Tending the herb garder

Create a flavourful and colourful garden, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

THIS week I have been spending time with herbs, harvesting, planting and cutting back. We have several large rosemary bushes and they need a trim after flowering to keep them in shape and encourage them to produce fresh new growth each year.

Simply remove the tips without chopping into the old wood, which won't regenerate. If left unpruned, rosemary becomes woody and unsightly, but it is easy to take cuttings using the trimmings to make new plants.

According to folklore, if a house has a large rosemary bush out the front, the woman of the household wears the trousers. I shall say no more!

Sage is another woody herb that can become unruly. Shear off the dead flowers and, again, use shoot tips as cuttings if you need more plants.

Add more herbs to the garden and windowsill, either by planting hardy varieties in pots close to the back door for easy culinary access, or sowing quick-growing tender varieties in pots for indoors.

We have coriander, basil, dill and parsley on the go and these can be kept outside in summer, but moved to the kitchen windowsill when autumn arrives.

Be wary of mint!