Create your own herb haven

Create a space for growing herbs, and infuse your cooking with freshly picked flavours…

Nothing beats the pleasure of being able to pop outside to pick fresh herbs from your own home-grown plants. Be inventive with your outside space. Try planting a single basil, parsley or coriander plant in a small pot. They don’t need much space to grow, and while parsley and coriander tend to die down in winter you’ll find they self-seed. Larger seeds such as bay, sage, rosemary and thyme, which live for many years, will need bigger pots. Or plant into a bed or border – most herbs thrive in a sunny site and like free-draining compost or soil. The exception is mint, which prefers part shade. Plant it in a pot of its own, not in the ground, as it’s invasive and will spread rapidly.

7 essential herbs for cooking

Coriander

An annual that will self-seed; best grown in a pot. Cooking tip – add fresh leaves to Thai stir-fry dishes and curries.

Parsley

Grow in a pot; the leaves are best on young plants. Cooking tip – partner it with white fish or use fresh as a garnish.

Mint

Keep this herb in a pot of its own, as it spreads quickly. Cooking tip – Use to add zing to a Pimms or to flavour potatoes.

Sage

Plant in a big pot or in a bed for leaves year after year. Cooking tip – Add it to meat stews and roasts, and in risottos.

Rosemary

Ideal for a large pot, or plant in the middle of a border Cooking tip – Add to roast meat dishes or veggie bean stews

Thyme

Perfect for a pot or as an edging plant for a flower bed. Cooking tip – Try in vegetarian moussaka or with white fish or lamb.

Bay

Bay trees make beautiful decorative features on a patio or in the garden, and the leaves have many uses too. Cooking tip – Include bay leaves in bouquet garni for soups or stews, or pop them in bottles of vinegar or oil to add flavour.