Growing, using and propagating perennial herbs 1

Growing, Using and Propagating Perennial Herbs – part 1

This is a very wide subject and I have pondered for a long time on which herbs to include. Well, I came to the conclusion that there is too much information for one blog and, I’m not pretending to be an expert, just a practical gardener. What works for me (or what hasn’t worked), I will share with you.

I did think about doing the herbs in alphabetical order but, I’ve decided, instead, to discuss those herbs which are my personal favourites – thinking they are probably also your favourites – or maybe not!

I think of the old song – Scarborough Fair – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Well! that is perhaps a good place to start. Parsley is, of course a biennial and has been covered in my last herb blog but, let’s look at the last three in this song/rhyme:

Sage – is a very aromatic herb and in the kitchen, it should be used with caution as it can be quite overpowering. A couple ( 2 -3) of leaves in a pork dish is sufficient.

It is easily grown from seed and, for me is definitely the way forward. It seems to like the heavy soil I provide it with and also thrives well on my daughter’s lighter, more freely draining alluvial soil. In its second year it will become quite leggy so, like with thyme  and lavender, you will need to chop back the woody branches to encourage new growth. That said, treated as a biennial, it definitely produces the most luscious and useful plants in its second year. This might be something to consider. If you  are growing in pots in your garden, Sage will, in a couple of years, become pot-bound. Re-pot in much larger pots – 50% larger- to encourage stronger fresher leaf growth but, perhaps consider every couple of years re-growing from seed.

I love this herb when I’m looking for something ‘spiky’. It is pungent, aromatic and goes well with pork but, beware of too much!

Rosemary – there are so many different types of rosemary – I hadn’t realised how many until this last winter when I lost all – and I mean all of my rosemary plants – one of them about 15 years old, I had thought indestructible. When I went to the garden centre looking to replace my many plants I was told that they had also lost all of their plants, in fact had lost £thousands during this last winter to the very hard frosts we have had.

Last year I had taken cuttings from my various plants, which ‘took’ and established well. Of the dozen approx, that rooted, and established and were planted out variously in my garden, in pots on my patio, on my plot and in my neighbour’s garden, only one survived the particularly harsh conditions of last garden. Well! And I thought I was ‘the business’. But, it was one of the ones I had planted in my neighbour’s garden, that survived. That said, they do root fairly easily from cuttings (don’t use very old woody plants – they really don’t ‘take’ so well), I recommend stem cuttings with a little rooting powder in a moist mixture of peat and sharp sand – keep them damp and warmish until roots have established – several months, then pot up and grow on as necessary.

Thyme – there are so many different types and flavours of thyme. My personal favourite for cooking is lemon thyme. Although I’ve heard TV chefs often suggesting we should avoid lemon thyme as they consider it too dominant. For me, it is the gentler version of thyme. I do grow common thyme in a variety of colours and forms but lemon thyme must be one of my favourite herbs. Obviously this is a personal taste.

I have only managed to find seeds for common and orange thyme and my success rate of germinating or growing on has not been spectacular, to say the least but, I’m trying again this year (for the last time- if it doesn’t work this year, I will forget it).

For me and perhaps, I’m just giving in too easily, I have gone to the website of a herb-grower and bought established strong plants. These, I have planted on my allotment (and a couple in pots at home). Probably 90% of these plants have ‘taken’ well. Once established they will each provide me with 2 or 3 rooted cuttings in the right circumstances. If you want to try – earth up around each plant – the side branches will then touch-down and root into the medium you have provided. During the summer, cut them away from the parent plant and pot on. By this method I’ve probably had about 80% success – not bad , even after a hard winter. After a few years your thyme plants will become too woody to be useful so do think about taking cuttings or dividing the roots before that stage to ensure you have young and useful plants.

I will use the young shoots of thyme or the green thyme leaves, stripped from the branches in most meat or pasta dishes I will serve. I love it and, so easy to grow.

More and other perennial herbs next time.