Herb Garden

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Arlandria, Jun 2, 2020.

  1. Arlandria

    Arlandria Gardener

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    Who’s got a herb garden and fancies telling me about it?

    I split mine. Annuals get worked into the raised beds each year and perennials are grown in pots on the patio.

    So far I have a bay tree, some thyme, mint, and a new rosemary that’s doing very nicely in her huge pot.

    For annuals this year I grew basil from seed and ordered chives, parsley, and coriander plants. Unfortunately the coriander arrived dead and the parsley isn’t doing well.

    How do you grow yours?

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    • sandymac

      sandymac Super Gardener

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      just grow mine in pots I find they do really well, cuttings I took last year of rosemary are growing really well and have had masses of flowers for weeks and now have loads of seed I may collect some and see if it germinates, mint I have in half a barrel and have to take it out every other year and thin it out all others herbs are in 12" pots and do fine.
      Regards Sandy
       
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      • Logan

        Logan Total Gardener

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        I don't have a herb garden just mint and chives in a large containers and some sage in the front garden.
         
      • Arlandria

        Arlandria Gardener

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        Seems like that's how most of us are doing it. I did like the idea of making a permanent herb garden, but I don't think I have the space to give over to it.
         
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        • Sian in Belgium

          Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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          I built a herb bed around 6 years ago, with a Kilmarnock willow at the centre. I think it is in my “new garden- where to start” thread.

          I’ve got rosemary, marjoram, oregano, Greek marjoram, sage, savoury, thyme, lemon thyme, chives, garlic chives, french tarragon, wild rocket, bronze fennel, Angelica, apple mint, Peppermint, Corsican mint. In between, there’s an old wallflower plant, lavenders, Curry plant, Self-sown violets and campanulas, and various bulbs (snowdrops, crocus, tulips). A lot going on, basically!!
           
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          • CarolineL

            CarolineL Total Gardener

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            @Arlandria parsley overwinters with me, so I just sow seed every so often. I would try now, and see what you get. Wilko seeds are cheap. And if you use coriander seed as a spice, why not try sowing some of them?
             
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            • Selleri

              Selleri Koala

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              @Arlandria , you bay tree is gorgeous. I want one! :)

              I have a large permanent container with chives, thyme, marjoram and summer visitor parsley, all except parsley from seeds. Chiltern's have very exiting varieties so I always must try a thing or two. Basil and Tree basil are indoors but may pop out if the weather is decent. There's also another tub of chives as we eat a lot of the stuff, and in the ground enough rosemary to last for a while. The rosemary was here when we moved in, it's beautiful and flowers all spring. It even had some flowers on Christmas day :biggrin:

              Not inclined to jam making, I'm growing my blackcurrant as a standard. It counts as a herb because the leaves make a nice drink.

              I'd really like a lot more dill, but for some reason it's never doing well in containers. I now have some between the carrots (not a great idea, the young leaves look very similar) and a bit here and there.

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              • Arlandria

                Arlandria Gardener

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                @Selleri your chives look fantastic! My plant is a bit lacklustre (I bought a "herb trio" and they arrived quite battered, only the chives survived) but I'm hoping it'll rally before I plant it out.
                 
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                • Selleri

                  Selleri Koala

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                  Complain to the seller and ask for a refund or replacement. Then just pot the "dead" plants into larger pots and step back. Very likely the roots are alive and new growth will appear in a month. :)

                  Chives are great, they are easy to grow from seed or from a supermarket plant ripped in half and planted in large containers. I also grow parsley from supermarket plants for summer fun. One potful makes three clumps to be used in rota.

                  @Sian in Belgium , it would be nice to see some photos! Also, how do you use the less common herbs like tarragon and fennel?
                   
                • Sian in Belgium

                  Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                  your wish is my command! Photos hot off the iPad!
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                  the herb bed from the drive /doorway. The lower rosemary was cut back hard last spring, which has resulted in some lovely lush growth. The Kilmarnock willow is almost bald following the spring drought, and the thyme has withdrawn, although I know with a little rain it will revive....
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                  the same bed from higher up the garden, showing the savoury, sage, second rosemary (due a heavy cut in the next week or so) and, um, dead grass....

                  How to use the herbs? The fennel we break into small pieces and mix through salad leaves, along with the rocket, marjoram, and chives. It gives a really vibrant salad. Tarragon we use with chicken (classic chicken, mushroom and Tarragon casserole) or beef - it’s the herb ingredient in bearnaise sauce. So lots of tarragon tossed into a beef risotto, about 5 mins before the rice is cooked, and then a little more at the last minute with the finely sliced rare beef - yum!
                   

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                  • Sian in Belgium

                    Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                    23D36BA1-95B3-4AAF-A7B4-8E7436844CC4.jpeg
                    as it happened, we had cold rare roast beef, coleslaw and salad for tea tonight, so I took a photo of the salad, with marjoram, rocket and fennel....


                    Another plus of fennel - it is one of the main caterpillar food plant of the yellow swallowtail butterfly. Since I’ve grown fennel here, we have had an annual visit of the butterflies :)
                     
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                    • Logan

                      Logan Total Gardener

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                      That's what i did,sometimes they'll only last a season but i always buy the chives in winter. Don't use many herbs, that's one of the reasons i only grow chives, sage and mint.
                       
                    • Ystalyfera

                      Ystalyfera Gardener

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                      I’ve been thinking of buying a herb trug this week but wondered if wrong time of year to plant anything in it? Not from seed but would herbs die off in winter outdoors
                       
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                      • Logan

                        Logan Total Gardener

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                        It all depends on if they're annuals or not. The perennials should be alright, some do die down in winter and come back in spring.
                         
                      • Sian in Belgium

                        Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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                        I had to google “herb trug”, to find out what you were considering - how out of touch with current trends am I?!
                        I think the smaller herbs would be ok in a trug. Stuff like marjoram, chives, thyme and oregano would come back each year, although they would need cutting back at the end of the autumn/early spring. Parsley would be happy too. Tarragon would grow ok, but you would have to treat it as an annual, as it is borderline tender, and so would be unlikely to survive a winter. Sage would definitely not be happy there - it is more of a shrub, so would be much happier in its own big pot - the same for rosemary. For a different reason, mint would also be happier in its own big pot - it likes richer, moister conditions, and has serious plans on herb-domination!
                         
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