<aside> <img src="/icons/leaf_green.svg" alt="/icons/leaf_green.svg" width="40px" /> I’ve imagined growing my own herbs ever since I settled in Aotearoa. So having my own bed of herbs is literally a dream come true!
</aside>
There’s something magical about the scent of fresh herbs. Waft your hands over a bed of parsley or sage, and the essential oils in the air uplift and invigorate: it’s pure joy.
The day after we moved into our new home, my wonderful gardening friend Sarah turned up with two planters filled with herbs she’d grown just for me.
She must’ve seen how much I light up whenever I talk about fresh herbs!
I started out growing herbs in pots, but with Canterbury’s infamous Spring Nor’Wester winds, most didn’t last.
*Literally, *****the moment our in-ground veggie beds were complete, I freed my root-bound herbs from their pots and gave them a new home in the earth.
Here’s a status update…
What’s growing in my herb bed | From top left to bottom right: pineapple sage, coriander, garlic chives, lemon balm, more coriander, sage, oregano, calendula, basil, parsley
Most of the herbs I initially planted were herbs growing on our deck - which is exposed to high winds and loads of sun. With hindsight, I realise all these herbs were stressed out and wind burnt. One-by-one, most of our original plants succumbed to disease or struggled in some way…
My entire flat-leaf parsley crop was annihilated by aphids—literally hundreds of them. It was a full-blown siege.
Attack of the aphids | Our parsley was under siege in late November (as were many folk here in Canterbury
Aphids no more | Sorry old parsley, you were too wounded! I had to dig you out and replace you to prevent the spread of your Aphid commune
While the sage plant Sarah gave me still looks dry and twiggy, the pineapple sage I planted right next to it is thriving…
Pineapple sage for the win | Green, bushy and happy :)
I’d never even heard of garlic chives until Sarah introduced me to them. They’re a culinary explosion, tasting of onion and garlic in one delicious green stem. Bonus: their flowers look beautiful sprinkled over salads!
Edible flowers | Sprinkle the purple or white flowers over salads for a savoury highlight
The basil in our in-ground bed is struggling, but over in our $30 mini greenhouse, it’s thriving as a companion plant to our tomatoes. All-day sun and warm, humid conditions are our basil’s happy place.
Most north | Our mini greenhouse gets all day sun, stays warm and generates condensation which the basil loves
Our second favourite herb | Basil, we ♡ you (we just love coriander slightly more)
There’s definitely a few garden friends also enjoying how basil tastes, but right now I’m focusing on getting things growing, rather than battling hungry critters
Spearmint took off once I figured out the right growing conditions: a big pot in partial sun, sitting in damp soil with a saucer of water underneath. Now it’s big, bold and beautiful.
Big bold leaves | A freshly picked bunch of spearmint
I drink oodles and oodles of mint teas, so I’m totes excited that my spearmint is now growing and I can start to make my own blends - bliss!
Lucky me, I got a mint delivery from Sarah last week and made my Moroccan tea blend. Find the recipe here
Drying times | Hanging spearmint up to make more of my Moroccan tea blend
SARAH’S TOP HERB TIP: “The more you leave them alone, the happier your herbs will be”
Go on, go and have some fun with your own herb experiments!
By Sal at Sally Grows - 8th January 2025
<aside> <img src="/icons/mountains_green.svg" alt="/icons/mountains_green.svg" width="40px" /> Follow our adventures on Insta or Fb
</aside>
PHENOMENAL FEIJOAS → | Sally Grows: a paddock to plate adventure