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Herbs have always been an important ingredient of domestic country gardens, where they were grown almost exclusively for their practical uses. It is only comparatively recently that the cottage garden has been appreciated and become fashionable.
Classic cottage garden herbs include the essential culinary species, perhaps with the addition of coriander, garlic and one or two specimens of southernwood or curry plant to brush in passing. On the whole, the authentic range of cottage herbs was fairly conservative.
Borage adds a touch of blue: The star-shaped flowers of borage are sky-blue, and are highly ornamental in the garden and at the table. The grey-green leaves are thick and hairy. However, borage is best known as a medicinal plant and will also attract bees for honey production.
- Once you've introduced it into your garden, it will be there forever, as it self-seeds copiously. If it appears where you don't want it, treat it as a weed and pull it up.
Perennial onions to sow: Welsh onions are useful all year round. A small clump will bulk up over time to form a large clump. Lift and divide the clumps in spring to make more plants or, if you leave a few flower heads to set seed, the seeds are easy to gather and sow to make more plants.
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| The subtle taste of chervil: Chervil has aniseed-flavoured feathery foliage. It is a hardy biennial, although it is usually treated as an annual. Sow seed in trays or pots in a cool greenhouse in early spring or outdoors in late spring.
Where it is sown directly into the ground, thin seedlings to 25cm. Chervil seedlings are delicate and need careful handling when planting.
- Grow them in partial shade as otherwise the plants will bolt and run to seed.
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- Chives for the border: Chives are hardy perennials, but they die down in winter so are often sown annually. Sow seed early in trays of modular cells in a greenhouse in spring. Harden off and plant out in late spring or early summer, in well-drained soil in full sun. Alternatively you can buy small plants from garden centres or herb specialists. Their pink flowers make them attractive in the front of a border. In mild winters the new shoots may develop early. If this happens, cover them with a cloche or horticultural fleece to protect them and encourage the shoots over winter.
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- To ensure the plants are vigorous and healthy, divide the clump into smaller sections every two to three years, in early spring. Plant the smaller sections 25-30cm apart in rows. You can divide chives in summer if you do, cut them back to 5cm above ground level and they will grow well.
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- Coriander -leaves or seeds?: For best results sow coriander direct into its growing site when all danger of frost is past. If you are growing it primarily for seed, give the plants adequate space and plant them early, in May or June. If the aromatic foliage is of more interest, sow seed later, in July. There are also some varieties that are specially developed for their foliage. Grow coriander in partial shade for better leaf production.
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Tasty cumin and caraway seeds: Cumin and caraway produce masses of seeds that lend a distinctive taste to spicy and fragrant dishes.
- Cumin is a tender annual. Sow it in a heated propagator in a greenhouse in spring. Transplant into well-drained soil in a sheltered, sunny site.
- Caraway is a hardy biennial. Sow seed into rich loamy soil in spring. It grows well in full sun. You can also sow it in early autumn to over winter.
Natural Protection: By planting practical and ornamental plants together to make use of every last bit of space in the garden, cottage gardeners noticed that certain herbs seem to protect both vegetables and flowers. They planted chives around the base of rose bushes to control greenfly and black spot, a scourge of garden roses. Dill was grown to protect carrots from carrot fly, winter and summer savory were thought to keep aphids away from broad bean plants, and horseradish was formerly used to combat fungus in fruit trees.
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| Herbs in planters need special attention ,as they are totally dependent on the gardener for their welfare. Their greatest need is water: the toughest drought-loving herb cannot survive for long in bone-dry soil and you must therefore check regularly (daily or even twice daily in a hot summer) that the soil stays consistently moist. Leafy herbs will appreciate an occasional feed of houseplant fertilizer, but for others annual re-potting or top-dressing is enough to replenish their diet.
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