Soft Herb Garden: Fresh Flavours at Your Fingertips!
Here’s a brief guide on how to cultivate your Soft Herb Garden:
Growing Guide:
- Soil Preference: Choose well-draining, fertile soil enriched with compost. Herbs appreciate soil that is slightly acidic to neutral.
- Sunlight: Position your Soft Herb Garden in a sunny location, providing at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and flavour development.
- Spacing: Allow sufficient space between each herb to accommodate their growth habits. For example, parsley can be spaced 6-8 inches apart, while basil and coriander may need 12-18 inches.
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist, allowing it to dry out slightly between watering. Herbs prefer regular, even moisture to thrive.
Herb Varieties in the Soft Herb Garden:
(Please note: we might replace the herb variety based on availability)
- Coriander: Known for its fresh, citrusy flavour, coriander is a versatile herb that adds brightness to salsas, curries, and salads.
- Dill: With its feathery leaves and distinctive taste, dill is ideal for pickling, fish dishes, and creamy sauces.
- Fennel – Mixed: Enjoy the sweet, anise-like flavour of fennel in salads or roasted dishes. Our mixed variety offers a range of textures and flavours.
- Parsley – Flat Leaf (Italian): This robust herb is a staple in Mediterranean cooking, perfect for garnishing or adding depth to soups and stews.
- Parsley Curled: This decorative herb adds a distinctive taste to dishes and is often used as a garnish.
- Chives: With their mild allium flavour, chives are excellent for seasoning salads, potatoes, and omelettes.
- Basil – Crimson King: This striking variety features deep purple leaves and a sweet flavour, making it perfect for pesto or as a garnish.
- Basil – Sweet Genovese: The classic Italian basil known for its rich aroma and flavour; essential for pasta dishes and Caprese salads.
- Basil – Thai: A unique variety with a spicy kick and hints of anise, perfect for Thai dishes and stir-fries.
Planning your site
Lettuces and crops grown for their individual leaves need plenty of sunshine and moisture-retentive soil. They will grow well almost anywhere that you can provide these conditions – Raised beds or pots, beds or windowsill containers!
Growing tips
Try to give plants about 15cm between them although looseleaf and Oriental salad crops can be planted more closely together. Keep plants well watered, watering the soil not the leaves, particularly during dry spells and try to keep the weeds down avoid competition.Cover oriental salads and leafy plants with cloches for protection before the frosts if overwintering.
What to watch out for
The biggest issue facing lettuces and plants grown for their individual leaves is erratic watering. Be sure to try to keep to a regular watering plan, early in the morning before the sun gets hot if possible, with evening watering the next best choice. Many leafy crops are prone to bolting if they experience water stress. If your soil and plants are wet in the evening it may encourage slug and snails at night! If your lettuce plant wilts suddenly it could be a sign of pests in the roots and you will need to dig up the plant and dispose of it to avoid infection through your crop. Many of the hardier winter salad crops, especially the Oriental varieties are of the Brassica family so it is worth orienteering yourself with ‘what to watch out for’ in the Brassica plants section.
What to do when your plants arrive
- Unpack them. Your seedlings will arrive carefully packed in bio-degradable straw, cardboard and paper. They may look a little bit bedraggled from their journey. Don’t panic – this is totally normal and they should soon perk up. Please try and unpack your plants as soon as they arrive, as every extra hour they spend in the box will add to the stress of travelling to their new home.
- Give them a drink. Having spent a day or two in the post, your new plants will be thirsty! Stand them up in some fresh water for a few minutes to make sure their roots have been thoroughly soaked before planting.
- Plant them out into their forever home! Your plants can’t wait to get their roots into the soil. Plant them out according to the instructions that will have come in the box with them. Make sure you water them in well, and give them plenty to drink until their roots have had a chance to get settled.
Substitutions
As you well know, plants are unpredictable creatures and so is the British weather. As such, we reserve the right to substitute items in your order for an equivalent variety. To find out more about substitutions, please take a look at our terms and conditions.
Delivery
We charge a flat shipping fee of £6.99 per shipping season. If you order everything from one season ie Spring you will be charged once, if you order Spring and Summer you will be charged twice etc. We do not ship outside of the UK.
Where can I send a gift card?
All of our products are available to send to UK addresses only. The products that the recipient can redeem their gift card on will only be mailed to a UK postal address. Postage is free for physical Gift Cards, as well as on the products that can be redeemed.
Terms and Conditions
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