If I only had one container or window box, I would fill it with herbs. Fresh herbs are a joy to cook with, they smell good, their flowers are loved by bees...
If I only had one container or window box, I would fill it with herbs. Fresh herbs are a joy to cook with, they smell good, their flowers are loved by bees, and most perennial species can tolerate a bit of neglect.
Having said that, my perennial herb pot is looking a bit worse for wear. I blame the hard winter, the lack of sun, and possibly vine weevils. I also might have neglected it a little too much (I can't remember when I last watered it). Last year the pot was crammed with rosemary, chives, oregano, thyme and mint. Now there are two gaps where the oregano and thyme grew, a half-dead rosemary and some scraggy chives. The mint, of course, is romping away. (Mint is a bit of a thug, and should be planted separately from other herbs to prevent it smothering them.)
The thyme is dead - it doesn't even have any bare stalks left, let alone leaves - but there's hope yet for the oregano. There's no sign of fresh growth, but I'll give it another week or so, before giving up. This weekend I'll scrape back the top layer of soil, replace it with fresh, home-made compost and give all the plants a good water. Any vine weevil grubs will be dispatched to the blackbird, and the thyme replaced with some garlic chives, which I'm ready to plant out. I'll prune out the dead bits of rosemary and hope it pulls through.
In the meantime, my annual herbs (basil, coriander and flat-leaf parsley) are coming on well. These I grow in grow bags with the tomatoes, along with more chives (which I once read can help improve tomatoes' flavour). Strong-smelling basil and flat-leafed parsley deter whitefly and, when in flower, coriander attracts beneficial insects.
Most of these herbs prefer full sun, but they don't get that in my shady garden. And a bit of shade can be good for annuals like basil and coriander, as they're less likely to run to seed, enabling them to put their energy into leaf growth, instead.
I've already had my first chive and mint harvests of the year, and can't wait for my first basil, tomato and mozzerella salad (made with my own tomatoes and basil). I just need to help the rosemary come to life so I can use it in tomato sauces...
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