WHETHER you’re a serious foodie or you’re just starting out with your first herbs, there are five key plants you shouldn’t be without: rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley and thyme.
For these herbs to survive, give each plant its own pot. Use large pots for rosemary and oregano and medium for sage, as these all need room to grow.
Add crocks to the bottom of pots to improve drainage before adding the compost. Oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme need a loam-based compost, such as John Innes No. 2, while parsley prefers a multi-purpose compost, top-dressed with fine gravel or bark chips to prevent it from drying out.
All these herbs are sun lovers, apart from the parsley, which needs partial shade. And all will be happy in their pots for many years, except the parsley, which is short-lived and best sown every year for a continuous supply.
Author: Jonny
Author of Gardening Life!