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Grow Your Own Herb Garden

Just think you could could grow your own herb garden, and then you and your family could use those plants in cooking. Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow, so they are good to start with to gain some confidence, and perhaps save some money.

Herbs for Indoors:

Herbs like open sunny positions away from cold damp draughts and winds, to recreate the natural original conditions of the Mediterranean climate. Chives, Mint, Nasturtium, Parsley and Rosemary listed above can also cope with shady places, so do not worry if your windowsills or balconies do not get much sunshine.

If you are growing herbs in window boxes, large containers or plant pots, treatment of the growing medium (the soil) is the same.

Soil as good growing medium is made up of five components:

• Mineral particles e.g. sand silt & clay, known as 'loam' in compost
• organic material e.g. dead & decaying parts of plants especially the leaves
• Small living organisms, some too small to see with the naked eye
• Water held in the organic matter and between mineral particles - giving a damp feel not wet!
• Air found in gaps between soil particles - so the soil should not be squashed.

To make things simple, most multi-purpose potting composts in garden centres or supermarkets are fine growing mediums. Use loam-based compost such as John Innes composts, which hold onto water better than loam-free. Loam-free composts are available and will do well; they are lighter in weight and have a higher organic matter content, but do require more regular watering. Their mineral content is replaced by perlite as substitute loam. Both loam-based and loam-free composts have the advantage of a disease free growing medium, and unlike homemade composts they are sterilised, so that unwanted creepy crawlies don't hatch and invade your home.

Make sure all the containers have good drainage, with gravel/stones or crushed old terracotta flowerpots in the base.

Strawberry pots can be used for growing herbs, using lavender or chives on the top, and other smaller herbs peeking out of the holes lower down each side.

You must make sure the containers are kept well watered, as they tend to dry out a lot quicker than if they are planted in the ground. If using terracotta pots, line the sides with plastic carrier bags, to lessen the drying effect of terracotta.

Buy small plants in 5 cms pots.

Getting plants by their seeds or from cuttings is cheaper, and can be done in autumn. Look out for tips on this starting in September's issue.

In this edition we have concentrated on potted and container-grown herbs, If you have the luxury of having your own garden and want tips on designing a permanent herb garden, do let us know and we will guide you in future editions.

Let us know how you are getting on.