seeds can be also sprouted like bean sprouts; nothing goes to waste with this plant.

Cheerful and bright, use Calendula in beds, borders or containers. Calendula is prolific and durable, and like most hardy annuals it is easy to grow, simply sow where it is to flower. It is currently one of the top herbs used for medicinal use. Sprinkle salads and decorate cakes with the edible tangy petals.

Perpetual Spinach is not spinach, nor is it perpetual, but it does grow reliably for quite a long time in the garden! This old heirloom is, in fact a relative of chard. You rarely see it in the shops because it ideally needs to be picked soon before eating. The steamed stalks taste something like mild asparagus.

Crambe maritima is a lovely dual purpose plant. This delicacy from the olden days has a unique delicate flavour, forced Seakale is a real delicacy. In the garden, it can be grown as an eye-catching and fragrant border plant. It has perhaps the most beautiful of all large glaucous leaves

Dandelion is reviled by lawn manicurists yet, (like Burdock) it is one of the most esteemed herbs in healing. The young raw leaves can be used in salads or cooked as a vegetable, the leaves contain more iron than spinach and are a excellent source of vitamins.

Eryngium maritimum is an evergreen perennial plant native to Europe. Often found on sea shores, it is a protected species in many parts of the world. Highly ornamental, it is grown in gardens for its metallic bluish flowers and intensely whitish-glaucous leaves, it is very attractive to bees and butterflies.

This classic plant, with its beautiful yellow flowers is a feast for the eyes as well as the belly. The whole plant is edible: the leaves can be cooked as greens, and the nutty-flavoured roots can be boiled and eaten like potatoes, parsnips, or salsify. The flowers make a lovely salad garnish.

Good King Henry has been used as a vegetable for centuries and was once a common sight in every garden. Good King Henry may have lost his court and become something of a rarity today, but this unique herb has much to offer to the home or cottage gardener.

Hyssop is a strong-flavoured aromatic herb similar to rosemary or lavender which is enjoying a revival with home gardeners. Young leaves are used chopped and scattered on salads. An ideal plant for use in containers or as a low hedge or border within the herb garden.

Woad has been grown for its indigo-blue pigment and for its medicinal properties since the 13th century, recently capturing popular imagination as the blue dye for body paint used by the Celts. This fashionable plant has a fresh wildflower appearance that can brighten any garden.

Liquorice has been grown in England since the Dark Ages. The fresh root is bright yellowish brown, soft and pliable, it is harvested in the autumn and is dried for later use. The aroma is strongly reminiscent of anise or fennel. The taste is dominantly sweet, warm and medical.