I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

Thanks

Neil

The message
from (Neil) contains these words:

I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

Tell your wife.........

Most herbs like a sunny position as many of them originate in the
Mediterranean.

Rosemary makes a fine hedge plant, and sage is easy.

I'd grow dill, but I like pickling cucumbers - though it's good with
fish as well.

And lovage. A few leaves in a stew or casserole imparts a strong celery
flavour.

Golden marjoram is easy, and soon forms a decorative dense clump.

Mints are easy too, though I have heard complaints from one regular here
that they can't keep it alive....

IMO the best place for the smaller herbs like thyme is in pots. Basil
grows well in pots too.

Seeds can be bought for most of these herbs, but I cheat with the thymes
and buy small pots of them.

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

Neil20/12/03 9:01
I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

It helps to think of their origins and many are Mediterranean. Sharp
drainage, hot, baking summer earth.
Most herbs require very good drainage i.e. no water settling and staying
round their roots. They also need a lot of sun. If your soil isn't
suitable for this, I'd suggest you plant them in pots or an old sink -
something of that sort. Make sure the containers are raised off the ground
a little to let water drain away and place them in the sunniest part of your
garden. Mint, it should be said, will probably take over half of N Cheshire
and be checked only by meeting plants coming from the south. ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

Neil20/12/03 9:01
I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

It helps to think of their origins and many are Mediterranean. Sharp
drainage, hot, baking summer earth.
Most herbs require very good drainage i.e. no water settling and staying
round their roots. They also need a lot of sun. If your soil isn't
suitable for this, I'd suggest you plant them in pots or an old sink -
something of that sort. Make sure the containers are raised off the ground
a little to let water drain away and place them in the sunniest part of your
garden. Mint, it should be said, will probably take over half of N Cheshire
and be checked only by meeting plants coming from the south. ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

"Neil" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

Thanks

Neil

Pots!
Don't give up if it dies on you!
Some herbs are good on windowsills (Basil, coriander)
It's probably a bit late to buy/start now unless you're going for
indoor/windowsill ones but all of what's alreay been suggested.
Plus chives, taragon, garlic, chamomile, sage maybe even lavender.
Whilst the nights have drawn in and it's chilly outside, treat yourself to a
good book about herbs and their uses. It's not only culinary that they're
mostly good for, their scents are rather good as well.

L

In article , Jaques d'Alltrades
writes
The message
from (Neil) contains these words:

I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

Tell your wife.........

Most herbs like a sunny position as many of them originate in the
Mediterranean.

Sunny and well drained

Rosemary makes a fine hedge plant, and sage is easy.

I'm on wet clay and can grow rosemary even though in theory it shouldn't
do well. Try one of the common ones, don't go for any fancy highly bred
variety just yet.

I'd grow dill, but I like pickling cucumbers - though it's good with
fish as well.

And lovage. A few leaves in a stew or casserole imparts a strong celery
flavour.

That's a british plant, so no problems - many of the umbellifer (cow
parsley relatives) plants should be OK - lovage, dill, fennel, parsley.

Golden marjoram is easy, and soon forms a decorative dense clump.

I have that on a raised bed.

Mints are easy too,

They like it fairly moist, so that's a good bet.
Try chives as well.


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , Neil wrote:
I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

See the Culinary Herbs FAQ on rec.gardens.edible, and not what Sacha
has said. As a good rule, most herbs are Mediterranean, temperate
waterside or tropical, and the three groups need different treatment.
Many make good pot plants.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 23:52:20 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Neil20/12/03 9:01
I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

It helps to think of their origins and many are Mediterranean. Sharp
drainage, hot, baking summer earth.
Most herbs require very good drainage i.e. no water settling and staying
round their roots. They also need a lot of sun.

Sun, sun, sun. Be aware of which herbs are perennial (rosemary, sage,
thyme, oregano), annual (basil, dill), or biennial (parsley). Most can
be successfully grown in pots -- the bigger the better, usually.
snip
Mint, it should be said, will probably take over half of N Cheshire
and be checked only by meeting plants coming from the south. ;-)

Indeed. Another perennial with a terrific 'spreading' habit. It took
me forever to start one plant, but once I did, it spread everywhere
and invited its cousins in. Mint and lemon balm now fight it out in my
back lawn. Very fragrant to walk over, however.

In article ,
Frogleg wrote:
On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 23:52:20 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

Mint, it should be said, will probably take over half of N Cheshire
and be checked only by meeting plants coming from the south. ;-)

Indeed. Another perennial with a terrific 'spreading' habit. It took
me forever to start one plant, but once I did, it spread everywhere
and invited its cousins in. Mint and lemon balm now fight it out in my
back lawn. Very fragrant to walk over, however.

Not here. Mint is a waterside plant, and does not do well in light
soils in a low rainfall area. I can grow it, and it spreads profusely
in the shadier areas, but it doesn't really like the location.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Neil wrote:

I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

Thanks

Neil

All I can add to the thoughts of the congegation is that a lot of these plants
like Sage, Thymes in bewildering variety, Chives, Rosemary, Oregano, Fennel
etc............ are very respectable ornamentals and will not look out of place
in your flower borders.
--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:31:28 +0000, Rod
wrote:

Thank you all very much.

Neil

Subject: Herbs for the beginner
From: Rod
Date: 21/12/2003 18:31 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

Neil wrote:

I am thinking of growing herbs for use in the kitchen.

I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Any thoughts??

Thanks

Neil

All I can add to the thoughts of the congegation is that a lot of these
plants
like Sage, Thymes in bewildering variety, Chives, Rosemary, Oregano, Fennel
etc............ are very respectable ornamentals and will not look out of
place
in your flower borders.

Sorry for piggybacking on someone else's post, aohell playing silly beggars
again.

If you can trackdown a copy of this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...683577-1569417

It's called "the herb garden; month by month" and is ideal for the beginner
setting out. It is out of print sadly, but if you can get a copy from your
local library or find a second hand copy floating around it is well worth it.
--
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
Q: how many witches does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: depends on what you want it changed into!

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 21:01:51 +0000, Neil wrote:
I am a gardening novice and would appreciate any thoughts / advice on
which would grow well either in or outdoors. I live in N Cheshire on a
heavy clay soil with a "modern" ie smallish garden. Reasonably
sheltered though winds can be strong at times. Space might best be
described as negotiable!

Hi Neil,

I live in extreme North East Wales - so not too far from you (where are
you?) with very similar soil.

I have positioned my herb bed to try and catch as much sun as possible. I
have successfully grown outdoors in the ground for the last two years the
following:

Mint (in pots plunged into the soil to contian the roots)
Rosemary, camomile, sage, corriander (annual), oregano, thyme, majoram,
chives.

I also have a bay tree in a large pot, and we have grown tarragon in the
ground and in pots - but subject to a check in the spring of the latest
plants (which look dead), I don't think I have ever managed to over
winter the stuff. Next year it gets its own pot, and gets bought into the
conservatory as soon as it gets wet & cold. I don't think tarragon likes
wet & cold.

HTH, Sarah