I love having fresh herbs in the garden but don’t find some that easy to grow. Coriander for one! I bought a plant from the garden centre and put it in a big pot by the back door. Very soon it started to send up flower shoots and on reading, I found we are supposed to pick them out. Well there’s virtually nothing left of the plant now. Anyone have successs growing it? Other herbs have flowered too, oregano, marjoram and chives. They look so pretty but I’m guessing that I shouldn’t have allowed the flowers. What do you do? The rosemary has over years sent up shoots so now it is large and ungainly. The sage never looks to happy with bits dying off. I tried growing basil indoors. I hadn’t realised that every shoot is from one seed so it’s quite time consuming as they need a lot of watering to get them going. So as much as I love the herbs, I really don’t think that I’m doing well with them. I’m always envious when I visit gardens, especially the big ones in estates where they have a walled garden! We have a lovely old property not too far from us called Arley Hall. Their gardens are wonderful and I’m thinking it’s time I payed it a visit again.
Nope, always failed miserably with coriander - didn't bother with it this year (it's a pity, because it's very useful for culinary purposes). Basil is doing well this year (made some delicious pesto with it last week), along with thyme, mint and flat leaf parsley - also have a big rosemary plant that we've had in the garden for a few years, it gets totally neglected but seems to be ok. Mine were plants, not seeds I should mention.
Herbs grown in the garden always seem to go to flower quite quickly I find, I have gone back to kitchen herbs, less frustrating, I tried growing Rocket and it was lovely for a week or so and then went to seed.
I feel the same way, quite challenged with herbs. Im ok with the woody ones like Rosemary and Thyme, they seem really hardy. Basil I agree is so time consuming, they need watering everyday, they wilt as quick as anything and I find they smell of cat wee. You have to constantly take the top leaves out too.
I found the same thing with coriander, oregano, you have to stop them from flowering and going to seed.
In the supermarket I often see the potted herbs, I've tried so many times with these, especially the flat leaf parsley which as soon as you remove the plastic sleeve, the darn thing flops and droops and never stands up again. The curly parsley is stronger and I've had a lot of success with that but only indoors or in the conservatory in good weather. I don't know what the secret is to growing year round herbs on your kitchen window cill but would love to know.
There is a lot to be said for being part of a group, and the support and friendship that is gained from this.
Yes, I’ve got that same problem B, no sooner have I removed the plastic cover, flat leaf parsley droops, so what I do is water it generously, and leave the plastic cover on then after a couple of days cut the plastic down a bit, so that it is still supporting the stems, I know it’s not a great look but at least the plant keeps going for a while.
Well I’m glad it’s not just me! Thanks for the tip about supermarket potted plants Jazzy. Same happens to ours - they just flop open once the cellophane is removed.
Made a couscous salad yesterday and the recipe called for a handful of herbs, got the parsley and mint from the garden and used a shop-bought pack of coriander .... it was delicious, they went really well together and tasted really fresh.