“The versatile herb not only looks good, but it tastes good,” says Karen Makin of Peter’s Gate Herbs.
“They are great decorative plants that bring a fresh aroma to any outdoor space.”
Mixing herbs, vegetables and fruit into an informal garden design can make a welcome combination.
For something different, try a profusion of roses and fruit-bearing plants like gooseberry, strawberry and raspberry with lemon and bay trees to create a garden with an old-fashioned cottage theme.
For a more indigenous feel, a rockery with bulbinella, salvias, indigenous rosemary, aloes and scented pelargoniums is sure to attract abundant bird life. Flowering companion plants like marigolds will not only add colour but will also repel insects.
Plant herbs like yarrow, bergamot, lemon verbena, daisies, lavender, borage, violets and nasturtiums either to be admired or tossed into your next salad.
Visit Peter’s Gate Herbs and check out the other 25 nursery stands at this year’s Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show, Pietermaritzburg Royal Showgrounds from September 30, until Sunday, October 2.
Here are some useful tips to ensure that your spring herb garden yields an ongoing bumper crop:
* Plant annual seedlings in spring. The ideal site for a herb garden is a sunny, open but sheltered spot with four to seven hours of direct sun a day. Coastal gardeners can plant their sweet basil as early as August, but those in colder frosty areas will have to wait till October. Coriander, dill and rocket can still be planted in spring.
* Thyme, lemon grass, salvias, scented pelargoniums and perennial basils are among those which benefit from being cut right back as soon as spring arrives. Pruning your herbs by regularly removing any dead leaves and flowers, will encourage a healthy growth.
* Now is the time to divide mint, oreganum, chives and violets. New borders can be established and old ones tidied.
* Herbs should be well composted and given a foliar feed in order to encourage new growth. Heavy feeders like strawberries and mint should be given special attention. Avoid chemical fertilisers or heavy manures as they promote soft, leafy growth that can reduce flavour and make the plants more susceptible to insect attack and disease.
* Herbs not watered during their winter dormancy will need some irrigation now, but too much is not a good thing. A good soak once a week is far better than a short daily spray.
* If you are preparing a new bed for herbs then it is a good idea to add lime, bone meal and lots of well-rotted compost. Herbs require a neutral soil. Bone meal adds important trace elements. Compost gives nourishment, helps drainage and controls water retention.
Five Wonderfully Fragrant Herbs:
Lavender: Lavender fragrance is used as a soothing stress reliever and also helps cases of insomnia or other sleep disorders.
Lemon verbena: A large bushy shrub with intensely lemon scented leaves and sprays of small white flowers in summer. It has calming and digestive properties, but also acts as a tonic that helps to lift the spirits and counter depression.
Citronella geranium: This “mozzie buster” plant of the pelargonium family has leaves that are pungently aromatic when crushed, releasing lemon-scented plant oil. Use in pot pourri and herb pillows.
Pineapple sage: This attractive perennial sage is fast growing and produces a profusion of fiery red flowers and green pointed leaves with a strong pineapple fragrance.
Passion Fruit Daisy: A small perennial shrub with leaves smelling strongly of passion fruit. It bears golden yellow daisies most of the year, especially in winter.
Show Information:
Ticket prices: R45 for adults (12 years +); R25 for children under 12 and senior citizens (60 years +); pre-school children, with adult, enter free.
Hours of opening: Friday and Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Parking:
This is available on the Voortrekker Sports Fields opposite the main entrance to the showgrounds at R15 a vehicle. - The Mercury