All about herbs! Let me show you how I care for my herbs both indoors and outdoors...and introduce #TheBasilChallenge!

This week is all about herbs! I have lots of pots in the house but I do also grow others in the garden.

I’d love to share my tips for each both inside and outside, and start what shall now be known as #TheBasilChallenge! More about that later...

Inside the house, I have coriander, parsley, greek basil (much smaller leaves than normal basil), scented thyme and normal basil. The basil I’ve had a for a while took a bit of a beating last week making pesto during one of my demonstrations so I have decided to purchase another ready for the basil challenge.

Scented Thyme - I grow this both indoors and outdoors for different uses. The garden thyme tends to get quite woody, whereas the one kept and grown inside does stay softer and is easier to use. Which one I choose to use totally depends on the recipe and which I think would work best.

Coriander  - now this I find grows really well in a pot, although I do also grow it outside. Coriander does need quite a lot of water, so I like to fill the sink and pop all of the herbs into there to stand for a good soak. You can always tell when coriander needs a drink as the leaves and stems will start to flop over to one side. 

Parsley - new growths from your parsley will be a lovely vivid green, older stems and leaves will start to yellow. Cut these stems off (they should still be okay to use) to give the new growth more of a chance of coming through. Pick out all of the dead leaves you can to make the whole plant more manageable and likely to thrive.

Greek Basil - Basil doesn’t like water on its leaves, they are much more likely to shrivel up and die if the leaves are exposed to water so do be really careful and only water the soil. My greek basil plants have lasted for months and months by just being very careful with the watering and snipping very low to take out any dead stems, to give the rest of the plant a chance. 

Basil - to keep your basil thriving there are a few really important rules to follow. Do not get the leaves wet, never ever use scissors or any kind of blade to prune the leaves, and keep it inside! 

To pick the leaves off without damaging the plant, thereby giving the new growth a real chance to flourish, simply ‘pinch’ the leaves away from the stem. Basil absolutely hates scissors and being cut with blades - even after picking you should always tear the leaves rather than chop!

When you water the basil, just water the top of the soil, or place into a sink of shallow water to give the roots a chance to drink. Do not get water on the leaves! 

Lastly, do keep your basil indoors - either in a greenhouse or kitchen. Water will hit the leaves in the form of rain outside, and it really can thrive in a pot.

The Basil Challenge - I’d love to start our very own basil challenge! All go and purchase a basil plant and let's follow each other's regular updates at #TheBasilChallenge...and we can see how long we can keep our basil plants alive!

I have one area in the garden for herbs. 

In pots, I have a bay, Moroccan mint, and spearmint. 

I use bay a lot to enhance the flavour of dishes. It is best kept in a pot and repotted when needed. My bay tree did suffer a little when it got potbound a while back, but it has been re-potted and should be springing back to life in no time.

Mint is much better grown in pots, due to its tendency to spread and cause havoc! The roots go everywhere and will keep popping up everywhere. Even after some time, you’ll suddenly see mint appearing! Always keep your mint confined to pots or in closed off areas. 

In flowerbeds, I grow sage, oregano, lemongrass, rosemary, two thymes, chives, and lavender!

Sage grows really well outside as does rosemary. I have one lemon-scented thyme, of which the stem is a lot thicker and coarse when compared to the thyme inside.

The chives are currently flowering with the most beautiful little edible blooms, which are lovey when sprinkled onto a salad!

Lavender I used recently in lemon and lavender shortbreads, but I do like to dry it out and have it around the house to help it smell gorgeous.

Top tip for herb gardens, if you have a problem with pests, simply grab some trusty chicken wire and fashion yourself a little box or dome to place over the herbs. It should keep them at bay! 

Also, anticipate where you are thinking of having your herb garden if you are about to plant one. I have mine really close to the kitchen so I can simply pop out and grab myself whatever I need to enhance the dish I am cooking!

So how about it, join me in the basil challenge and let’s see how long we can keep our basil plants well healthy and thriving! Use #TheBasilChallenge so we can all encourage and help each other along!!!

Love,