Herb Garden

[wb_uk]

I've just started a herb garden which has lemon balm, tarragon,
parsley and chives.

I live in the south of England which has temperate, moist
climate.

I like spicy food and strong flavours. Has anyone any
suggestions for new herbs - preferably herbs that
spread easily - as I have plenty of room in the garden.

 

[Wyogal]

Mint grows like crazy, and there are several types.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Wyogal - Please don't tell folks to grow mint without listing its many caveats - LOL!!!

If you want to grow mint, either do it in containers or with a deep strong barrier to the rest of your property. Otherwise, you'll end up like me - pulling up "mutt mint" (aka nasty unnamed mint) for TWELVE YEARS planted by the original owner of my farm. Mint reproduces by seeds, rooted stems, & underground runners. It becomes an alien force if you don't want it where it wants to go - which is EVERYWHERE.

In addition, when buying mint, make SURE you pinch off a bit & do a smell/taste test. Mints have become very hybridized these days since the 1970's herb craze that many are just "mutts" - nasty smelling & tasting with no culinary or ornamental virtues whatsoever.

 

[Wyogal]

I guess that's what I meant by "grows like crazy" and "there are several types."

 

[wb_uk]

Many thanks for the information. I will
have to get hold of some mint from a
neighbour.

 

[GB]

My first experience with mint was at my grandparents house in NY. Grandma planted some mint and it made its way over to the cement stoop against the house. The mint started growing through the cement. It actually cracked the cement stairs. No matter what they did they could not get rid of it.

I love mint because it smells and tastes so good and is so easy to grow and upkeep. I have a half whiskey barrel that I use for it so it does not overgrow my yard. I have a number of varieties from chocolate mint to orange mint to ginger mint to spearmint to peppermint all growing together.

Mint is great to use in drinks or salads or on some meats. When the lawn service is coming to cut the lawn I like to sprinkle some mint leaves around the lawn so when they mow it smells great outside. Of course I do not just do that with mint. I do that with most of the herbs I grow. It makes the yard smell amazing.

Someone here (I forgot who so my apologies) had a great suggestion if you wanted to grow mint in your garden. They suggested taking a container you would like to grow it in and burying that in the garden and growing the mint in that. That way the mint would be contained and not spread, but you would have it along with everything else if you wanted.

Another herb suggestion for you wb_uk would be oregano. Oregano is very hearty and will come back year after year. It is a strong flavor anda delicious one. There are quite a few varieties. I have Greek oregano growing that my brother started from seed about 6 years ago. It is my favorite plant in my garden. It is another one I like to sprinkle on the yard before they mow.

My last suggestion would be thyme. I think that would work well for you as well.

 

[Thaicooking]

I have herb garden in Thailand, my hometown, and I grew up Lemongrass, goat pepper very well. Now, I'm in Los Angeles, and I've tried to do herb garden here, but I failed!

 

[blissful]

I don't have mint but I have some kind of thyme that is taking over my herb garden, though, it might be oregano. Anyways......

I'm starting a new lasagna garden for herbs behind the garage, getting full sun-south side.

When the boys were little we were camping up north WI clearing some paths through some wooded acreage down to the creek. When they got to one section, they could smell where the mower/brush mower had cut--some mint. Hey,whats that cool smell!

So being the industrious children they were, they gathered handfuls of this mint, it was spearmint. They thought it was the neatest thing to make things from nature (like berry drinks from the yard--cranberry, currant--just like Kool aid or soda, like the other kids had).....
So I steeped the leaves of spearmint in boiling water from the campfire and then after a couple hours, added sugar, and we enjoyed mint iced tea. It was always a joy to do things like that with the boys when they were exploring nature. And they would laugh and they would giggle.....

 

[BreezyCooking]

If it's taking over it's much more likely to be oregano than thyme. Unlike thyme, oregano can easily become VERY invasive if not kept severely in check. It not only self-sows, but also spreads via a shallow running root system. In addition. any stems that touch the ground for any length of time will also take root.

 

[blissful]

Hey girlfriend, I think the same thing, it's oregano.......though my friend has BETTER smelling oregano and mine is really just so earthy, she told me it was probably thyme...but it might not be....I thought it was oregano taking over from the beginning.
It's so many years old, it's probably not a pure breed....but yes invasive.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Yeah - definitely oregano. Even "mutt" thymes have a strong scent/taste. "Mutt" oreganos - forget it.

Early on in my herb gardening I had bought several plants marked just "Oregano". Never again!! They spread all over the place & had only a faint, musty oregano scent & very little flavor. The only thing they were good for was attracting bees while in bloom. Turns out that once herb gardening became so popular, many growers just grew anything & everything willy-nilly so as to jump on the $$ bandwagon. Thus there are lots of awful-tasting/smelling "mutts" out there - most noticeably among the mints & oreganos.

So now whenever I purchase a plant, I always do 1) a pinch & sniff/taste first, & 2) try whenever possible to purchase named varieties, not just "oregano".

Anyway, if you do want to keep the variety you have (although it doesn't sound like it's worth it), don't let it go to seed & keep those runners in check.

Oh - one more thing. When buying oregano plants, keep in mind that there are some varieties that have been developed primarily for ornamental use only. They're still edible, but don't really have good culinary qualities because they've been bred for their blooms. So if you want plants for cooking, don't bother buying any designated as "ornamentals".

 

[Claire]

I love thyme in the garden, and when cooking especially in poultry dishes. Sage, once again a great specialty of poultry. Mint or related (and I believe lemon balm is) needs to be discipllined, stongly! Or it will take over your garden. Parsley ... I grow both curley and flat leaved. Sometimes I like the stronger flavor, sometimes I like the milder and the looks of the former. If you like cooking Asian or central/south American dishes, cilantro is a must. The leaves for a fresh taste, the seeds for longer-cooked dishes (cilantro, chinese parsley, coriander all are from the same plant).

Oregano? I've had such mixed results that i prefer to buy mine dry rather than trying to grow it on my own. I wound up with spreading plants that tasted like ... well, almost nothing.

 

[kathrynb23]

Wyogal - Please don't tell folks to grow mint without listing its many caveats - LOL!!!

If you want to grow mint, either do it in containers or with a deep strong barrier to the rest of your property. Otherwise, you'll end up like me - pulling up "mutt mint" (aka nasty unnamed mint) for TWELVE YEARS planted by the original owner of my farm. Mint reproduces by seeds, rooted stems, & underground runners. It becomes an alien force if you don't want it where it wants to go - which is EVERYWHERE.

In addition, when buying mint, make SURE you pinch off a bit & do a smell/taste test. Mints have become very hybridized these days since the 1970's herb craze that many are just "mutts" - nasty smelling & tasting with no culinary or ornamental virtues whatsoever.

OMG I have the same problem with mutt mint. My mother in law has absolutely no common sense when she started growing these .
I've got a backyard full of out of control herbs growing.

 

[Kylie1969]

We are thinking of growing mint as we like to use fresh mint leaves on our homemade pizzas

 

[Snip 13]

Watercress, thyme, rosemary, bay and nasturtiums should work well.

 

[acerbicacid]

I live in the South East of England and find that sage, rosemary (it is now an enormous bush), a small bay tree and horseradish grow well, I have had problems with thyme. My oregano died this summer unfortunately. Horseradish is like mint, it will take over so I have it in a container, I also grow wild garlic in a container.

I have found that herbs bought from supermarkets aren't that good for growing on.

 

[acerbicacid]

Forgot nasturtiams Snip, thanks for the reminder. The flowers and leaves are great in salads, and the seed pods can be pickled like capers.

 

[taxlady]

We are thinking of growing mint as we like to use fresh mint leaves on our homemade pizzas

Just remember to keep it in a pot or in some other way keep it from spreading. It can take over a garden.

I started mine from a cutting from mint from the grocery store.

 

[Kylie1969]

Yes, certainly a pot, thanks Taxy

Should a be a pretty decent size one...large pot maybe?

 

[Dawgluver]

Yes, certainly a pot, thanks Taxy

Should a be a pretty decent size one...large pot maybe?

I buried my mint pots, with the rim just slightly above ground. So far they stay contained. My buried pots are about 10 or 12 inches, and plastic. I leave them in the ground year 'round.