Herb Garden

You don't need a garden plot to keep yourself supplied with fresh herbs all summer long. A sunny location, some soil, pots and a bit of care can turn a balcony, staircase, deck, patio or window into a private produce department. While mint and rosemary are best grown in individual containers, you can pack a smorgasbord of various herbs into a window box. Whether you're new to gardening or a seasoned pro, these tasty, but easy-to-grow, flavour-filled herbs will have you hooked on fresh.

Bay Laurel Bay Laurel, Laurus nobilis. Everyone wants to own a Bay Laurel for its dark green, glossy leaves, and spicy, pungent flavor. The Bay Laurel makes an attractive tub or container plant for the patio.	Chives Chives Allium schoenoprasum. Chives are the most delicate member of the onion family and one of the finest herbs of French cuisine. Although delicate, chives are a hardy perennial herb with a mild onion taste making it an essential culinary herb.	Corsican Mint Corsican Mint - menthe requienii features small, rounded, aromatic leaves and light purple blooms in summer. Invigorating mint-scented foliage is a welcome addition to any herb garden.
Creeping Rosemary Creeping Rosemary - Rosemary prostratus is creeping variety has made a name for itself as the container rosemary. It looks natural in hypertufa containers & hanging baskets, & easily wraps around circular wire frames for victorian centerpieces.	Greek Oregano Greek Oregano - Origanum species - Imagine the fragrance of having your own fresh Oregano growing in your garden or in a pot on your patio.	Lavender Grosso The Lavender Grosso, also called Lavandin (which sounds much better) is the most fragrant of all the lavenders. In fact, the Lavandin is the one lavender that is most often used in scenting perfumes and making sachets. Because of its exceptional...
Lavender Jean Davis Lavender Jean Davis – the famous pink lavender that is a welcome and beautiful companion plant for any of the blue lavender varieties. The Jean Davis lavender has pale pink almost white flowers that bloom mid to late summer and sports fragrant...	Lavender Kew Red A new addition to our family of fine lavenders that we are offering this spring is the Kew Red Spanish lavender. What makes this Kew Red lavender stand out is its color of deep pink rather than the usual lavender and the beautiful pale-pink bracts...	Lavender Munstead Lavender Munstead is a many-branched, somewhat woody, perennial plant growing to 15 inches tall. The narrow leaves of the Lavender Munstead are about 2 inches long and have a pleasing gray-green color. Lavender Munstead has small heavily fragrant lav
Lavender Sampler The Lavender Sampler includes one each of three of our best selling lavender varieties.	Lavender du Provence The lavender du Provence, is a beautiful addition to any garden path, container, or border plant. Lavender du Provence has been popular for centuries. It has a strong fragrance, and is long blooming. It attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.	Lavender, Hidcote Blue Lavender Hidcote Blue, or Lavender angustifolia, Hidcote Blue is a free flowering dwarf variety that produces deep purple flower spikes in late spring and summer. Lavender Hidcote Blue is great for a dwarf hedge, edging, or for massing.

Basil This tender annual can't tolerate cold, so plant only after the threat of frost is over. Place in full sun in rich, moist soil. Encourage new, bushy growth by pinching back the plant to a pair of branching stems. Because basil is most flavorful before the flowers bloom, pinch them out before they bloom and plant a succession to ensure an ongoing harvest. Pick the leaves immediately before using.

Basil has a hint of licorice and is a classic choice with tomatoes and in Mediterranean dishes. Sweet basil is the most common, while the less sweet, purple-leaved variety adds colour to your favourite dishes. If you have room, try planting lemon, cinnamon or clove basil, which smell like their names.

Dried basil has very little flavour, so use fresh or make pesto, then freeze.

Dill This feathery, fern-like herb is actually a hardy annual and acts as a biannual in some climates.

Dill is tall, so plant it behind shorter herbs. It thrives in sun, in rich, loose soil and can be picked at any time — just pinch out the leaves. While the leaves are most flavourful before the flowerheads go to seed, the seeds themselves are coveted for pickling. If you want to use the leaves, deadhead throughout the summer. If you want the seeds, allow the plant to flower and set seeds; leave these until they've dried out and turned brown.

Vegetable soups, green salads, chicken and fish pair perfectly with dill's bright, lemony undertones.

Rosemary This tender perennial thrives in the heat of a Canadian summer, but should head indoors to a sunny window come autumn. Because rosemary needs good drainage, a terra cotta pot is ideal. Unlike most herbs, rosemary likes to dry out between waterings. To encourage growth, snip the ends often.

This astringent herb is perfect for roasted potatoes, lamb or in a mix of herbs with grilled chicken.

Mint Versatile but invasive, give mint its own pot. Mint will have you tearing your hair out along with its roots if you decide to plant it directly into your garden.

Whether you opt for mild spearmint or stronger peppermint, full sun and moist soil are all that's required. This low-maintenance plant grows quickly and can be picked at any time. Just pinch off as many leaves as you need.

Fresh leaves make a refreshing tea and jazz up all kinds of warm weather drinks — from mint juleps to lemonade. Mint also lends authenticity to Middle Eastern dishes like tabouli.