{"title":"If I could only grow 10 herbs","description":"\u003cp\u003eSandra's ten kitchen herbs, from her November newsletter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"If I could only have 10 herbs in my garden, I would be really sad. But it got me thinking. If I really and truly could only grow 10 herbs, which ones would I choose, and why? Food would have to come first. I love cooking and eating delicious food, so all of my ten would need to earn their place in the kitchen.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ten come first, in the order from the newsletter (basil and coriander share a spot), followed by a few close cousins: Empress of India nasturtium, curled parsley, perennial coriander and garlic chives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","products":[{"product_id":"salem-rosemary","title":"Rosemary - Salem Rosemary","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eGrowing Salem rosemary\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSalem is one of our favourite rosemaries, along with \u003ca href=\"\/products\/herb-cottage-rosemary\"\u003eHerb Cottage rosemary\u003c\/a\u003e. Salem is an upright, rounded rosemary with grey-green leaves and rich blue flowers from late summer into autumn. It copes with wetter weather better than some rosemaries, which makes it one of the more reliable choices for humid gardens like ours in South East Queensland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it a sunny spot, six hours of sun or more if you can, though it will put up with part sun. It likes well-drained, slightly alkaline soil; if yours is acidic, a sprinkle of dolomite a couple of times a year helps. Once settled it needs only an occasional drink and copes with dry spells, wind and coastal gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRosemary's weak spot here is wet roots in a humid summer. Plant it in autumn, so it's settled before the summer rain, and give it a raised bed or a pot with good drainage. Salem handles frost too, though a sheltered spot helps in a very cold snap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSalem will grow in a pot in the tropics too: plant it in the dry season and keep it trimmed. In a pot, water when the mix feels dry a few centimetres down and feed it every couple of months with an organic pelleted fertiliser; in the ground, a spring feed is plenty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrune as you pick. Cut stems back to just above a leaf node with signs of life, never rip leaves off, and don't cut into hard brown wood, which may not reshoot. Take no more than a third at a time. Ours are grown from cuttings, which take up to six weeks to root.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"5\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCut sprigs any time of year once the plant is growing well, and give a young plant time to fill out before you pick much. Fresh rosemary has the stronger, piney flavour. Dried, it's softer but still concentrated: hang small bunches somewhere warm and airy, out of bright light, then strip the leaves into a jar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSalem has a strong flavour that doesn't overpower, a good all-round cooking rosemary. Lay sprigs over a tray of roast vegetables, or tuck them into slits in lamb, pork or chicken before roasting. Chopped with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice, it makes a good marinade; take out the woody stems before serving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePotatoes and pumpkin both love it, from rosemary wedges to pumpkin soup and scones. Sandra has been baking rosemary and pumpkin biscuits for groups visiting the nursery for more than 25 years. It's good in bread with black olives, and with citrus in cakes and shortbread. For rosemary salt, mix half a cup of fresh leaves, dry to the touch, with a cup of coarse salt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eAround the house\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteep a handful of sprigs and the peel of a lemon in a litre of white vinegar for at least a day, then strain it for a fresh-smelling cleaning spray. After a big day in the garden, Sandra loves a bag of sprigs in the bath and a rinse of rosemary water for her hair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTraditional medicinal uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRosemary has long been valued as a warming herb. A tea of the leaves was taken to help digestion and to clear the head, and a cooled cup was used as a gargle for a sore throat. Sprigs steeped in olive oil made a rub for tired, aching muscles. Until your plant is big enough to pick, our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dried-rosemary-australian-grown\"\u003eAustralian grown dried rosemary\u003c\/a\u003e is the same herb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRosemary is safe in cooking amounts. Avoid large medicinal amounts during pregnancy, and check with your doctor first if you take blood thinners, blood pressure medicine or medicine for seizures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of rosemary\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name comes from the Latin \u003cem\u003eros marinus\u003c\/em\u003e, dew of the sea, as it grows wild near the coasts of the Mediterranean. Botanists have since moved rosemary into the sage genus, as \u003cem\u003eSalvia rosmarinus\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAncient Greek scholars wore rosemary garlands during exams to help their memory, and in Hamlet, Ophelia hands it out \"for remembrance\". As a herb of remembrance, it's worn on Anzac Day here.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537690800228,"sku":"potted_1","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/salem-rosemary_clipped_rev_1.jpg?v=1644811939"},{"product_id":"coriander-perennial","title":"Coriander Perennial","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eGrowing perennial coriander\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial coriander is the one to grow when it's too hot for ordinary \u003ca href=\"\/products\/coriander\"\u003ecoriander\u003c\/a\u003e. It's a different plant with a very similar flavour, and in South East Queensland it keeps going right through December, January and February, when the annual one has run to seed. Here it grows all year round, so you can plant it in winter too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it sun or part shade and a well-drained soil, and water it regularly, though it copes with the odd dry spell. Yes, it's happy with some shade: morning sun with shade from the hottest afternoon sun suits it well, as harsh afternoon sun can make it wilt and scorch new plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a tropical plant, so frost can kill it, and in Melbourne and other cold areas it often won't make it through winter outside. There, grow it in a pot and move it somewhere sheltered for winter, or grow it as a summer plant and save some seed to sow again once the frosts are over. In the tropics it grows as a perennial all year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt grows well in pots, and makes a good Asian herb pot with lemongrass and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/vietnamese-mint\"\u003eVietnamese mint\u003c\/a\u003e. Ours are grown from seed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePull the leaves off from the outside of the plant, close to the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt flowers a lot, especially in summer, sending up stems topped with prickly heads. They're hard to handle, so cut most of them off at the base of the stem to keep it leafy, but let one go to seed. When the seeds turn brown, pull them off and sprinkle them around the garden and new plants come up. It's a short-lived perennial, so letting it seed keeps you in supply.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe leaves taste very close to coriander, though some people find them a little stronger. They're tougher, so chop them finely, but unlike coriander they hold up to cooking. Use them in stir-fries, curries, soups, salads and salsa, or blend a handful into a spicy avocado dressing with lime and jalapeno. The roots can flavour vegetables too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe prickly seed heads you cut off make a spicy paste, so use them while they're still green and leave the one going brown for seed. Blend them with chilli, ginger, garlic and sesame or vegetable oil until smooth and keep it in the fridge. Stir spoonfuls into curries and stir-fries, spread it on sandwiches or crackers with cheese, or mix it through chopped chicken for a sandwich filling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial coriander also dries well, keeping its colour and flavour, which ordinary coriander doesn't.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of perennial coriander\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt comes from Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, and is now grown right through Southeast Asia and Latin America. It has many names: sawtooth or saw leaf coriander for its toothed leaves, long coriander, Mexican coriander and culantro. In Thailand it's phak chee farang, \"foreign coriander\", and in Vietnam ngò gai, \"thorny coriander\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSandra had resigned herself to no coriander through summer until she found this one. She has made many dishes with it since, and most people she's served it to have never known the difference.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537692373092,"sku":"potted_22","price":6.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/coriander-perennial.jpg?v=1644831835"},{"product_id":"old-fashioned-mint","title":"Mint - Old Fashioned Mint","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"certified organic cert number 22013\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/files\/CertifiedOrganic_600_right_sm_480x480.png?v=1665828094\" width=\"225\" height=\"59\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsually available:\u003c\/strong\u003e All year\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perennial\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 45 - 60cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sun \/ part shade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil preference:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist \/ well drained\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is how we pack and send your Herb Plants\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"lite-youtube\" videoid=\"H2dBYnLatJ0\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou will receive\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e- 1 \u003cstrong\u003eOld Fashioned Mint\u003c\/strong\u003e Herb Plant in a 50 X 75mm tube - General growing instructions \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll of our Herb Plants are grown \u003cstrong\u003eorganically\u003c\/strong\u003e with certified organic potting mixes and fertilizers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMentha x.villosa\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAll information provided on this website is for informational purposes only. Please seek professional advice before commencing any treatment.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537693519972,"sku":"potted_36","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/mint-old-fashioned-mint.jpg?v=1644821660"},{"product_id":"italian-parsley","title":"Parsley - Italian Parsley","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eGrowing Italian parsley\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eItalian parsley is the flat-leaf kind, with a stronger flavour than curled parsley and long, leafy stems. It also copes with wet weather better than the curled type, which counts in a South East Queensland summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe grow it all year. Here, a winter planting gives you leaves right through to early spring. A spot in sun or part shade suits it. Like the other soft green herbs it gets by on less sun than rosemary or thyme, so a few hours is enough. Keep the water up and the drainage good: a plant left to dry out gives stringy, bitter leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlant it once and leave it there, as parsley has a taproot and transplants poorly. We dunk each tube in seaweed solution first and set it in gently, roots undisturbed. A pot 250mm or more wide and deep suits it, on its own or shared with basil, oregano, thyme and chives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere it grows as an annual: leaves first, then tall flower stems, and it usually goes to seed within the year once the weather heats up. We let it flower and seed, and new plants come up in the garden. Once it flowers the leaves go bitter and it's time for a new plant. One customer had months of leaves for soups before the plant went to seed, and planned to grow the next lot from its seed. Italian parsley self-seeds readily: shake the ripe seed heads over the bed and new plants come up on their own. It can also turn up in the lawn, where mowing keeps it in check.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake the older outer stems right down at the base. New leaves come from the centre, so leave the heart alone, and take no more than a third of it in one go. Regular picking keeps it producing, and taking off any early flower stems keeps the leaves coming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUse it by the handful in salads, sauces, vegetables and eggs. Its fresh, slightly bitter flavour balances richer, heavier soups, most other herbs go with it, and a handful finishes tomato dishes such as lentil bolognese and chickpea stew. Parsley is rich in vitamins A, C and K too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's the main herb in tabbouleh and part of a bouquet garni with thyme and bay. For a simple bean salad, mix half a cup of chopped flat-leaf parsley with green beans, chickpeas, kidney and cannellini beans, red onion and capsicum, and dress it with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Our homemade vegetable stock paste uses eight sprigs of it, along with lovage, carrot, onion and tomato.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet one plant flower. The umbels of small flowers are easy foraging for bees, and they bring in hoverflies, lacewings and ladybirds, whose larvae feed on aphids and other sap-sucking pests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of Italian parsley\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name \u003cem\u003ePetroselinum\u003c\/em\u003e comes from the Greek for rock and celery. Italian parsley is often sold as \u003cem\u003ePetroselinum crispum\u003c\/em\u003e var. \u003cem\u003eneapolitanum\u003c\/em\u003e, after Naples, where this flat-leaf type was grown.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537694863460,"sku":"potted_57","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/italian-parsley_1.jpg?v=1644814309"},{"product_id":"sweet-basil","title":"Sweet Basil","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eGrowing sweet basil\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSweet basil is the common large-leafed basil, a fast-growing annual that loves heat. Give it full sun and rich, free-draining soil that stays evenly moist, as it's thirstier than Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme. Water at the base, ideally in the morning, because leaves left wet overnight are prone to disease.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn our garden at Mudgeeraba it's prolific all summer and at its best in early autumn, then looks shabby as the weather cools, and a few cold days in late autumn can finish it. It's sensitive to cold and frost, so in cooler areas plant it once the frosts are over and the weather has warmed up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach plant lasts one season, but if you let one set seed, seedlings may come up again once the weather warms. For basil through the cooler months, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/greek-basil\"\u003eGreek Basil\u003c\/a\u003e is a bushy, small-leafed tender perennial that in some years lasts right through our winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a pot, use good potting mix and give it room, as basil makes roots quickly, and water when the mix is dry 5cm down. A pot also lets you stretch the season on a sunny windowsill indoors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn warm, wet, humid weather, watch for leaves yellowing between the veins with a grey to purplish fuzz underneath. That's probably basil downy mildew: pull out affected plants and put them in the bin, not the compost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegular picking keeps basil bushy and leafy. Don't strip single leaves off the stems, or you'll end up with bare stalks. Cut each stem back to just above a node, where a pair of leaves joins the stem, and new shoots will grow from there. Take no more than a third of the plant at a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePick in the morning once the dew has dried and handle the stems gently, as basil bruises easily. Pinch out flower spikes as they appear, because the leaves lose some of their flavour once it flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs autumn cools, cut the plant back by a third while it's still lush and turn the leaves into pesto for the freezer. Cut basil keeps best out of the fridge, with the stems in a glass of water, as cold darkens the leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe leaves taste sweet and peppery. Add them at the end of cooking or use them raw. Tear them over margherita pizza, layer them with tomato and bocconcini or stir them through pasta sauce. They're good in omelettes, frittata and shakshuka too, at about a teaspoon of chopped leaves per egg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor our pesto, pound 3 cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt and 3 cups of leaves to a paste, then work in a quarter cup of pine nuts or almonds, half a cup of grated parmesan and, slowly, half a cup of olive oil. A layer of olive oil over the top of the jar helps stop it darkening, and spare pesto freezes well in ice cube trays. When basil is scarce in winter, we use \u003ca href=\"\/products\/basil-mint\"\u003eBasil Mint\u003c\/a\u003e in its place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTraditional medicinal uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn European folk medicine basil was taken for a full, windy stomach, and the leaves were laid on wasp stings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKitchen amounts are fine for the whole family. Basil contains estragole, so stronger medicinal use and basil essential oil aren't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for young children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe've planted sweet basil close to our cherry tomatoes to keep them happy, and it's a traditional companion for capsicum and eggplant too. Its small white flower spikes are rich in nectar and bring in bees, so if you grow several plants, let one flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of basil\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name comes from the Greek \u003cem\u003ebasilikon\u003c\/em\u003e, royal, perhaps because basil went into a royal ointment or medicine. An Orthodox legend says it grew where Saint Helena found the True Cross, and Eastern churches still lay the cross on a bed of basil for the Feast of the Holy Cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 1650s Nicholas Culpeper wrote that the old authorities railed at one another \"like lawyers\" over basil. He also passed on a French physician's story of a man who sniffed basil so often that a scorpion grew in his brain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537697943652,"sku":"potted_86","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/basil-sweet-basil.jpg?v=1644833401"},{"product_id":"chives","title":"Chives","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eGrowing chives\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChives are a hardy perennial that grows into a neat clump of hollow, grassy leaves, with purple pom-pom flowers in spring. Give them a sunny spot and well-drained soil, though they'll manage in part sun. They'll put up with poor soil, but they thrive in rich soil with plenty of compost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep them watered: chives want more water than dry-loving herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan chives handle cold and frost? Yes. In South East Queensland you can plant them any time of year, and they still have enough growth in winter. In cold areas the leaves die back and shoot again in early spring, so don't pull them out. In the tropics, plant them in the cooler dry season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey're happy in pots, even indoors on a sunny windowsill, and they suit a mixed pot with chervil, tarragon and thyme. Every three or four years, lift and divide the clump in spring or autumn and replant the pieces to keep it productive. If insects move in, we suggest eco-neem or eco-oil, depending on the insect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSnip the leaves off at the base, a handful at a time, rather than trimming the tops. New leaves come up from the ground like tufts of grass, so cutting low keeps the clump fresh. Never cut the whole clump bare. If it looks tired after winter, cut all the leaves back to about 2cm and fresh ones will follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flowers are edible too. Snip off the spent flower stalks if you don't want seedlings popping up. Chopped chives freeze well, or dry them for soups, mashed potato and eggs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChives give a mild onion flavour that lifts almost any dish without taking over. Heat dulls them, so add them at the end: over scrambled eggs, omelettes, frittata, mashed or baked potatoes, soups and salads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey're one of the French fines herbes, with parsley, chervil and tarragon, and they go especially well with chervil. For Sandra's everyday salad dressing, shake 200ml olive oil, 100ml lemon juice, a small clove of crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of chopped chives and 1 teaspoon of grainy mustard together in a jar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScatter the flowers over a salad, or add them to a herb vinegar for a delicate pink colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of chives\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name \u003cem\u003eschoenoprasum\u003c\/em\u003e comes from the Greek for rush and leek, and in the Middle Ages chives were called rush leek. The English word comes from the French \u003cem\u003ecive\u003c\/em\u003e, from the Latin for onion. The Roman poet Martial mentioned them around 80 AD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChives are the only onion native to both Europe and Asia and to North America. Bunches of dried chives were once hung around the house to keep evil away, Romani people used them in fortune telling, and in the 1800s Dutch farmers fed them to their cattle to flavour the milk.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537715015780,"sku":"potted_123","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/chives_3.jpg?v=1644825116"},{"product_id":"curled-parsley","title":"Parsley - Curled Parsley","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eGrowing curled parsley\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurled parsley is the frilly one. It's milder than Italian parsley, usually a little shorter, and the more decorative of the two. It's a biennial: leaves in the first year, then flower stems and seed in the second, though in warmer climates it can go to seed in its first year. The leaves are a little bitter once it flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSun or part shade both suit it. Soft green herbs like parsley need less sun than the Mediterranean herbs, so it's a good choice for a spot that only gets a few hours. It likes regular water and good drainage. If it dries out, the leaves go stringy and bitter. It doesn't handle long wet spells as well as the flat-leaf kind, so in a wet South East Queensland summer \u003ca href=\"\/products\/italian-parsley\"\u003eItalian parsley\u003c\/a\u003e holds up better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurled parsley grows a taproot and resents being moved. Soak the tube in seaweed solution and plant it without disturbing the root ball.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, it grows well in a pot. Ours fill a pot happily, and one customer grows it on a sunny windowsill. A pot at least 250mm across and as deep gives the root room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen it starts to run to seed, try cutting it right back instead of pulling it out. Curled parsley can reshoot from its fleshy root and give you months more soft leaves. It self-seeds far less than Italian parsley, so save some seed if you'd like a new crop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePick the older outer stems from the base and leave the middle alone: new growth comes from the centre of the plant. A little often works best, and never more than a third of the plant at once. Pinch out any flower stems on a young plant to keep the leaves coming. Spare stems are good for the chooks too: parsley is one of the tonic greens we suggest for healthy chickens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurled parsley has a fresh green flavour and goes with most other herbs. Grab a handful for salads, sauces, vegetables and eggs: whisk it into omelettes and frittatas, or mash it with chopped chives and boiled eggs for sandwiches. It makes an excellent edible garnish too, and parsley is rich in vitamins A, C and K.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's good chopped through herb butter and savoury muffins: our muffin recipe uses a tablespoon each of chopped parsley, thyme and chives. For a Scarborough Fair rub, finely chop a tablespoon each of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme with garlic and olive oil and rub it over chicken or tofu before cooking.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537733922916,"sku":"potted_169","price":5.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/parsley-curled-parsley.jpg?v=1644814323"},{"product_id":"nasturtium","title":"Nasturtium Alaska","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eGrowing nasturtium Alaska\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlaska is the nasturtium with marbled leaves: round green leaves splashed with cream, under flowers from pale yellow through to deep orange and red. The leaves make it pretty even before it flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere in South East Queensland nasturtiums are a cool-season plant. They thrive from autumn through spring, then retreat to the shade or die off once the summer heat sets in. They're tender to frost, so in cold areas they're grown through the warmer months instead. Planting some near a tree lets them find shade in summer, and you may keep them going all year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it full sun in the cooler months and well-drained soil. It isn't fussy, and moderately fertile soil is best: too much fertiliser gives big, lush leaves and fewer flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill it take over? It stays low, about knee high, but spreads wide along the ground and will cover a good patch of garden if you leave it, so let it scramble under fruit trees or along a fence. In the photo, ours has pushed through a picket fence. It self-seeds too: we never replant ours, as plenty of seed drops into the garden and new plants come up in autumn. Pull out the ones you don't want, and don't grow it near bushland, where the seed can spread.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, it grows well in a pot, and it suits a hanging basket, with the flowering stems hanging over the edge. Start with a pot about 25cm across. Shared with other herbs, it needs a regular trim. When you plant it, soak the tube in seaweed solution and plant it without disturbing the roots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost the whole plant is useful. Pick leaves and flowers whenever you need them, pinching or cutting them off at the bottom of the stems. Flower buds can be picked before they open, and the green seedpods while they're still firm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeave some seed to drop for next year's plants, or collect the brown seeds and sow them again in the cooler months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeaves and flowers both have a peppery bite and a real zing in a salad, and the marbled leaves look lovely in the bowl. The leaves are rich in vitamin C, too. Flowers can be stuffed with cream cheese or mashed egg for a canape, and the big leaves roll up around a Thai-style chicken salad as a green wrap. They can also be chopped into butter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe green seedpods make poor man's capers, Sandra's recipe for when the plants go to seed at the end of their season. Soak a cup of firm green pods in hot brine (2 tablespoons sea salt to a cup of water) for 24 to 48 hours. Drain and rinse, then pour over a cup of apple cider vinegar brought just to the boil with 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lemon-thyme\"\u003elemon thyme\u003c\/a\u003e, a teaspoon of peppercorns and 2 teaspoons of sugar or honey if you like. Rest them 3 days in the fridge. Kept covered in vinegar and picked out with clean spoons, they last about 6 months. Chop them through potato salad or egg mayo, or scatter them over grilled fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bite comes from mustard oils, so enjoy it in kitchen amounts rather than by the bowlful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBees love the flowers, native and European alike. Aphids and cabbage white caterpillars like it too, so check under the leaves now and then. Plenty of gardeners grow it beside cabbages, broccoli and kale for that reason, to draw the caterpillars away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of nasturtium\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGarden nasturtiums come from the mountains of South America. Linnaeus named the genus \u003cem\u003eTropaeolum\u003c\/em\u003e, from the trophy poles of ancient battlefields: he saw the round leaves as shields and the flowers as helmets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe common name was borrowed from watercress, \u003cem\u003eNasturtium\u003c\/em\u003e, Latin for \"nose twister\", because the two taste so alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537734152292,"sku":"potted_171","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/nasturtium-alaska_1.jpg?v=1644816361"},{"product_id":"garlic-chives","title":"Chives - Garlic Chives","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"5\"\u003eGrowing garlic chives\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGarlic chives are a hardy perennial that grows into a clump of flat, strappy leaves. Mostly from late summer into autumn, tall stalks carry round heads of starry white flowers above the leaves. They grow in most soils but do best in fertile, well-drained soil, in full sun, though they'll take part sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey handle heat and humidity better than common chives, so they're a good choice for Queensland and tropical gardens. In the tropics they can slow down in the wet-season heat, and a pot keeps them out of waterlogged ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill garlic chives take over? They can, mostly by seed. The clump itself only spreads slowly, but it self-seeds freely, so if you don't want seedlings coming up around the garden, cut the flower heads off before the seeds turn black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery three or four years, lift and divide the clump to keep it productive. Autumn is a good time: water it well, lift it, tease the clump apart, cut the leaves back to about 2cm and replant the pieces at the same depth, then mulch. They grow happily in pots too. Sandra's mixed pot ideas put them in both an Asian pot and an Italian one, and she has planted them in the vegetable beds here to help with insect control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCut the leaves at the base, just above the soil, a handful at a time, and new leaves come up from the ground. Young leaves can be picked any time. Pick the flowers soon after they open.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe leaves have a gentle garlic flavour for everyday cooking. Chop them through cream cheese or butter, over eggs and potatoes, or into salads, soups, sauces and dressings, and they go with most meat and fish. Scatter the flowers over a salad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey're a staple of Asian cooking too: in dumplings, stir-fries and flatbreads in China, in pancakes and kimchi in Korea, and in miso soup and stir-fries in Japan. Add them near the end of cooking, as overcooked leaves lose their flavour and turn stringy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of garlic chives\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGarlic chives come from northern China and have been grown in East Asian kitchens for centuries. They're \u003cem\u003ejiu cai\u003c\/em\u003e in Chinese, \u003cem\u003ebuchu\u003c\/em\u003e in Korean and \u003cem\u003enira\u003c\/em\u003e in Japanese, and you'll often see them sold as Chinese chives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChinese growers also raise them in the dark to make yellow chives, pale leaves prized as a delicacy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537790087268,"sku":"potted_205","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/files\/0000_ChivesGarlicChives.jpg?v=1728444419"},{"product_id":"coriander","title":"Coriander","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"5\"\u003eGrowing coriander\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoriander, also called cilantro, is a cool-season herb. In South East Queensland, plant it from autumn through winter; in summer it can run to seed within a week or two of planting. Even in the cool months a planting lasts only two to three months, so put a few more in every month for a steady supply. For summer, grow \u003ca href=\"\/products\/coriander-perennial\"\u003eperennial coriander\u003c\/a\u003e, a different plant with a similar flavour that keeps going through the heat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther south and up in the hills it grows through autumn and spring, and right through winter where frosts are light. Coriander can go straight into the garden in a Melbourne winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it sun or part shade, with afternoon shade as the weather warms, and free-draining soil. Water it regularly, letting the top of the soil dry a little in between. It doesn't like wet roots, but a plant that dries out runs to seed sooner, and pots dry out fast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoriander hates root disturbance, which can also send it to seed. We soak each tube in seaweed solution and plant it gently, without disturbing the roots, and it grows away much better. Let a few plants drop their seed, and new ones often come up on their own when the weather cools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStart picking once it's 10 to 15cm tall, taking the outer stems from the base and leaving the centre, where new growth comes from. Never take more than about a third at once. The leaves taste best while the stems are soft; a tall stem with fine, feathery leaves means it's starting to flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePick some seeds green and let the rest turn brown on the plant, then cut the heads into a paper bag to finish drying somewhere airy and out of the sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"6\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUse the leaves fresh, as they lose their flavour when dried, and add them at the end of cooking. They're lovely in fruity salsas and salads, and as an edible garnish for soups and stir-fries. We stir them through mashed avocado with chilli and lime, and pound them with garlic, ginger, lemon and olive oil into a pesto for spicy pumpkin soup. Coriander pesto freezes well, so make extra while it's plentiful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flowers are milder than the leaves. Use green seeds in salads and stir-fries, and toast and crush the dried ones for curries. Dig up a plant for its roots, then soak them in cold water, scrape them clean and pound them into Thai curry pastes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eIn the garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen it flowers, bees love it, and so do hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids, and parasitic wasps that attack garden pests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of coriander\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoriander has been grown for thousands of years; Tutankhamun was buried with about half a litre of its seed. Its smell has divided people for centuries. Gerard's 1597 herbal called it \"a very stinking herb\" that smelt like a bedbug, though he found the dried seed pleasant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome people still taste soap in the leaves, partly because of their genes. Others, us included, have come round to it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537791430756,"sku":"potted_227","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/coriander_1.jpg?v=1644831853"},{"product_id":"dill","title":"Dill","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"7\"\u003eGrowing dill\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDill is a fast-growing annual for the cooler months. In South East Queensland it grows best through winter, and it goes to seed quicker in the warm weather. Further south, or up in the hills, it has a longer season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it sun or part shade and a well-drained spot. It sulks in cold, waterlogged soil, so it can struggle through long runs of rain. Water it in dry spells, though: hot, dry conditions push it into flower early.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDill doesn't like its roots disturbed. We soak each tube in seaweed solution before planting and ease it in without breaking up the root ball. A new plant needs shelter from frost until it has settled in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn flower it can reach 1.2m. The tall stems blow over easily, so plant a few close together where they can hold each other up. It will grow in a pot at least 300mm across and as deep. If possums find it, quassia chips scattered around the plant help keep them off, or cover it with wire mesh or netting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe let ours flower and drop seed, and the next crop comes up on its own in the same bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"5\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStart picking once the plant is about 40cm tall. The leaves are fine, so snip the stems with scissors or pinch them off with your fingernails rather than pulling. Take a little often and never more than a third of the plant at once: regular picking keeps it leafy for longer. Once the flower heads form, it stops making new leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor seed, wait until the seed heads turn brown, then cut them and hang them upside down in a paper bag until the seed drops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh dill is grassy and green with a hint of anise, and it loves eggs and seafood. Add it at the end of cooking, about a teaspoon chopped per egg in an omelette or scrambled eggs, or scatter it over poached eggs and smoked salmon. It's lovely in light, broth-based soups, with potatoes and cucumber, and in pickles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a dill and lemon butter, mix 250g of softened butter with 2 tablespoons of chopped dill, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest (add 2 teaspoons of chopped capers if you like). It's nice with fish, eggs, steamed vegetables and in white sauces, and keeps a few weeks in the fridge. A tablespoon of dill stirred into a yoghurt dressing is good on potato salad and coleslaw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTraditional medicinal uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDill seed was the old household remedy for wind and an unsettled stomach, especially in babies, and its name may come from the Old Norse \u003cem\u003edilla\u003c\/em\u003e, to lull, after that use. In medieval times it was valued for stomach gripes and restless babies, and dill water, made from the seed, stayed a common home remedy for babies' wind. Dill oil was in the first gripe water, made in England in 1851.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil your plant sets seed, our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/organic-dill-seed\"\u003edried dill seed\u003c\/a\u003e is the same herb. Kitchen amounts are fine for the whole family, but medicinal amounts of the seed aren't recommended during pregnancy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eIn the garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet some plants flower. The flat umbels of yellow flowers make it easy for bees to forage, and flowering dill brings in the helpful insects that hunt pests in the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of dill\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Middle Ages, dill was hung in homes to ward off witchcraft and carried by knights for good fortune in battle.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537791463524,"sku":"potted_228","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/dill_3.jpg?v=1644830773"},{"product_id":"lemon-grass","title":"Lemongrass","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eGrowing lemongrass\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLemongrass is a tall grass that loves warm weather and grows into a dense clump, so give it room. It grows best in full sun and rich, moist soil that still drains well. In warm climates it copes with part shade too, and plants in shade have softer, greener leaves. Keep the soil moist but never waterlogged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the true culinary lemongrass, \u003cem\u003eCymbopogon citratus\u003c\/em\u003e, the one with the best flavour. Is the red at the base of the stalks normal? Yes: young plants often show red at the base. It rarely flowers or sets seed, so ours are grown by dividing clumps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt grows so well in South East Queensland and the tropics. It's frost tender, though. In cold areas it dies back over winter, so grow it in a pot you can move somewhere warm and sheltered before the frosts. If a clump gets tatty or frost-burnt, cut it back hard at the end of winter and it reshoots in spring. We do the same here: after winter we lift and divide ours, cutting it back to about 2cm from the base before replanting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a pot that lasts, use a big one, as it grows into a large clump. Young plants also suit a mixed Asian pot with Vietnamese mint and perennial coriander. Check the mix with your finger 5cm down, water when it's dry, and feed it every four to six weeks while it's growing. Dividing keeps it healthy, as a crowded clump is more prone to rust, orange-brown spots on the leaves in humid weather. Watch your hands when you pick, as the leaves have sharp edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCut an outer stalk 1 to 2cm above the base, on an angle, and leave the centre growing. The part you cook with runs from the cut up to where the leaves separate. Save the leafy tops for tea. Clumps can also be cut right back at the base and they'll regrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLemongrass has a floral, lemony flavour with a hint of ginger. Peel off the two or three tough outer layers to reach the pale inner stem, bash it with the back of a knife, then slice it thinly or pound it to a paste. Or bruise a whole stalk and drop it into soups, curries and rice, and take it out before serving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a key flavour in tom yum soup, green curry and beef rendang, and it goes well with ginger, garlic, chilli, basil, mint and coriander. Use the stalks as skewers for chicken or prawns, or lay leaves under fish when you steam it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor tea, pour a cup of boiled water over 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh leaf, cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes. A few slices of fresh ginger go nicely with it. Lemongrass with makrut lime leaves and mint makes a lovely iced tea for summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eTraditional medicinal uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLemongrass tea has a long history as a home remedy. In the Caribbean it's still called fever grass, from its old use as a hot tea for someone feverish and unwell. In Brazil it's one of the best-known garden remedies, drunk as a calming tea, and in India's Ayurvedic tradition the tea was taken to help digestion. In Chinese medicine it has been valued as a warming herb since the Tang dynasty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil your plant is big enough to pick, our dried \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lemongrass-tea\"\u003elemongrass tea\u003c\/a\u003e is the same herb. Kitchen amounts are fine in pregnancy, but avoid large amounts of the tea while pregnant. Never swallow lemongrass essential oil: it's far stronger than the herb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of lemongrass\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLemongrass comes from Southeast Asia, probably Malaysia, yet it's often called West Indian lemongrass. It was grown in the Philippines by the 1600s, and its oil was distilled and sold to European nobility, a costly status symbol used to mask body odour. It reached Haiti and the southern United States in the early 1900s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAustralia has its own lemon-scented grasses too. One of them, barbed wire grass, with seed heads that look like barbed wire, grows well here at the nursery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537843368036,"sku":"hp_537","price":6.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/lemon-grass.jpg?v=1644816860"},{"product_id":"jekkas-thyme","title":"Thyme - Jekka's Thyme","description":"\u003ch3\u003eGrowing Jekka's thyme\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJekka's thyme is a low, mounding thyme with wiry, upright stems and small, narrow, mid-green leaves. If we could only grow one thyme, it would be this one: it's very hardy, it has a stronger flavour than common thyme, and unlike common thyme it doesn't go woody, so there are always soft tips to pick. It spreads into a mat, so it makes a neat edging or a patch of ground cover in a rock or gravel garden; we grow it along the edge of our rock steps. In summer it carries clusters of small pink flowers, each with a dark purple line on the lower lip, and bees visit them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it full sun and light, free-draining soil. Once settled it copes with drought and poor soil, but it won't tolerate wet or waterlogged ground. In South East Queensland, plant it in autumn in a raised bed or rockery with good drainage, so it's settled before the humid summer rain, and keep it out of still, damp corners against walls. It's hardy in cold gardens too. A new plant that browns in its first few weeks is usually too wet or too dry. Push a finger into the soil: if it's wet, too much water is the likely cause, unless it has been drying right out for long spells between waterings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegular picking or a light trim after flowering keeps it bushy and full of fresh growth, but don't cut into bare, woody stems. In a pot or hanging basket, choose a wide, shallow one, as thyme roots are shallow. Ours are grown from cuttings, as named forms like this one don't come true from seed, so each plant is the same as the one it was cut from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUse it in any recipe that calls for thyme. We add it to sautéed mushrooms, chicken dishes and tray-baked vegetables, and it's good in salad dressings and marinades, with eggs, fish and cheese. Snip sprigs any time of year; the soft new growth has the best flavour. The flowers are edible too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a cup of thyme tea, steep a few fresh sprigs in a covered cup of just-boiled water for 5 to 10 minutes, and add honey and lemon if you like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of Jekka's thyme\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's named after Jekka McVicar, a well-known British herb grower. We visited her nursery on a trip to England: it was pouring with rain, but she still walked us through the whole place.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537843990628,"sku":"hp_531","price":6.5,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/thyme-jekkas-thyme.jpg?v=1644803646"},{"product_id":"nasturtium-empress-of-india","title":"Nasturtium Empress of India","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eGrowing nasturtium Empress of India\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmpress of India has blue-green leaves and vivid orange-red flowers. Ours in the photo was in full flower in late winter. For marbled leaves and mixed flower colours, its sister is \u003ca href=\"\/products\/nasturtium\"\u003enasturtium Alaska\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlant it as the hot weather finishes. In South East Queensland it's at its best through autumn, winter and spring, and the summer heat wears it out: it either dies off or hangs on in a shady spot. Frost kills it, so gardeners in cold districts grow it through the frost-free months instead. One customer wrote that their tube had tripled in size within a few weeks and was starting to flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it sun to semi-shade, good drainage and ordinary soil. Rich soil and plenty of fertiliser give you a mass of large leaves and not many flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt stays low, about knee high, but spreads freely. Left alone it tumbles over the edges of beds and pots and will run through a bed of other plants, so give it room. Each plant drops plenty of seed, and new seedlings come up when the weather cools. Keep it out of gardens that border bushland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hanging basket or a pot about 25cm across lets the stems spill over the side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePinch off leaves and flowers as you need them, taking them from the base of the stems. Pick the flower buds before they open, and the seedpods while they're green.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe orange-red flowers give a salad bowl a striking splash of colour, and leaves and flowers add a peppery bite. The leaves are rich in vitamin C, too. We put it in our spring salad of bitter greens with wild rocket, dandelion, chicory and watercress. Add small leaves whole to a salad or sandwich, tear the larger ones, and use the biggest as wraps for small mouthfuls of salad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe closed flower buds make \"capers\". Pour boiling brine (2 tablespoons salt in 1 cup of water) over half a cup of buds in a jar and leave them overnight. Drain, then cover them with 3\/4 cup white wine vinegar boiled with 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme and a teaspoon of peppercorns. Cool, then refrigerate 3 days before using; they keep about 6 months. Later in the season, the firm green seeds can be pickled the same way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts heat comes from mustard oils, so go lightly: a few leaves and flowers season a salad without taking it over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNative bees are especially fond of the flowers. Cabbage white caterpillars and aphids feed on it as well, and a planting beside cabbages and broccoli can draw the caterpillars away from them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of Empress of India\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name honours Queen Victoria, proclaimed Empress of India in 1876, and the variety is thought to date from the 1880s. Nasturtiums themselves had already been called Indian cress for centuries, since they reached Europe from the Americas, then called the Indies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537864110180,"sku":"hp_18","price":5.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/nasturtium-empress-of-india_2.jpg?v=1644816348"},{"product_id":"salvia-fruticosa-greek-skies","title":"Sage - Greek Sage","description":"\u003ch3 data-image=\"3\"\u003eGrowing Greek sage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreek sage is Sandra's favourite sage for cooking, and it grows much better here than common sage. It puts up with our South East Queensland humidity better, grows into a good-sized bush and gives us plenty of leaves. We grow a long border of it in the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a shrubby perennial with soft, grey-green, highly aromatic leaves. In spring it sends up spikes of pale blue to lavender flowers that bring in the bees and butterflies, and they keep coming on and off into summer and autumn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive it full sun and well-drained soil. It doesn't like wet feet, so in a humid summer a raised bed or a pot makes all the difference, and autumn is the best time to plant it in South East Queensland, so it's settled before the summer rain. It enjoys a dry spell and copes with summer heat once settled. It handles winter cold and some frost too, and unlike common sage it keeps growing through winter. A customer in Victoria tells us theirs is kicking along nicely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt grows happily in a pot or at the front of a sunny border, and it looks good beside other silver and grey plants. We've also planted it beside our cabbages and broccoli to help keep insects away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep it bushy by picking often. Cut stems back to just above a leaf node rather than into hard brown wood, take out dead or weak stems and spent flower spikes, and give it a light trim to keep its shape. Ours are grown from tip cuttings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"2\"\u003eHarvesting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePick leaves any time of year once the plant is growing well, cutting whole stem tips rather than stripping leaves. Use them fresh, or hang small bunches somewhere warm and airy, out of bright light, and keep the dried leaves in an airtight jar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-image=\"4\"\u003eIn the kitchen\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe love it with potatoes and with meats, especially fatty ones, which sage has traditionally been paired with to help the digestion. Add the fresh leaves to mushrooms as they cook, to pasta dishes and casseroles, or to scrambled eggs. It pairs nicely with citrus in sweet dishes too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe leaves also make a good sage tea. As with all sages, keep it to kitchen amounts and the odd cup of tea during pregnancy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-fold=\"true\"\u003eThe story of Greek sage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreek sage, \u003cem\u003eSalvia fruticosa\u003c\/em\u003e, grows wild in Greece, southern Italy and around the eastern Mediterranean, and much of the dried sage sold around the world comes from this plant. 'Greek Skies' turned up as a seedling of Greek sage in a Melbourne garden, and it is thought to be a cross with \u003ca href=\"\/products\/sage\"\u003ecommon sage\u003c\/a\u003e. That's why it's sold under several names, often as \u003cem\u003eSalvia fruticosa\u003c\/em\u003e 'Greek Skies'.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"herbcottage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32537899761764,"sku":"sa_fr-gs","price":6.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0039\/7780\/5924\/products\/salvia-fruiticosa-greek-skies.jpg?v=1644814693"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.herbcottage.com.au\/collections\/if-i-could-only-grow-10-herbs.oembed","provider":"Mudbrick Herb Cottage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}