Companion planting is your veg patch’s secret weapon. Team the right crops and they boost growth, confuse pests, and pull in pollinators. Herbs and flowers add scent, shelter and natural pest control. Fewer sprays, richer soil, better yields. Smarter planting, stronger plants, tastier harvests. Less faff, more food. All year.
‘Mariska’ is a little known compact variety of Dill often referred to as ‘Florist’s Dill’. With starry bright yellow flower heads and abundant foliage it is an excellent variety for use as a cut flower, yet is still a great variety for the kitchen.
Anise, Pimpinella anisum is one of the oldest known herbs, famous for its liquorice flavour it has assumed a popular stature for both its culinary uses and in herbal medicine. Use seeds for flavouring cookies, pastries, and confections and the leaves fresh in salads and soups.
Lettuce leaf basil is a popular old Italian variety, a large leafed variety of Sweet Basil and one of the most productive of all basils. With very large, crinkled and highly aromatic leaves, it adds the texture of leaf lettuce while packing a tasty basil flavour to brighten up your summer sandwiches.
Basil ‘Red Rubin’ is a purple version of Italian large leaf basil, a multi-purpose variety that is one of the mainstays of many herb gardens. Distinguished from other purple basils by its sweeter aroma and flavour, the rich, dark purple leaves are more consistent in colour than some of the other purple basils.
Sweet Genovese is often associated with Italian cuisine. Basil is native to the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This delicate herb has with an intense, spicy-sweet, aroma and a slight anise-like undertone. It is THE Basil for pesto and a wonderful companion plant.
Sweet Genovese is often associated with Italian cuisine. Basil is native to the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This delicate herb has with an intense, spicy-sweet, aroma and a slight anise-like undertone. Organic Seed.
The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers of Borage are edible with a cool cucumber flavour. Use them as garnish in fruit cups, summer drinks, wines and Pimms. Garden visitors can be converted to herbal advocates simply by offering a taste of its flower! Organic Seeds.The herb borage is a well known annual. Not so well known and not often written about 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Camomile is a most useful plant. It can be used to make beautiful lawns and raised beds, an infusion of the plant is an ideal family remedy, calming and sedative, perfect for restlessness or travel sickness, while for gardeners the tea is effective as a spray to prevent ‘damping-off’ of seedlings
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.
‘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.
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.
The organic version of the easy to grow chives. These are one of the famous fines herbes of French cuisine. They are a good source of vitamins A and C, and are also said to stimulate the appetite and strengthen the stomach. Organic Seed.
To the organic gardener, Comfrey is invaluable. It’s easy to grow, easy to use and incredibly beneficial to the garden. Used to make organic liquid feed, it is especially valuable on crops that benefit from high doses of potassium. Organic Seed.
Most gardeners appreciate that home grown herbs are infinitely superior, but try growing Coriander – the difference can be quite startling. “Slobolt” is a variety for leaf production that performs well under organic production techniques and is resistant to running to seed. Organic Seed.Costmary is one of the most interesting and complex of all herbs. With an aroma which has been described as like garden mint with hints of balsam it can be used for many purposes, culinary, medicinal or ornamental.
Dill Bouquet is a popular variety with gardeners. It is an early bloomer that sports large seedheads and dark blue-green foliage. With good flavour it is the best cultivar for seed production. Sweet and aromatic, the flavour is intermediate between anise and caraway.
Dill ‘Diana’ is a very upright and stable selection. Especially robust against bolting, it is very leafy with an attractive dark green colour. The plants have a compact growth habit and are suitable for windowsill or container use. Organic Seed.Dill Dukat is grown primarily for its abundant foliage, producing much more foliage before forming seed than most varieties. It is one of the best for fresh leaf production. Dill is certainly delectable. If ever the term “best if home-grown” were to apply to an item in the kitchen, dill would be it!
Used in many culinary dishes, the leaves and seeds of Fennel have a sweet aroma and an aniseed flavour. The fine clouds of feathery, bronze-purple leaves are wonderful in the herb garden or among tall perennials and grasses. The foliage acts as a delicate veil through which flower heads of plants can be seen.
Herb Fennel has a sweet aroma and an aniseed flavour. Both leaves and seeds have a multitude of culinary uses. The magnificent clumps of airy feather foliage are useful in the border or herb garden. And as a bonus, the plants are perennial. Organic Seed.Whether your interest lies in medicinal herbs or simply its decorative qualities, growing Feverfew can be a welcome addition to any garden or allotment. Feverfew is a good companion plant and a natural insect repellent. Ideal for planting around outdoor seating areas and pathways
A relatively new vegetable in the English-speaking world but well-known in Asian cuisine, the flavour of garlic chives is more like garlic than chives, though much milder. Both leaves and the stalks of the flowers are used a stir fry ingredient. The flowers may also be used as a spice.
Melissa officinalis or ‘Lemon balm’ is a highly-scented herb, best known for its use in tea, but this very special herb has a number other uses. If you enjoy the liquors Benedictine and Chartreuse you may find the taste familiar as lemon balm is an ingredient in both.
Lemon balm is a very special herb with a number other uses. The leaves have the scent of lemon with a hint of mint. It is refreshing served in summer drinks such as Pimms or lemonade, use to flavour fruit, in sorbets and deserts or with a green salad. Organic Seed.If you haven’t cooked with lovage before then you have missed out on a very flavourful herb. The flavour is distinct and greatly appreciated by food aficionados. Even though some like to compare lovage to celery, it is almost like saying that an apricot tastes like a small peach.
Sweet Marjoram is an essential culinary herb and fresh or dried, no cook should ever be without it. It is wonderfully aromatic with a mild oregano flavour with a hint of balsam. Fresh or dried, it is good with veal, beef, lamb, roast poultry and fish. Organic Seed.
Chamomile has been used for centuries. In the realm of simple herbs, for the treatment of common ailments by the common people, few herbs have garnered such a reputation for success as the lowly chamomile. Organic Seed.Peppermint is a perennial favorite for many people, it has high menthol content and its refreshing taste is uplifting and cleansing. Popular for infusions and a favourite among herbal tea drinkers, it is one of the easiest herbs to grow yourself. Get creative and include in Schnapps, Mint Juleps or Mojitos!
Who can resist the smell of fresh mint in the garden? Mentha spicata is the best strain grown from seed. It is an exceptionally fragrant and ornamental plant in addition to having many culinary uses, it is also extremely attractive to butterflies and bees, making a wonderful addition to a wildlife garden.
Monarda fistulosa, also known as Bergamot is famed for its medicinal qualities. While in the perennial border these lovely plants produce a mass of mauve-purple blooms (even in their first year from an early sowing) and have uniquely scented foliage. Highly attractive to bees and butterflies.
The difference in taste between fresh oregano and the store-bought dried variety is like night and day. Its spicy yet refreshing flavour contributes to Italian, Greek, and Spanish cuisine. Fresh oregano adds a boost of flavour that just can’t be beat. Easy to grow either in the garden or indoors.
Rosemary leaves are like soft pine needles, finely chopped they can be used to flavour a variety of dishes, especially stuffing. Many cooks simply cut sprigs of rosemary and place with roasted meats, especially lamb and pork with great results. Organic Seed.Rue, as an herb has for centuries been used by herbalists to treat almost every ailment known to man. It is ornamental with pretty evergreen foliage. It is easy to grow from seed and easy to maintain. It is especially good in knot gardens because it can be pruned into a neat hedge.
Tagetes patula ‘Queen Sophia’ is an extremely popular, award winning variety that was introduced in the early 1900’s. Gorgeous to the point of excess, it produces semi-double blooms. Deep orange-to-russet petals that are intricately edged with russet and gold.Thymus vulgaris ‘Winter Thyme’ is one of the savory herbs, which are main course herbs used to flavour hardy meals, bone warming soups, and piquant sauces. They blend their essence with other savory herbs like Tarragon and Savory to create some memorable flavours.
Aromatic French Summer Thyme has more narrow, pointed leaves with a bit of a grey tint. The famed culinary thyme from France, it is higher in essential oil content than other varieties and reputedly the most flavoursome Thyme you can grow with a stronger and sweeter taste.
Thyme leaves may be small, but they pack a powerful punch. Thymus vulgaris ‘Winter Thyme’ retains its flavour well in long slow cooking. It is one of the savory herbs, which are main course herbs used to flavour hardy meals, bone warming soups, and piquant sauces. Organic Seed.Thymus serpyllum is one of the most versatile groundcovers. Forming dense evergreen cushions of flowers these low maintenance plants don’t require mowing, watering or care, and can take a lot of abuse. Its leaves can be used as a culinary herb and its uses in the garden are almost unlimited.
Wormwood is best known as the primary ingredient in absinthe, but is also an exceptionally versatile herb. As well as being an attractive plant to look at, this ancient crop has been used for centuries as a moth repellent, general pesticide and as a spray to repel slugs and snails.
The herb borage is a well known annual with beautiful sky blue flowers and succulent foliage. 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.
Calendula officinalis ‘Cut Flower Mix’ is a specially selected mix of colours and types, each with long stems designed for cutting. They grow to a height of around 70 to 80cm, are an excellent variety for borders and make a stunning cut flower. Clip spent flowers to achieve a longer blooming season.
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.
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.
‘Dwarf Lemon’ Coriander is a delightful and refreshing combination that brings together the sharp zest of lemon and the aromatic, citrusy undertone of coriander. This pairing is cherished in a variety of global cuisines for its ability to lift and brighten dishes.
A modern coriander variety, fresh ‘Hacor’ leaves are bright, citrusy and slightly peppery, with a hint of spice and a touch of sweetness. The flavour is clean and full rather than harsh, holding up well in both raw and cooked dishes. The seeds are warm, nutty and aromatic, with a lemony undertone once toasted.
A relatively new vegetable in the English-speaking world but well-known in Asian cuisine, the flavour of garlic chives is more like garlic than chives, though much milder. Both leaves and the stalks of the flowers are used a stir fry ingredient. The flowers may also be used as a spice.
Hyssop famously attracts bees, hover-flies and butterflies. It makes excellent honey and is a must for any wildflower garden. Some beekeepers rub the hive with it to encourage the bees to keep to their home. In cooking, use the same way you would Rosemary. Organic Seed.Hyssopus officinalis ‘Alba’ is a much less well known variety of hyssop. Also known as ‘White Hyssop’ the plants sport bright white flowers from July to October. Widely used as a ‘taste enhancing’ herb or wildlife plant, the plants are a dark, vibrant green with a spiky, upright habit and narrow tongue-like leaves which have a peppery scent when stroked.
Hyssop is a strong-flavoured aromatic herb which is enjoying a revival with home gardeners. An ideal plant for use in containers or as a low hedge or border within the herb garden. Highly attractive to bees, it makes excellent honey and is a must for any wildflower garden.
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