Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Container herbs ‘look and taste great’

Container herbs are one of the most rewarding plants greenhouse and gardening enthusiasts can cultivate as they look great and can make a real difference in the kitchen.

According to Jo Ann Gardner in Fine Gardening magazine, lemon thyme is one of the best of the bunch and can be an "attractive, upright mound of small, pointed, glossy green leaves" when grown in a container.

Alaska nasturtium is another superb herb garden addition, the writer continued, as its cream and green foliage means it looks good even when it's not flowering, while its "spicy" scent "floats in the air".

Highly recommended too is genevose basil, as this "queen of the herb garden" always draws attention with its lustrous colours and sweet-clove flavour.

Finally, Ms Gardner suggested, forest green parsley is a brilliant container herb.

"I like to keep it close to my kitchen because it's an important ingredient in nearly every dish, but I also consider it a beautiful plant with great value beyond its culinary use," she remarked.