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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2008 12:13:45 GMT
Hi all ... just wondering which herbs everyone grows, and if anyone has any tips. We have Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, two types of Mint and Laksa leaf .... but am always on the lookout for more suggestions ... cheers ...
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Post by Rosefriend on Apr 3, 2008 13:06:11 GMT
Laska leaf - now that sounds interesting - what is it exactly?
RF
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2008 14:52:40 GMT
It's a Vietnamese herb, RF - bought a tiny plant a couple of years ago at a GC which was doing 'specials' on tropical herbs. The sales lady warned me it would not survive outside, but it's thriving. Very peppery taste; great with lime leaves in a coconut milk-based curry. It grows to quite a large shrub (size of a medium hebe), and has lovely reddish leaves; I chop it down each spring and so-far it's always come back better than ever ;D ;D Will post a pic once it's grown again ... cheers ...
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Post by Plocket on Apr 3, 2008 15:23:03 GMT
I've got rosemary, containers of sage, mint, bay, thyme and French tarragon. Parsley I struggle with but love  |
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Post by 4pygmies on Apr 5, 2008 19:35:55 GMT
Hi CC, I've GOT to have lots of Basils, Chives and Oregano and Marjoram for the summer. I have most of the culinary herbs tucked about in the garden but I just like any or all of them really. In the Vegetable garden I always plant English Marigolds and Nasturtiums as companion plants but my favourite of all of them is Bronze Fennel which I love for its looks, its scent, its feel, the way insects cluster round it and its ability to look beautiful anywhere and amongst any sorts of plants.
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Post by Tig on Apr 5, 2008 19:43:15 GMT
A very old rosemary and some equally ancient chives and lemon thyme grow in the garden. In pots I have variagated sage, curly parsley and mint. I have the basil indoors from the trial (which has been fantastic & harvested regularly), and I will be sowing coriander and dill, and maybe some flat leaf parsley. I fancy the bronze fennel, so will look out for that when I next visit a GC  |
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Post by Amo on Apr 5, 2008 19:58:42 GMT
Of what you would call 'normal' herbs, I have Parsley, sage, rosemary and dozens of thyme. Hyssop, angelica, chives, lemon balm, tarragon, feverfew, southernwood, marjoram, chamomile, bay, 5 types of mint, borage, myrtle, garlic, fennel, mondarda, wild alpine strawberry and tansy. I found a bergamot in flower this afternoon. |
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Post by oldmoleskins on Apr 6, 2008 8:11:25 GMT
Got most of the usual culinary ones and love them all, but this year I've got some lemongrass on the go - it's just started to show in the prop. Thai green curry's going to have to feature a bit in the OM household this year if any significant amount 'matures'... which begs the question: what does it look like (grass?) and just when is it at a useable stage...? I've only ever bought it from Tesco in chunks that often look like a miniature bunch of celery - so I guess I'm looking for a plant that has a stem thickness of a pencil - but I wonder what what height/form that'll be?
OM.
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Post by Amo on Apr 6, 2008 8:45:20 GMT
Put lemongrass into Google images Moley, there's hundreds of pics. ;D It's rather atractive actually!! Fountainous even. |
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Post by Pip on Apr 6, 2008 10:24:47 GMT
I still do not have a camera but my son has shown me how to get a picture from Internet, I have written it all down. I just hope I can do it. So Oldmoleskins, this is what the lemon grass will look like. It is rather nice isn't it? As Amo says it is rather attractive. I am not sure when you are supposed to cut it though.  Pip |
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Post by oldmoleskins on Apr 6, 2008 18:03:03 GMT
Cheers, Amo, Pip - I guess there will be 'stem bundles' down at ground level that you snip off - but if each one makes a tussock like that... embarrassment of riches or what? Mind you, they're just a speck of green in the prop at the mo...
OM.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 6, 2008 19:29:41 GMT
I grow various thymes in an old sink and pots, apple mint, oregano dingle fairy, lemon verbena, chives, 2 sage plants, 7 varieties of lavender...all in pots..
From seed this year I have sweet marjoram, pot marjoram, greek oregano, greek basil, tree basil, red basil, bog basic basil....borage, hyssop...usually have a pot of mint and peppermint over the summer months...generally taken from cuttings every autumn but I forgot last year! I'm sure there are more but I forget for the moment.... ;D
oh yes...sage...curled parsley..chamomile...etc
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Post by Tig on Apr 7, 2008 18:54:42 GMT
Inspired (reminded more like  ) by this thread I have sown some coriander and flat leafed parsley in pots tonight! Keep up the good work fellow GWDers - drop hints / reminders about what else I should have done or be doing shortly  x Tig |
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Post by Amo on Apr 7, 2008 19:11:48 GMT
Don't forget to make a cup of coffee/tea and just go and sit out there sometimes!!  |
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Post by Tig on Apr 7, 2008 19:28:01 GMT
Cheers Amo, can you just sort a bit of warmer weather for me pleeeeeeease ;D
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Post by Weeterrier on Apr 10, 2008 21:11:40 GMT
Like the look of the lemon grass, but I'd be loathe to cut it  I sowed some parsley, four kinds and some Coriander and Rocket too. And after ripping up the last vestige of mint from the garden, I sowed some more. But I'll be keeping it rootbound. |
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Post by oldmoleskins on Apr 11, 2008 7:50:45 GMT
I sowed some parsley, four kinds and some Coriander and Rocket too... If you've not grown rocket before WT, you'll be amazed how quickly it germinates and grows on... well, like a rocket. It's one of the few things I'm inclined to eat the thinnings of too - even at a tiny stage in its life it tastes like it should. OM. |
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Post by andy on Apr 11, 2008 8:14:22 GMT
Rosemary, common thyme, lemon thyme and mint are the ones i use all the time and grow religiously. I also have chives and tarragon plus bay at work on tap. I do try to keep a pot of corriander and a pot of basil growing too for those Italian and Indian moments |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 11, 2008 9:15:03 GMT
I've not got anything unusual in the herb line, just the usual stuff  Several sorts of Mint including Pineapple, might even have an Apple Mint somewhere. Golden Oregano Rosemary Fennel, plus a bronze one Sage Thyme, several different ones Chives Thought I'd got more than that, probably seems more because I have several of each dotted about in pots around the veg area. I know some of the flowering plants I have in the garden are classed as herbs but I'm afraid I have no idea what they are. I reckon it's 4P that is really into her herbs Have a look on here gardenworld.proboards103.com/index.cgi?board=vegetables&action=display&thread=1581 |
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Post by bagpuss on Apr 11, 2008 11:33:21 GMT
I too really like the look of the lemongrass, not sure where I could fit it in tho.
I have:
Bay, dill (seedlings), chives, garlic chives, rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram and lavender peppermint. Also a curry plant too!
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Post by oldmoleskins on Apr 11, 2008 11:39:10 GMT
I knew there was something missing round here... there's one at a Devon holiday cottage I've been to a few times and you brush against it as you get out of the car - lovely 'association' thing... OM. |
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Post by Amo on Apr 11, 2008 13:40:42 GMT
I had one once. Stank the whole garden out. Hated it. Couldn't even smell the roses. Reminded me of a friends flat above a take away. |
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Post by Jonah on Apr 12, 2008 11:54:49 GMT
I've just dug up my curry plant, as it was getting tatty, plus I can't stand the yellow flowers with the foliage! But it was good at keeping the cats away, and always made me hungry when I got a whiff! ;D I have to admit to not using many herbs from the garden, but hope to start doing so, especially now I am trying to grow my own veg. I've got rosemary, chives, mint, lemon balm, lavender, normal fennel and bronze, and I'm growing a couple of garlics with my daughter. I am growing from seed this year garlic chives, parsley, basil, sweet marjoram, thyme and edible chrysanths [chop suey greens]. Apparently the marjoram and thyme are supposed to repel cabbage whites, and cabbage root fly, but I'm not at home at the mo, so not sure which does which!  I'm planning on putting some in the veg bed. I'm also trying some of the companion ornamentals - nasturtiums, marigolds, borage, and allysum. |
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Post by Pip on Apr 12, 2008 12:50:50 GMT
I have had a Curry plant for a couple of years and although I have never used it as a herb, I do like the smell of it. It also seems to enjoy a severe haircut in autumn. I only found that out when my OH decided to help me tidy the garden up in the autumn, something that always makes me slightly nervous.
Pip
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Post by oldmoleskins on Jul 17, 2008 5:27:31 GMT
Finally getting some 'performance' from my lemongrass, though it's still got a way to go to meet Pip's spec:  Bit of a slow burn, lemongrass... I see I started in March/April... OM. |
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Post by Pip on Jul 26, 2008 5:48:19 GMT
Lovely Oldmoleskins, it is as least growing, although I must admit that I wouldn't have known the difference to normal grass, I am afraid. I must also confess to never having used Lemon Grass in the kitchen.
Pip
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jul 26, 2008 20:17:35 GMT
I rooted a lemongrass I bought from Tescos ;D I started with 2 and put them in the heated propagator in April...now only have the one (other one didn't take). It's just been repotted and has a lovely big rootmass...and about 7 leaves so far. I shall try and mollycoddle it in the conservatory over winter and hope for a nice big plant next year. Otherwise I'll be looking to sow some seed...
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Post by Jardack on Jul 27, 2008 7:21:31 GMT
There was an article in this months GW mag about herbs, suggestions of which ones to grow to use with meat, fish etc. I could scan it in if you'd like and email it to you.
Jardack
who is tempted by the lemongrass after seeing the pics here...
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Post by 4pygmies on Jul 27, 2008 7:55:42 GMT
Just thought I'd pop onto this thread to say that if anyone wants to sow Parsley for a winter crop, now's the time to do it. Sow in a damp seed bed or tray and watch it grow... Sow Caraway, Chervil and Coriander also as there is still time to grow and harvest them, especially now we have some hot weather.... ;D And also now is a very good time to take cuttings of any shrubby herbs - Lavender, Thyme, Sage etc etc - they will root very quickly now. Keep an eye on your biennial/ perennial herbs too - Angelica, particularly if it is flowering, as now is the optimum time to sow the seeds - the mother plant will die after flowering and if not sown when fresh the seeds are very difficult to germinate. Same too for Meadowsweet and Sweet Woodruff. I think it's always best to mimic nature and sow fresh seeds if possible. |
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Post by oldmoleskins on Jul 28, 2008 7:42:29 GMT
Just thought I'd pop onto this thread to say that if anyone wants to sow Parsley for a winter crop, now's the time to do it. Sow in a damp seed bed or tray and watch it grow... Sow Caraway, Chervil and Coriander also ... Timely stuff 4P... ok, coriander: last year I bough 'bolt resistant' plants, got one cutting of leafy stuff and then they bolted. Early this year I bought Suffolk Herbs (Kings) bolt resistant, special leafy, absolutely-not-the-one-you-want -if you-want-seeds variety - and they made weedy little plants that all bolted. How do you grow coriander, leafy coriander, successfully, please? OM. |
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) by this thread I have sown some coriander and flat leafed parsley in pots tonight!
