Club50! - for the over 50's
Growing Herbs
Herbs have been grown for their medicinal, preserving and flavour enhancing qualities since ancient times. In the beginning they were an essential part of life providing a means of curing aches, pains and illness when no other medicines existed; and acting as a purifier and masker of smells and bad tastes when no other chemicals were available.
Nowadays we not only enjoy the benefits they bring to food and alternative medicines but also their beauty and aromatic qualities.
Originally, the term herb was applied to any soft stem plant that had a use but today it generally applies to any plant that is aromatic and has medicinal and/or culinary use.If you can afford to set aside a plot for herbs the pleasure you can gain from it is extremely rewarding, not only are they of practical use they are also colourful and a pleasure to look at. Nothing can be more relaxing than sitting among a colourful, fragrant herb garden on a summer's evening.
A further benefit is that herbs are extremely easy to grow and once established almost look after themselves. Although they grow best in a plot of their own they will also grow in any kind of container and came make a welcome addition to any patio or balcony. Some herbs do grow quite large so careful planning of what herbs you put where is important, especially if you are short on space. The Club50 Herb Directory will give you the height of the most common herbs although any nursery from which you purchases herbs will be able to tell you.
Club50 Herb Directory
Interested in growing herbs? Not sure where to start?
Hopefully, this will help, just click on any herb in the list below to find out when to sow it, look after it, harvest it and how to use it:
- A - L
- Angelica
- Anise
- Basil
- Bay
- Bergamot
- Borage
- Camphor
- Caraway
- Chamomile
- Chervil
- Chives
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Dill
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Hyssop
- Jacob's Ladder
- Juniper
- Lavender
- Lemonbalm
- Lemon Verbena
- Lovage
- M - Z
- Marigold
- Marjoram
- Marshmallow
- Mint
- Nasturtium
- Parsley
- Pineapple Sage
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Salad Burnet
- Savory (Summer)
- Savory (Winter)
- Soapwort
- Sweet Cicely
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Valerian
- Verbascum
- Woad
- Woodruff
Each herb is classified as being one of the following;
- Annual: A plant that completes its life cycle in one year.
- Bi-Annual: A plant that flowers and fruits twice in one year.
- Biennial: A plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle.
- Evergreen: A plant that is in foliage and remains green throughout the year.
- Perennial: A plant that lives for more than two years
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