9. HERBS

These herbs are all decorative shrubs or perennials and can be used in with other ornamental plants. They all prefer well drained soil and full sun.

Camomile A low mat of feathery foliage with daisy flowers in summer. ‘Treneague’ does not flower and is good for a camomile ‘lawn’ or seat. The crushed leaves have a spicy fragrance.

Hyssop Another tangy fragrance, hyssop is a low, spreading evergreen shrub with narrow leaves and blue, pink or white flowers according to variety. Needs a light clipping in spring to keep it neat.

Lavender Fragrant grey leaves and lavender flowers on a 1-2ft (30-60cm) evergreen shrub. Must be trimmed in spring to keep it bushy, but not into the old wood. Three compact varieties, all flowering in summer, are ‘Hidcote’ with dark violet flowers, ‘Twickle Purple’ with rather mauve flowers and ‘Munstead’ with deep lavender flowers.

Mint Needs containing by paving or a sunken bucket without a bottom. Spearmint has rather long narrow leaves, Apple Mint has rounded hairy leaves and has a handsomely white variegated variety.

Rosemary A shrub with long narrow deep green leaves and a variable habit. The common one sprawls a bit and has pale blue flowers in spring and a few all through the year. ‘Severn Sea’ is particularly spreading but ‘Miss Jessops Upright’ is a column of foliage that can reach 6 ft (1.8 m) if tied in gently until green string to stop its branches arching out.

Sage Broad grey green leaves on a mounded shrub about 18in (45cm) high. The non-flowering form is very useful and compact but does not seem to have a name. ‘Purpurea’ has purple tinged foliage and is a rich colour combination. ‘Tricolor’ is the same with a few splashes of white. ‘Icterina’ has gold variegated foliage. They are all wonderful foliage plants. Cut off the flowers after flowering.

Thyme The shrubby culinary thyme can grow Sin (20cm) tall and is the right flavour for stuffings. Small pale blue flowers in summer and tiny leaves on a twiggy bush.