Is that a Herb Growing in the Morrisons Beds?

Herbs need a lot less looking after than vegetables, they look great and they add exciting flavours to your meals!

Many herbs can be picked for most of the year.
Or they can be frozen or dried very easily for year round supply.
Once established (a few months after planting – when their roots have grown into the soil) herbs don’t need lots of water.
They look good all year round.
They produce great flowers that insects love too!
They don’t need much looking after – usually cut back once they’ve flowered.
There are many websites giving advice if you’re unsure how to look after your herbs.
Websites for more information:
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-herbs/

Lavender

Lavender – A row of lavender runs along the back of each of the flower beds to attract insects and to give the beds a tidy, colourful edge in summer.

Lavender flowers from June to August.
The fresh flowers can be used in cooking or to make home fragrance or beauty products – Manor Farm Herbs recipes
If left on the plant, the flowers will dry. Cut the stems back at the end of August just above the woody part and use the dried flowers in drinks, as an insect deterrent or to make lavender bags.
Visit Jersey Lavender for more ideas.

Sage is a popular herb used in savoury dishes.
It grows quickly into a large low shrub.
I can be a variety of colours but green or purple sage is the most hardy – will last through all weathers.
Sage leaves can be picked through the growing season but best left alone during the winter.
Sage leaves can be dried for winter use. Cut the softer stems of sage and spread onto a tray. Place in a warm area to dry, a sunny windowsill or airing cupboard for example. You can also hang them up in a warm place to dry. Store dried leaves in an airtight container to use all year.
Sage is great is soups, sauces and also great to relieve a sore throat. Visit Rural Sprout to find more uses for sage.

Thyme leaves are used in many savoury recipes. Collect as much as you can in the spring and summer before the plant flowers.
Cut the thyme leaving bout 10cm of each stem on the plant. This will allow more leaves to grow for a further harvest before flowering.
It is easy to dry thyme. The leaves will fall off the stem easier than picking them off fresh and can be used in cooking just as fresh.
Spread the stems of thyme onto a tray and place in a warm area to dry, a sunny windowsill or airing cupboard for example. You can also hang them up in a warm place to dry.
Store dried leaves in an airtight container to use all year.
Thyme will live for 5 years or so. Cut back once it has finished flowering.
Leave thyme uncut through the winter until it begins growing again in spring.
Grow a pot of thyme indoors on a windowsill through the winter.
Thyme flowers through the summer attracting many beneficial insects to your garden.
Visit the Rural Sprout website to find uses for thyme.

Marjoram leaves can also be used in many savoury recipes. It is commonly used in place of oregano and vice versa.
Marjoram will grow and spread year after year.
Marjoram will grow and flower quickly. It’s best to harvest the leaves before flowering.
If harvesting marjoram to dry – when the plant reaches about 20cm, cut all of the stems back to about 10cm. This is important to give the plant strength to continue to grow. The leaves will grow again for a further harvest before flowering.
Marjoram will dry quickly. The leaves can be used in cooking just as fresh. Spread the stems of marjoram onto a tray and place in a warm area to dry, a sunny windowsill or airing cupboard for example. You can also hang them up in a warm place to dry.
Store dried leaves in an airtight container to use all year.
Marjoram flowers through the summer attracting many beneficial insects to your garden.

Chives have a mild onion flavour so can be used where this mild flavour is required such as in salads, sauces and baked foods.
Chives grow quickly from spring until flowering.
Flowering stems become thicker. The finer stems are better to use in salads.
Cut stems at the base to harvest – only take a third of the plant at a time to allow the plant to grow back.
Frequent cutting produces more shoots to grow.
The flowers are edible too.
Chives will come back and spread year after year.

Wall germander is not used much as a herb anymore.
It flowers all summer and is great for attracting bees to your garden.
Once the pink flowers are cut back in autumn, the glossy green leaves look attractive through the winter.
Wall germander is a good low hedging plant which holds onto your soil.
For more information about wall germander visit The Spruce website.

Hyssop is a great plant to have in your garden as it flowers for a long time, is a great ground cover and attracts beneficial insects.
It has quite a strong flavour which goes well in stews.
For more information about hyssop, visit Gardener’s World.

Parsley is a popular herb used in many savoury recipes.
Grow from seed in spring. It will last two years but will taste bitter the second year so it’s best to sow each year.
The plant will bush out the more it is picked.
Pick no more than a third of a plant at a time to give the plant energy to grow back.
Visit the Gardener’s World website for how to grow and uses for parsley.

OK, not a herb! We’ve planted chard in the beds because it looks great and provides a long harvest.
You’ll find a few vegetables in the Morrisons beds (and some have planted themselves!).
Chard is a great ornamental vegetable.
It has bright red, yellow or green stems which will grow through the year and even pop back up the following spring before running to seed. (A long stem will quickly grow and flower to produce seed.)
The stem and the leaf of chard can be cooked and eaten.
Visit the BBC Good Food website for swiss chard recipes.