The essential guide to herb's for all occasions
Herbs for tea drinkers
Chamomile
Chamomile seeds take around 1 – 2 weeks to germinate and need plenty of sun so ensure that you don’t cover them with soil when planted.
Chamomile comes from the Asteraceae plant family of daisy-like flowers.
To make chamomile tea, the flowers are dried and then infused into hot water.
Chamomile is mostly known as a night time drink for it’s sleep aiding properties.
Bergamot
Bergamot or otherwise known as “Bee Balm” gives off a delightful lemony / orange scent, it is a great herb for attracting bees and other beneficial insects into the garden.
Bergamot can be blended with black tea to create a substitute for Earl Grey or on it’s on for a summery citrus flavoured tea.
It is also known to have beneficial medicinal properties such as pain relief, helps to soothe catarrh and sore throats, it is also known to have antiseptic properties.
Sage
Sage comes from the same family as mint, although commonly used as an ingredient in cooking, sage tea is on the rise for it’s many benefits.
Sage is rick in antioxidants and has inflammatory properties, it has also been said to help improve memory and brain function.
When growing your own sage make sure to water them regularly, but not too often as this plant hates wet roots!
Is there anything more perfect than sitting out on a warm summers day drinking tea in the garden?
Citrus scented herbs
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a herby perennial, grown for it’s delicious lemon smelling leaves, it is a great food source for bees and other pollinators.
It has many medicinal properties such as treating cold sores and insect bites and also great as a tea and in salads.
Lemon balm is known for spreading quickly so will need to be cut back or kept in a container to prevent it taking over the garden
Grapefruit mint
Everyone has heard of mint but you may not have heard of the many different types of mint.
Grapefruit mint being one of those, it is a perennial plant, easy to grow for beginner gardeners with a citrusy mint scent.
This plant will need to be trimmed back like most other herbs to prevent it from spreading throughout your garden.
In summer it produces lavender coloured flowers which attract bees and butterflies.
Orange scented Thyme
Orange scented Thyme is a hardy evergreen perennial plant with ground covering properties.
It’s leaves are very fragrant and produces small pale pink / white flowers which attract bees.
Both the flowers and leaves are edible on this plant making it a great choice for cooking
Smells delicious
Personal favourites
Rosemary
Rosemary is an evergreen shrub with thin needle like leaves and bright blue bee attracting flowers in the Spring and Summer.
This easy to care for plant likes a well draining soil and plenty of sun throughout the day as it prefers being on the drier side.
Pruning Rosemary will keep it bushy.
This plant has many different uses, from culinary, aromatherapy and even in the cosmetic industry.
Mint
Mint is a perennial plant, grown for it’s aromatic leaves, there are a large variety of mint, all with different smells and flavours.
This plant requires a lot of water, particularly during dry and hot weather, mint is a fast growing plant that will spread if not kept contained.
Mint requires minimal care as it basically grows itself.
Young leaves are the best to harvest from this plant as they hold the most flavour.
Lavender
Personally I think Lavender is a must in any garden, it’s hardy, perennial, smells lovely and attractive to pollinators so whats not to love.
Lavender is commonly used in aromatherapy, essential oils and perfumes, the scent of lavender has also been known deter mice, flies, mosquitoes and other pests.
The nectar from this plant has also been used in high quality honeys.
Brilliant! My old thyme plant died, so I am having a go at growing from seed. Catmint too…