Caxton magazines staff
Grow healthy, tasty herbs all year round
More herbs: Planting a herb window-box
Basil
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the perfect partner for tomatoes in salads, sandwiches, sauces and pasta. It’s also the base for pesto. Bees love its flowers too.
Bay leaves
Bay (Laurus nobilis) leaves (usually dried) add depth to meaty dishes and aid digestion, especially of rich food. Clip the bush into an attractive topiary feature.
Chives
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are delicious snipped over food as a light onion-flavoured garnish or infused in oils and vinegars. Plants repel pests, multiply easily and tolerate light shade.
More about Chives: Growing onions all year round
Garden mint
Garden mint (Mentha spicata) is more than a sauce for lamb. Its fresh flavour enhances salads, dips and dressings and is delicious with brinjals. Grow in pots to prevent it spreading.
Keep reading: Growing mint
Oregano
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) has a powerful flavour most associated with pizza and Italian cuisine. Use the strongly antiseptic leaves for treating respiratory infections.
Parsley
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) strengthens the immune system. Juice it up with fruit or veggies; use as a garnish or add at the end of cooking.
Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) lifts the spirits with its fragrance and is delicious with roast chicken, lamb and baby potatoes. It’s a good pest repellent too.
Sage
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is an excellent first aid herb for treating bites and stings, sore throats and mouth ulcers. The leaves have a strong flavour; use it sparingly.
Thyme
Thyme (Thymus spp.) is both a culinary and medicinal herb. Use in savoury dishes and as an infusion to treat colds, flu, coughs and bronchitis.
READ MORE: 3 herb containers for small gardens
