
Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow and have been used for their healing properties for thousands of years. But that's not the only reason to fill your garden, pots, windowsills and troughs with herbs; you will be rewarded with their beauty, the fresh flavours will lift your cooking and, in the garden, many like borage, chives, and lemon balm will provide valuable nectar and pollen for bees. Here are some of my favourite easy-to-grow herbs, many have flourished in pots others in the gardens I have tended.
Bay: Bay grows well in a large container. Its leaves can be picked all year, and the aromatic leaf is typically used in soups, stews, marinades, and grain dishes. An herbal tea made using bay can help treat flatulence.
Borage: The pretty star-shaped flowers, with prominent black anthers, carry quantities of pollen that are very attractive to bees. The leaves and flowers are rich in potassium and calcium and make an excellent tonic and blood cleanser. They are easy to grow in containers from seeds and self-sow year after year.
Calendula: The mucilage in both the flowers & leaves makes them valuable for soothing wounds. An infusion makes a good antiseptic eye wash. You can grow this annual easily from seed and it readily self seeds.
Chamomile: There are many species of chamomile with the annual German and perennial common chamomile being the most common. Both varieties can be used to make a soothing tea that helps with insomnia and aids digestion. Grows well from seed in a pot in a sunny position.
Chives: Add chives to egg, cheese and vegetable dishes. Chives contain allicin connected to lowering blood pressure, quercetin, a powerful antioxidant & vitamin K essential for bone health. Bees love the flowers. Easy to grow.
Comfrey: Bruised comfrey leaves or a mash applied to the area around broken bones will soothe and reduce inflammation, helping bones mend. Do not use on broken skin and only take internally under herbalist supervision. Grows best in damp places in deep soil from root offsets.
Dandelion: Make the most of this herb, which is often growing wild in the garden, if not sow some seeds. Eat the leaves raw in salads or gently wilt and serve with eggs. Traditionally, dandelion has been used as a diuretic, a liver tonic, and to help with high blood pressure.
Echinacea: An infusion of fresh leaves is good for colds and flu. Echinacea has antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Used to stimulate immune response. Grows happily in a tub of well-drained soil in a sunny position
Fennel: An infusion of fennel seeds is a digestive remedy. An infusion of leaves & seeds can increase the flow of milk during breast feeding. Grows tall, likes well drained soil and is self seeding.
Feverfew: A strong infusion in the bath soothes aches and pains. Taken as a tea it is well known for preventing and treating migraines but only taken in small quantities. Grows well in a pot in a dry sunny corner.
Heartsease: Use the flowers in salads and sweet dishes. Add the leaves and flowers to cough syrups to soothe sore throats. Grows easily in pots and containers and readily self seeds.
Lavender: Infuse the flowers in sunflower oil and use as a rub on aching or bruised limbs and stiff joints. Grow in a pot in sandy/limey type soil in full sun. Lavender is a classic bee plant.
Lovage: The strong earthy celery flavour of lovage enriches vegetable dishes. The seeds can help ease digestive disorders and help relieve flatulence. A tall growing perennial, will grow in a pot but not to its full height
Marsh mallow: The roots and leaves make a soothing, healing herb, useful in treating respiratory ailments and the common cold. Eat the young leaves in a salad. Prefers damp soil and a shady position.
Nasturtium: The leaves contain valuable minerals and a high level of vitamin C. Taken internally they have a tonic, cleansing and antiseptic effect. Nasturtium leaves, buds and flowers add a sharp peppery bite to salads. Easy to grow and self-seeding.
Nettles: This hardy perennial is a valuable herb. Young leaves can be cooked like spinach and seeds can be used to sprinkle over food. An infusion of the leaves makes an excellent tonic medicine. Used to treat anaemia and rheumatism
Peppermint: The strong aromatic flavour of peppermint works well in savoury and sweet dishes. A peppermint infusion is helpful for nausea, travel sickness, indigestion and migraine. Happily, grows more or less anywhere.
Parsley: One of the most popular culinary herbs, can be used to add flavour any savory dish. Rich in minerals especially calcium, potassium & silica, an infusion of parsley helps strengthen hair & nails & clear the complexion of skin. Grows well (albeit slowly) from seed in moist, well drained soil in pots or the garden.
Rose: Roses can be grown in well fed and watered pots. Choose a gallica rose and use the flowers to infuse apple cider vinegar or a rosa rugosa for rosehips, though, of course, all roses produce hips, which can be dried for winter use as they are a valuable source of vitamin C.
Rosemary: A rosemary infusion can be taken to soothe the nerves and stimulate the digestion. A rosemary oil can soothe aching joints It is strongly antiseptic. Grows well in a pot from cuttings and the flowers attract bees.
Sage: Sage has long been considered one of the most important medicinal herbs, stimulates digestion, cools fever, cleanses the blood, balances hormones, and soothes headaches, excellent antiseptic. Grow from cuttings in pots or beds in a sunny position.
St Johns Wort: An infusion of the plant can be used to soothe anxiety, stress, depression and nervousness. The infusion can also be used to bathe wounds and skin sores. Grows well in a pot.
Thyme: The fresh tiny leaves of fresh thyme are available all year and the earthy flavour goes well with eggs, cheese, grains and vegetables. Thyme is a great strengthening herb useful for anaemia, exhaustion, coughs, bronchitis, colds and flu. A sun-loving plant. The flowers will attract bees.
Where to buy seeds
I am a lover of plants but not a herbalist. I have, however, had the great privilege over the years to work with some amazing herbalists, so my knowledge comes from them rather than any training.
Any plant whether food or medicine can cause a severe reaction in some people. Before taking herbs for any illness seek medical advice from a qualified herbal practitioner.
Daphne Lambert
January 2025