The allotment next to mine is abandoned and is home to many weeds but every so often there is a reminder of plants that were grown there in former years. One such are the electric blue flowers of Borage plants which have seeded along with the charming white form. I too have seedlings of both the white and the blue forms on my plot which I am loathed to pull up. They flower from early spring until well into autumn and are a magnet for bees which once there, will pollinate other crops. There is nothing better than the contented hum of bees about their work on a warm spring morning!
We have many herbs growing in our own garden. I am a great one for rubbing plant leaves to feel the textures and release scent so herbs are perfect for this. Mints are amongst my favourites and although they spread quickly in the garden, we have a big patch of Garden Mint which I cut back every so often to keep it in bounds. It makes amazing mint sauce, can be added to summer drinks and zings up a cucumber salad.
I grow leafy annual herbs on the allotment, including Coriander, Chervil and flat leaved Parsley which I sow in short rows. The flat leaved Parsley has a milder flavor than the curly leaved sort and along with baby beetroot leaves - a by product when I thin out my rows - Chervil, Coriander, baby spinach and Lambs Lettuce make a tasty salad. Coriander grows quickly and ‘bolts’ (runs to seed) in a few weeks if the weather is hot, so needs to be sown regularly through the summer to ensure a supply of fresh, green leaves that have a citrus taste.
We always grow Chives in a sunny part of the garden – they are so hardy and such a useful garnish for summer soups and soufflés amongst many other dishes. I like to eat the flowers and they have a mild onion flavor but a crunchy texture.
Lemon scented Thyme is another favorite and does well in the sunny front garden where it creeps along the front of a border oblivious to the exposed conditions. It is a great addition to the roasting tin along with baby beetroot and carrots splashed with olive oil. I have a small strip of border between us and our next door neighbor which is occasionally used as extra parking. It has grown a lot of Quaking Grass seedlings which look stunning when they are in flower but are very untidy and will turn into a forest if they are not weeded out before the seed drops! Mrs McGregor is very keen on this grass for her arrangements so we need to keep a patch somewhere in the garden but this is not the right spot.
I have decided to completely weed out this border and start again with a gritty soil mix and a range of low growing herbs that will not mind being squashed occasionally with a car tyre! Along with some more Thyme, there is a range of low growing Marjoram (Oregano) that should love the hot dry conditions there.
I think another visit to Notcutts is due to look at their fantastic range of herbs that I can plant out this weekend. As well as providing food for the bees and other insects, the plants are close enough to the house that we and the neighbours can snip pieces off to use in the kitchen.