Culinary Herbs

Coriander is not one of the world's favourite flavourings, it's two of them. This dual purpose herb is grown both for its seeds or fresh young leaves. 'Santo' is probably the best variety of coriander for leaf production as the plant combines very slow bolting with an upright habit and excellent flavour.

Coriander 'Leisure' has been bred specifically for large, flavoursome leaf production, a particularly fine variety of superb quality. Extra slow bolting, it is particularly suited to hot weather regions. It is an excellent herb for slightly shaded areas, is very easy to grow and makes a good window box herb.

Coriander 'Slobolt' is a variety for leaf production that is resistant to bolting and running to seed. It isn't a hard plant to grow and of course, fresh herbs and spices have far better flavours than dried ones. Home grown herbs are infinitely superior, the difference can be quite startling.

These easy to grow chives are one of the famous fines herbes of French cuisine. Easily raised from seed, they are perennial bulbs that spread to form neat tufted clumps, ideal for edging beds and paths. They are particularly attractive when in flower and are a favourite of bees and other pollinating insects.

‘Fine-leaved’ chives have a delicious, mild onion flavour. They keep their slender shape and do not get course or tough with age. The narrow linear leaves are snipped and used primarily fresh, stirred into uncooked foods, such as soft cheeses or salads.

Chervil 'Massa' has a sophisticated yet gentle, aniseedy warmth. It is a dark green selection with smooth leaves and good plant vigour, it has better cold tolerance than standard Chervil and is used for autumn sowings, it also bolts much later.

While there are now several varieties of leaf celery, one of the most popular is Par-Cel. Resembling curled parsley with the flavour of celery., this Dutch heirloom can be difficult to find in most grocers. Originated from Holland, it was dispersed by German settlers, which is why it is also known as Zwolsche Krul.

Cutting celery or Leaf celery is the type that is used in Europe. It looks similar to parsley but tastes like regular stalk celery, but with a slightly stronger, herbier taste. It is a darker green, with thin, rounded, flexible stalks and curly, aromatic leaves; it is much easier to grow than its big brother.

Amomum subulatum the cardamon or cardamom plant is native to damp, forested valleys from the eastern Himalayas to central China. It won't yield enough pods for a bountiful crop of the spice, but makes an interesting conversation piece and a satisfying challenge for the adventurous gardener.

Caraway is an incredibly useful plant. The seeds are used as a culinary spice and for medicinal purposes, the leaves can be eaten in salads and the roots cooked as a root vegetable. With feathery, delicate foliage the plant is lovely in the garden border and is a very useful companion plant in the vegetable garden.

Borage is one of the most reliable sources of blue flowers, often flowering lavishly for weeks after sowing. The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers are edible and very important for bees, providing pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts.

The herb borage is a well known annual with beautiful blue flowers. Not so well known and not often written about is the equally beautiful form 'alba' which boast pure white, perfectly star-shaped flowers. This mixed pack of seeds gives both blue and white forms.

The herb borage is a well known annual. Not so well known is the equally beautiful form 'alba' which boast pure white, perfectly star-shaped flowers. Each flower is centred by five black stamens which heighten the drama. The flowers are edible, garden visitors can be converted to herbal advocates simply by offering a taste of its white flower.

Holy basil, also called Tulsi or Sacred Basil is an ancient variety. It has highly aromatic, narrow oval leaves and pink flowers with a perfumed fragrance. This reddish-purple tinted plant exudes a delicious, sweet, clove-like aroma. The hotter the summer, the deeper the purple.

Thai Basil 'Siam Queen' is a large leaf variety that has been cultivated to provide a distinctive set of traits preferred in Asian cuisine. It has an identifiable liquorice flavour not present in sweet basil, and its flavour is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil.