SWEET-SCENTED HERBS

Harness the power of fragrant herbs – by including them in your planting palette, you benefit from their aromatic, mood-enhancing properties, as well as their beauty

Both decorative and practical, herbs appeal to many of our senses and can enhance any garden with their aromatic, colourful, flavoursome and textural foliage and flowers.

Alongside their visual and culinary appeal, the fragrance of herbs can have an impact on our emotional wellbeing, too, with lavender believed to help relieve stress and promote relaxation, and uplifting, fresh mint said to improve focus. ‘Scent is very evocative, and rosemary is now being used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s as the aroma can help trigger memories,’ explains Jekka McVicar VMH of Jekka’s Herb Farm.

Easy to nurture, you can find herbs to suit most growing conditions. ‘Plant them close to paths, or in elevated positions where you catch their scent as you brush past; in a sunny, sheltered courtyard to fill the air with their aroma; in a pot by the back door, or on a windowsill,’ advises Heather Birkett, senior gardener at the National Trust’s Acorn Bank in Cumbria.