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Talkback: Growing herbs
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For years I had what we called Welsh bunching onions all along one side of the veg.garden and one winter they all disappeared. They were so useful for soups,stews.omelettes.pizzas,salads, i missed them sorely. Last year I bought a packet of Japanese red bunching onion seeds and now have my useful bunches back and looking much prettier with their red stems and bulbs. I agree, Kate, herbs are the "must grow" for the good cook. Rosemary is flowering in a sheltered spot in my garden but a large one with pink flowers succumbed to the frost. Garlic and rosemary just transform roast potatoes. Thyme likes to grow in crazy paving and sage bushes always look good as well as going well with onions in stuffing. I have a lovely plant of Lady's Smock in full bloom up my garden and your blog reminded me that the leaves can be put in salad in lieu of watercress. Should be hearing the cuckoo soon as the flowers are supposed to come at the same time as the cuckoo. My chives seem to be flowering very early this year too.
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Elspeth
Last year the 4 best growers were coriander, lemon balm, winter savoury and wild fennel which grows in meter high tall fronds.
I find the winter savoury very useful as it can replace oregano and thyme in most dishes and is winter hardy and everygreen. The leaves of lemon balm are lovely mixed with mint in tea. And the coriander - seeds from a supermarket spice rack - atracted loads of beneficial insects.
Another surpise survivor of thsi harsh winter was the tarragon, I really didn't expect such a delicate herb to get through this cold winter unscathed!
@elspeth: birds and mice love coriander seeds, so they may be your culprits. Try cutting off the bottom of an old plant pot. Pust the pot into the soil, smallest end first, then sow the seeds into the pot, water and put some clear plastic over them till they've germinated.
Two young girls came to tell me that another wee girl had stolen a lady bird from my garden kept a sraight face and said Im sure the ladybird did'nt mind. Laughed at the thought then spent the rest of the night worrying in case she killed it.
Is it too late to sow herb seeds in pots under cover now (november) so they set a nice root system for te spring to plant out ? I also have rosemary x 2 in one of my borders with some perennials,will they get thru a winter and do i need to cut it back to the ground or anything before winter sets in ? same with the chives,do i need to do anything with them..