A group of culinary or scented herbs in attractive pots placed near the kitchen door makes a simple, beautiful and easily-accessible feature
Herb plants are widely sold in garden centres and many are often easy to grow from seed. Beware the pot-grown herbs offered in supermarkets, as they are usually grown under glass and are often too lush and stressed to adapt well to life outdoors.
Sow tender herb seeds such as basil and marjoram indoors for planting out later. Delay buying herb plants from garden centres until the weather warms up in late spring.
Suitable containers
Herbs do not usually mind trying conditions such as drought and exposure, as long as they have a deep root run where they can be left undisturbed. ‘Long tom’ pots have the required depth and look good massed together. Use a gritty, well-drained compost, adding up to 25 percent by volume of coarse grit or perlite to good quality multi-purpose compost or John Innes No 1.
Keep the compost moist, but never soggy. Use balanced fertiliser to encourage leafy growth, rather than potassium-rich fertiliser that might promote flowering.
Mint relishes moist, fertile soil, but is not the happiest of herbs in a pot. Replant frequently, using generous pieces of root, into rich potting media, taking care to avoid overpotting. Whenever it looks straggly, lift roots and repot into fresh compost.
Larger perennials such as rosemary and sage can be left in containers for several years before repotting. Bay can also be most ornamental grown as a container plant, but use a loam-based John Innes No 3 compost.
Guy Barter