Wiltshire

Common Scents

Introducing Herbal Heroines: Mildred Sunderland and Karen Jones from the Whitehall Garden Centre in Lacock.

What they don't know about herbs isn't worth knowing.

If you need a homemade remedy for burned skin or a plant you can walk on, sleep with and relax in the bath with ...

... they'll not only know it, but they'll tell you how to grow it (with wicked wit and a real sense of fun!)

Lavender (Lavendula):

Lavender

Throw trimmings on the fire to add an aroma to your room, dry flowers in sachets for your drawer or to infuse your linen cupboard with fragrance. As a plant its good for aromatic hedging and low borders where it's silvery foliage will keep looking good all round. Grows best in well drained, sunny sites. Trim faded flowers plus an inch of foliage after the flowers die to avoid it becoming woody.

Curry plant (Helichrysum):

Curryplant

Another ever-grey plant. It's yellow flowers can be dried for flower arrangements. It has nothing to do with the curry powder, that most chefs are familiar with. In fact there debate (mostly between Karen and Mildred) about whether it should be used as a culinary herb at all. Karen suggests rubbing the leaves into the skin of meat to add a spicey edge. Mildred says keep it for your pot-pourri as she fears it can cause a stomach upset. Books differ. Thrives in dry, sunny conditions.

Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis):

Bay Laurel

Best known for crowning champions in ancient times (as you see in old statues!). No bouquet garni is complete without a bay leaf. Adding it to stews and soups gives it a lift. A good architectural evergreen plant that can be trimmed to shape or left to look a little more informal.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum):

Curly Parsley

Chew parsley after eating strongly flavoured foods or garlic to naturally freshen your breath. Blanch leaves in boiling water, then dip in cool water before drying. Keep cutting the plant to improve growth and flavour. If it's allowed to go to seed, it'll taste bitter. If you don't need the cuttings, add them to ice-cubes to use another time. It doesn't like to be waterlogged as a plant. Ancient wisdom claims that "whoever grows the parsley in the household wears the trousers!"

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare):

Fennel

Fennel comes in green and bronze varieties. A good feathered-foliage plant. Beware allowing it to go to seed, though, as it'll appear all over your garden. Leaves of either are great with fish. Grow on a well drained, loam soil. It doesn't like clay, water logged soils.

Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis):

Chamomile 'Treneague'

 If you want to grow a chamomile lawn or seat use "Treneague" which doesn't flower. Great to walk on in bare feet... springy and soft. Flowering varieties will become twiggy, so aren't suitable for landscaping. Chamomile tea, made from the leaves, is said to soothe the nerves and an upset stomach (even if Mildred thinks it tastes like dishwater).

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis):

Lemon Balm

A very old cottage shrub that grows to about three feet tall. Leaves are good in salads or combined with mint for a fresh tea. It needs to be kept cut to improve it's flavour. Has a small white flower that's attractive to honey bees. Lemon balm can be dried and added to a tea to help reduce a fever! Grow in well drained soil.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla):

Lemon Verbana

Tender shrub with a strong lemon scent. Its pale lilac or white flower spikes are attractive to butterflies and bees. Leaves grow in trios from woody stems. It can survive Wiltshire winters outside in sheltered areas or should be brought inside before the first frosts. Toss leaves into salads or shred and infuse in boiling water for a refreshing lemon tasting tea.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale):

Lovage

A monster in the herb world which can grow up to six feet tall. Every part of the plant is useful. Leaves can be tossed in salads and soups to add a flavour similar to celery. Stems can be candied like angelica for baking. Seeds may be added to breads or biscuits for cheese. Roots are used in the commercial production of alcohol.  Medicinally it can help treat colic, indigestion and poor appetite.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) & Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum):

Chives and Garlic Chives

Easy to grow, difficult to kill. Chives have a distinct onion flavour, while garlic chives have all the flavour of their name sake without the lingering odour on your breath. Both grow all year round in Wiltshire with little protection. Try to harvest leaves from the base to encourage new leaves. Don’t just trim the tips. Flowers can be added to salads for added colour, texture and flavour.

Sage (Salvia officianalis):

Sage

Famous for flavouring stuffing. Plants come in tender and hardy varieties. Tender ones, like Pineapple, Blackcurrant or Tangerine sages have striking leaf colour in autumn and distinctive flowers, as well as tasting like their name sakes. Infuse the leaves for a pick-me up tea.

Mint (Mentha spicata):

Mint

There's a huge range of mints and in Wiltshire gardens the most common is Spearmint. The more you cut it back, and the smaller you keep the plant, the stronger its flavour will become. It can easily be turned into a refreshing tea by infusing shredded leaves in boiling water. Naturally caffeine free, it can be enjoyed hot or on ice for a cooling summer drink.

Nettle (Urtica dioica):

Nettles

You won't call it a weed for much longer. Nettles are great indicators of fertile soil. At least 11 species of butterfly are known to rely on it for nurturing their larvae. The leaves can be cooked liked spinach or pureed into a soup for a rich source of vitamin C. Young spring leaves have no sting and are less bitter than older ones. They can be made into a bland tea by soaking in hot water.

House leek (Sempervirum):

House Leek

A succulent plant made up of tight, fleshy rosettes of leaves. It's easy to look after as it thrives on neglect. It doesn't like sitting in water, so can be grown in the shallowest of containers, walls or tiny cracks. Looks great planted in the holes of engineering bricks. House leek is increasingly being used on 'green roofs' to naturalise shed or garages. Turns crimson red when touched by frost. Rosettes can also be added to salads - but don't give a

Dandelion (Taxacum officinale):

Dandelion

A misunderstood British native. It's sap is a diuretic which is where it gets its reputation of making people wet the bed.  In Spring, leaves can be blanched and added to salads. It has a slightly bitter taste but is full of vitamin C.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis):

Trailing Rosemary

One of the best known Mediterranean herbs. While it normally flowers in early spring to late summer, climate changes in Britain mean it's flowering season is extending into late autumn. The flowers are edible in salads. An infusion of the crushed leaves is reputed to darken hair colour when used regularly as a rinse. Add cut sprigs to flower arrangements indoors - a great foil for flowers and a fabulous aroma.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris):

Thyme

Small aromatic, grey-green leaves with a rich aroma. Its oils are used to relieve pain, exhaustion and depression. Shredded leaves can be infused in hot water to created a refreshing tea. The plant itself makes an excellent edging plant. It can be clipped like Box, as it grows no higher than 18 inches tall. The more you trim it, the stronger its flavour and the better the plant will grow. Flowers are edible in salads.

Oregano or Marjoram (Origanum vulgare):

Golden, common and variegated Oreganos

Oregano and Marjoram are basically the same plant, from the same family, sharing the (Latin) name of Origanum. It's an essential herb in Italian cookery. It tolerates some abuse and regular, tough cutting intensifies the flavour. Leaves and its pale pink flowers can be used in salads or infused to make an invigorating tea.