Something has upset the bay tree - and it is not happy. It could be:

• too much water. Read More »

Herbs can be grown for for autumn and winter use in the house.

Chives for the Autumn:

• lift a clump from the garden in early September
• pot them up into 13cm (5in) pots Read More »

It is surprising how much greenery you can produce from a small strip - & fresh herbs & green leaves are so good for you.

Maris, in Holland, does not own a garden, but has taken over a strip of garden (less than 2ft) at the back of his flat, which is not mowed by the local municipal fortnightly. He asks: “So I started growing 10 types of herbs and it is quite successful - I have Dill, Celery, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Coriander, Parsley, Sage, Rosemarie, Mint and also Rocket leaves for salad. These are not big plants but most certainly serve our purpose in bringing more flavour and goodness into our daily meals and I just love them. Rocket leaves I can pick only once a fortnight, but the rest grows beautifully. Most people are amazed at what I have done and I when I see the mowing machine and its operator I quietly point out to these little angels and beg of him not to run it off!

Now the most important question ? Which one of these herbs could withstand the weather in winter? And those that cannot withstand the winter, could I pot them and keep them inside?”

TopVeg replied:

Basil, dill, rocket & coriander are annuals (that is a plant that usually germinates, flowers and dies in one year.) So you will have to start again with seed next year.

Mint and oregano will die back in the winter, but grow again next year. As they are very vigorous, you could lift a little piece of the root and pot it up. This may last longer into the winter when indoors, and start earlier in the spring.

Thyme and rosemary are evergreen shrubs. They will keep their leaves all through the winter, although the rosemary is quite tender & may get caught by the frost.

Parsley is a biennial plant (which takes two years to germinate, flower and die) - so it will need to be replanted every 2 years, unless you let it reseed.

Sage will live for several years, although the leaves often get frosted.

Celery is an annual. I am not sure how you use this as a herb - we use the stalks either cooked or in salads. It needs masses of water.

I wonder if your border is on the edge of the road? If so, the salt put on the roads in frosty weather may splash on to your herbs. This will not do them any good. It would be worth putting a small root of each herb in a pot (old yogurt pots are ideal) & keeping it on a windowsill for the winter , ready to plant outside in your border in the spring. This will be an insurance - so that you have an emergency supply if the herbs in the border die.

Hope that helps!

TopVeg

A herb trough is attractive and productive, producing an abundance of herbs for the kitchen.

A herb trough:

• can be any size, to suit the space available.
• can be made from any container, as long as it has drainage holes.
• must be watered regularly in the summer.

The herb trough in the picture contains:

• chives
• thyme
• marjoram
• borage
• mint

FarmingFriends have produced a series of ‘how to grow herbs’ grow cards.
Each herb has an abundance of flowers, which attract the bees. All these herbs have over-wintered well in the herb trough.

How to grow Florence Fennel by John Oldham.

Warning! If you can’t stand the taste of aniseed, read no further!
Florence Fennel is a dwarf form of the herb Fennel (Latin name - Foeniculum vulgare), which is grown for its aromatic bouquet and is often used as a garnish for fish dishes. Read More »

A herb character, entered by Mel of BeanSprouts, comprising a picture of Einstein crowned with sprigs of Sage hair, has won the TopVeg Herb Character competition.

Judge & TopVeg Art Consultant, Will, said “To match Sage with Einstein demonstrates a stroke of genius! ” Read More »

TopVeg started the Favourite Herb Poll on September 18th, and in the last four weeks 57 people voted. Read More »

Sara, from Farming Friends, contacted TopVeg for an on-line consultation about her sick Bay Tree. The leaves were developing black spots before turning brown and dropping off. Click the audio button to hear a podcast of the online clinic: Sara’s Bay
Read More »

To celebrate World Herb Day 2007, listen to our celebrity podcast.

TopVeg and Farming Friends have produced a series of How To Grow Herbs Cards and some Herb Games & Puzzles.

TopVeg has run a Herb Character Competition which will be judged on HerbDay2007.

The favourite herb poll will indicate the most popular herb.

Woburn Country Foods told us how they use herbs in a podcast and East Riding Country Pork have told us the story of Mr Leonard’s Marjoram Sausages.

HerbDay 2007 is on Saturday 13 October, so this slide show of smelly herbs is appropriate!

To celebrate HerbDay2007 TopVeg is running a Competition to create a herb character. Why not have a go!

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