I was browsing through seed catalogues this week trying to decide what to get planting this year for the windowsill, back garden and the allotment. I pondered over the herb sections for the longest while and placed the usual candidates in my virtual shopping basket – Basil, Coriander, Parsley, Dill, Chives etc. These are everyday staples I could not do without but I was inspired by this infographic by Deborah Madison. I’ve never paired basil with green beans for example. I always reach for the parsley or coriander.
This little infographic has also inspired me to plant herbs I don’t have or know much about. Lovage for example and marjoram. Neither feature in my recipes so I’ve placed both on order to get experimenting this year.
How to grow?
Then I started pondering where I would grow all my herbs so I could reach them easily from the kitchen but also move them around as and when they needed more or less light.
I found this little idea which I’m going to adopt. It’s perfect as I always have lots of tins lying around. It looks pretty in a shabby chic kind of way and is easy to replenish.
Herb resources
It took me a while to read around this topic and find the seeds I wanted. Here is a list of the sites I used:
- Jekka’s Herb Farm – an endless world of knowledge on when and how to grow as well as a place to buy unusual seeds.
- Nicky’s Nursery – has some unusual seeds such as ajowan seeds which I haven’t bought because I can get them cheaply and easily at Indian supermarkets but I thought they deserved a mention for their range!
- Herb Gardening – Comprehensive guidance on growing all sorts of herbs
- Sow Seeds – beautiful seeds and a great blog. I also love the fact they do seed based wedding favours and corporate gifts.