Many herbs in my garden are now in flower
I live on the Sussex coast in a Victorian terraced cottage about a mile from the sea. I have a small town garden and try to squeeze in a few herbs wherever I can. From March onwards you can see a succession of traditional culinary herbs flowering in my garden such as thyme, chives and rosemary. Chamomile, comfrey and violas have their uses too, and I love my jasmine and scented leaf pelargoniums flowering under glass.
Making herb tea
I am not knowledgeable about the medical uses of herbs, but I enjoy flowers and my garden, and use the plants wherever I can. I enjoy making fresh peppermint, lemon balm and chamomile teas. Chamomile flowers are a big favourite of mine with their apple-like fragrance and simple blooms. Once dried, they can be used in a sleep pillow in a similar manner to lavender. In fact my main hobby is using flowers from the garden in craft, and that often means drying them for use later.

Herbs under glass


Flowers in my garden




Herbs later in the year
As I write this in early June, my pots of lavender are just coming into flower. My favourite flower, the ancient stripy rose Rosa mundi has two buds just thinking about opening, with many more behind. Other herbs such as borage and calendula are on their way. So perhaps another post later in the year!
Liz Parkhurst
Lovely pics! Right now my garden’s full of borage, blue and white – the bees love it. I’d always thought it was an annual, but much of this has survived from last year and got quite hefty roots; in fact a lot will have to come out when it’s finished flowering. Sad. I’ve also found a pineapple mint that’s overwintered in a pot, which has never happened up here before – and yet the tarragon, which usually sits in its pot in a snowdrift and bounces back, has just said “goodbye, cruel world” and died away.
The local Community Garden is rampageous as ever, especially the Physic Garden – anyone within reach of Barnsley is welcome to come and have a potter round. Wednesdays, 10.00 to 1.00 are our normal hours. Just email if interested.
Happy Full Moon, folks,
Liz
xxx
Ruth at Herb Society
Hi Liz – Thanks for commenting. It’s great to hear about your garden, it’s certainly the year for borage! I hope lots of people will visit the Community Garden.
Best wishes, Ruth.