Growing your own herbs provides you not only with delicious ingredients for recipes and tasty surprises for your salads, but also wonderful colors and aromas that you can enjoy all year round. There is no comparison with freshly picked herbs that you have grown for yourself; dried herbs come nowhere near. Most of the herbs love warm, sunny spots, so windowsills and window boxes are ideal. This helps them develop their distinctive aromas and it makes your kitchen smell fresh too.

Ideal Herbs

There is a wonderful variety of herbs that you can grow; the first three in this list are the most hardy and useful. You can either buy them as tiny plants or you can grow them from seed:

Basil: A wonderful, sweet aniseed flavor, great with baked tomatoes or buttered carrots.

Chives: These have a fantastic onion flavor and they have got pretty, lilac pink flowers.

Mint: This will grow and grow, so make sure you do not let it get too big. It is fantastic with potatoes and you can make your own mint sauce. Try freezing it in ice cube trays so you have always got some.

Parsley: Cut off any flowers that form and you can harvest all year round. Each plant should last for at least two years.

Rosemary: This is an evergreen plant that gives you a warm, savoury flavor and is fantastic in stuffings and with lamb.

Sage: An aromatic evergreen bush. It has pretty leaves and you can buy a purple variety. Both types are great with meat.

Thyme: Delicious savoury, aromatic leaves. Can be gathered all year round. Try lemon thyme for a really strong flavor.

Drying and Freezing Your Herbs

Herbs have maximum flavor just before they flower. So cut and dry them, put the shoots in a brown paper bag and store them. Crush them when they are dry and put them in airtight containers. This will retain their flavor. Some herbs lose their flavor when they are dried, but you can freeze these. Put sprigs of mint and parsley into an ice cube tray, or put sprigs of herbs into plastic bags, and freeze them. They will not keep their shape, but they will keep most of their flavor.

Choosing the Right Kind of Vegetables

Do not worry if you do not have an enormous amount of space. A window box can supply you with enough salad to last you through the summer. Plenty of vegetables can be grown in pots, and potatoes can be grown in bags or in a stack of tyres or a dustbin. Think organic – you will not need to spend on fertilizers or growth enhancers and you are unlikely to need insecticides. Your choice of vegetables includes:

• cress
• tomatoes
• salad leaves
• potatoes
• beans and peas
• cabbage
• carrots
• courgettes/zucchini
• broccoli

Pots

Here are some examples of how you can grow your own fruit and vegetables with very little space, time or effort:

Tomatoes: All they need is a generous pot space. Water them daily and feed them about once a week with a regularly available proprietary tomato food. Nip out the side shoots to encourage them to fruit.

Salad leaves: Lambs lettuce, rocket or quick-growing radishes are all ideal. You can get salad all summer from a handful of plants. Sow them from seed at two-week intervals for a continuous supply.

Strawberries: They could not be easier to grow in a pot or in a window box. They like rich soil and you must not allow them to dry out. Watch the white flowers turn into fruit, but be careful to cover them with some netting so the birds don’t eat them first!

Carrier bags

Potatoes are the ideal candidates for carrier-bag cultivation. Notice how your store-bought potatoes begin to sprout after a week or so? Carefully select the ones with the healthiest looking sprouts and place them in an egg carton on the windowsill. When the sprouts are strong and the chance of a frost has passed, get three store carrier bags and place them one inside another. Fill with compost and plant your sprouting potatoes about 10 cm/4 in deep. Hang them from a hook by the back door but do not forget to water them regularly – without over-watering. When you have strong plants, you should have small potatoes. When the plants flower, your potatoes should be ready to eat. Slice the carrier bags open and harvest.

Freezing Your Crop

Freezing your crop means you need not worry about bumper harvests going to waste. If you have not got a freezer, there are plenty of second-hand ones available. Ninety per cent of freezers are dumped when they are actually still in good working order. They may just not be the latest model.

Most vegetables need to be blanched before freezing. This means you need to immerse them in boiling water. The blanching destroys enzymes that affect the flavor, color and texture. When you prepare your vegetables for blanching, you need to trim off outer leaves, wash them thoroughly and you can even cut and prepare them as if you were going to cook them straight away. So if you like batons, slices, diced or whole, they will be ready in the freezer when you want to eat them. Once you have blanched your vegetables, let them cool, then put them in freezer bags in portions. If your freezer has a super or fast setting, this is ideal. The quicker the food freezes, the more goodness is retained. Blanching times vary, but here are some guidelines:

• courgettes – 1 minute
• beans – 3 minutes
• squashes – 3 minutes
• carrots – 2 to 5 minutes

Consider the shape of the garden. If it is very square you may wish to soften it by creating curved borders with flowing planting. Awkward triangular or long narrow plots can also be transformed through design -narrow sites by adding a diagonal feature (be it a flower bed, steps or a path) and triangular by creating a circular shape, for example.

Once your basic framework is in place you will be ready to think of adding the plants which provide structures, colour, perfume, flair and flounce – the more transient stars of the garden.

As soon as you move in, walk around the garden and do a safety check. Remove any obvious hazards, such as poisonous plants, barbed or rusty wire and crumbling walls, and cover ponds until you have time to consider safety measures. Mend or remove loose paving stones and trim back any dangerous branches and shrubs.

Do not be too hasty in removing established shrubs. You may not find a particular plant appealing, but it may provide a useful framework while other plants are becoming established. It is surprising how much better a shrub can look after pruning and with new planting around it. After all, if it does not grow on you, you can always take it out later.

Delay starting major work until you have been in the garden for a full year. You need to see a complete cycle of seasons to appreciate fully just what is in your garden, and how all its elements work together.

A delay will also give you the chance to watch how your children play in the garden. You may be surprised at the features that attract them. For example, an overgrown hedge which you had earmarked to be grubbed up may prove to be the perfect site for a den. You may have planned to buy them a climbing frame, or metal-framed swing, only to discover that they are getting such enormous enjoyment from climbing the trees that a swing from a sturdy branch, rope ladders, commando-style netting and even a tree house would be much more appreciated.

Throughout the year make notes about the elements of the garden that give yon most pleasure and those that annoy you. In practice you may find that the diving area is too far from the house, that the outdoor lighting is insufficient, or that the position of external laps is impractical. On the other hand yon may discover that a flower border which seemed out of place is ideally positioned for maximum/minimum sunlight. Frost risk and perfect drainage. And what a wonderful excuse not to do any work in your first year!

Compost can be bought, but is so easy to make that there is little excuse for not producing your own. There is a two-fold advantage to making compost. First you are creating something for free which will improve the garden immeasurably, second you know you are making good use of your waste and not taking up valuable space in a landfill site. Dig the compost into your soil, or spread it over the surface when the soil is damp, to act as a mulch.

Virtually any organic material can be composted. From the house collect tea bags, vegetable peelings, eggshells, shredded newspaper, even old cotton or woollen rags. And from the garden save waste such as dead flowers and leaves, bolted vegetables and old bedding plants, grass clippings, soft primings, hedge trimmings and weeds (before they have set seed). Even the children can help by collecting their pet’s droppings when they clean out their cages. These will heat things up splendidly, speeding the process of decomposition.

Do not use meat, any cooked food, or anything greasy as this will attract vermin. Discard and burn any parts of diseased plants, seed-bearing annual weeds, or the roots of perennial weeds, such as ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria) and couch grass (Agropyron repens). These are so tough that they can survive the composting process and you will end up spreading your problems. Anything too woody will not decompose, so either use a shredder or burn such material.

If space allows, have two heaps or bins. This will ensure a constant supply of compost, as material can be rotting down in one bin while you are still filling the other.

Traditional compost heaps

There are numerous methods of making compost. Compost heaps suit large gardens that produce masses of waste. However, completely open heaps are unsightly and inefficient, so it is better to buy, or make an enclosure. Do-it-yourself containers can be put together from wooden pallets and wire or you can buy kits which, when assembled, form brick and wood bins, or slatted timber enclosures.

With open heaps such as these the material ill the edges, where it is cooler, will not compost at the same rate as that in the middle, so the heap will need to be turned regularly. To ibis end, do not overfill the bin. You could tip it out to mix. Cover it with a sheet of polythene or old carpel to keep off heavy rain, but donˇŻt allow it to dry out in slimmer. To ensure there is enough material to heal up sufficiently, the heap or bin must be a minimum of 90cm square by 1.2m/4ft high.

Ready-made compost bins

If you do not want to make a compost enclosure yourself, there are numerous ready-made plastic and metal bins on the market. These are usually fully enclosed, which means that the composted material will heal up evenly and rot down quickly, eliminating the tedious job of turning the compost. The bins are also designed for ease of access to the composted material at the bottom.

Wormeries

These differ from ready-made compost bins in that they rely on a colony of worms (tiger or brandling worms) to produce the compost. The worms are put in specially-designed worm bins on a layer of material which has already rotted down. They are then given fresh supplies of finely chopped household scraps every few days. The bins have a tray to collect liquid, which can be drained off, diluted with water then used for plant food. The resulting compost is wonderfully rich. There are disadvantages to this system however. Wormeries are not easy to get going, the worms need regular supplies and they must be sieved out when the bin is full and it is time to start a new one – not a pleasant task.

Leaf mould

The fallen leaves of deciduous trees, especially oak, beech and elm, make wonderful compost. Pile large amounts in a corner or leaf bin. This is basically a wire cage, and is very simple to make from a roll of chicken wire and four wooden posts. Put smaller amounts in black plastic sacks, seal them and punch some holes in the sides. The leaves will take about a year to compost down although you can speed up the process by shredding them and using a leaf compost activator.

Making compost

- Start with a thick base of rough, bulky material, such as straw or shredded prunings, then sprinkle with either sulphate of ammonia (a dessertspoon per square metre/yard), or a bought compost activator or fresh animal manure, to speed up decomposition.
- Continue building up the heap in 15cm/6in layers, adding a little time to alternate layers if you wish. Avoid adding too much of any one thing at a time, for example too many grass clippings will result in a smelly, black slime rather then the sweet, crumbling consistency formed by successful composting.

Green compost

An attractive alternative to traditional compost is green compost. This process uses living plants, which are grown solely to be dug back into the soil to condition it. Green compost works well for light sandy, or heavy clay soils and has the bonus of demanding less effort than collecting, turning and spreading home-made compost. Sow the crop to be composted in late summer, cut it just as it flowers in early spring, and allow it to lie for a few days. Then dig it in and leave for a couple of months before planting something else-Excellent plants for fixing nitrogen in the soil are alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) and lupins (Lupinus), but borage (Borago officinalis), mustard (Brassica rapa or B, nigra) and comfrey (Symphytum officinale) also make excellent green manures.

One obvious disadvantage of this method is that the soil cannot be used for any other plants while the cover crop is growing. However if you choose a pretty enough green manure this need not be a problem.

- Firstly be disciplined when you garden. Lock away all tools and chemicals. Accidents with gardening tools, both manual and electrical, account for 100.000 injuries to children every year in the IK. Garden chemicals can be very dangerous and include weedkillers, pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, disinfectants and petrol.

- DonˇŻt store chemicals anywhere that gets very hot. such as a greenhouse, as they may give oil poisonous fumes or even catch lire. Keep oil and petrol in metal containers and if possible bin chemicals that have had a billeting agent added. This makes them unpalatable it a child does manage to get hold of them. Don’t store chemicals in old soft drinks bottles.

- Keep children away from any area which has been treated recently with weedkiller, pesticide or fertilizer – even if the packet says it is child friendly.

- Watch out for uneven surfaces which could trip up children or elderly people. Maintain all paths and steps, replacing broken paving slabs, steps and loose stones.

- Prevent paths, steps and patios becoming slippery by removing any overhanging branches. These encourage moss and algae to grow in their shade. Scrub off the algae and moss with hot soapy water or spray it with a high-pressure water jet attached to your hose pipes. This is preferable to using chemical cleaners that may damage the hard surface in time. Sprinkling sharp sand over problem areas helps to provide grip and rub oil algae. Wooden steps become very slippery once wet, so fit chicken wire. Occasional use of a stiff brush also prevents green slime coating timber surfaces such as old railway sleepers.

- Look out for protruding stems or branches beside paths which may scratch or cause eve injuries. Bin rubber cane tops for all cane plant supports.

- Your garden design should never include unprotected sharp drops. Those from a patio are especially dangerous, as running or cycling children can go over the edge. Site greenhouses carefully where children are safe from the danger of broken glass and the greenhouse is sale from living foot-balls.

- Never site play equipment near a greenhouse, railings, cold frame or washing line.

- All gales should be filled with childproof locks and it s best to avoid fences with horizontal rails because children can climb them. Be as prompt as possible in mending holes in hedges and fences as children can squeeze through the smallest gaps.

Prevention

Firstly buy only the choicest plant specimens. Choose the most healthy, vigorous-looking plants and cheek that their roots are not pot-bound, and that the plant is not dried out or already harbouring some pest or disease, you can often tell if a plant has been too long in its container as there is moss growing on the surface of the compost. Check also that you are not inadvertently buying some weeds along with your plant – the last thing anyone wants to do is to introduce vet another problem into the garden. Certain plants have been bred with disease-resistant varieties. Seek these out wherever possible as it will save a lot of trouble later on, especially if you are growing roses.

Follow the recommendations as to planting position and conditions exactly, for if you place a plant in an unsuitable position it will not thrive, no mailer how healthy it is initially, or however much love, care and attention you lavish on it.

Practice good husbandry. Clear away weeds and debris which could provide hiding places for pests or act as a breeding ground for disease. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased parts of plants, and always burn such material. Clean out the greenhouse regularly and be meticulous about cleaning and disinfecting your tools, especially secateurs, shears and pots to prevent the spread of infection.

Erect barriers to deter pests. For example net vegetables and grow soli fruit in a simple cage to keep the birds away. Protect fruit trees from pests by putting a grease band around the trunk in winter.

Spread gravel, prickly holly leaves or soot around the base of vulnerable plants, or, if they are grown in pots, paint pest-control glue around the rims. Slugs and snails cannot bear to cross such protective barriers and gravel has the added advantage of acting as an excellent mulch.

Cure

If you still have a problem there are numerous methods of controlling pests and diseases. However, do remember that the safest wax is the organic way.

Companion planting

Certain plants, especially vegetables, benefit from companion planting, the growing of one plant beside another specifically to deter pests, distract them from the main plant or attract their predators. Strong-smelling herbs, such as mint, are excellent for this job.

Most people are aware that French marigolds (Tagetes patula) attract hoverflies. which love to eat aphids, therefore it makes sense to grow them beside any vegetable, that is susceptible to aphid attack.

Rosemary and lavender are dried and used as a deterrent to stop moths from attacking linen and clothes, and grown in the garden these herbs protect plants from caterpillar attack. Moths also hale the strong smell of wormwood (Artemesia absinthium), which can be grown as a companion plant, or made into an infusion to spray plants in need of protection.

As a preventative against diseases, horsetail is a herb which works as a natural fungicide, it is effective against blackspot and mildew on roses.

Natural predators

Avoid the necessity of chemical controls by encouraging beneficial predators. Learn to distinguish the goodies from the baddies, for example centipedes are good, millipedes are bad: carnivorous beetles are good, herbivorous beetles are bad. Once you have identified friends and foes you can start to encourage beneficial predators by avoiding chemicals and creating a habitat that your insect and animal helpers can enjoy.

Insect-eating birds such as blue tits, are very welcome, as are ladybirds. Encourage these natural predators by filling a box with hollow steins from dead herbaceous plants and fixing it high up a tree, or on a wall where they can hibernate. You also want plenty of spiders, hoverflies, facewing larvae, centipedes, carnivorous beetles, frogs, loads, shrews and hedgehogs – which can eat an amazing two hundred slugs a night.

Eating outside

Everyone enjoys eating outside, so building or adapting a terrace should be top of the leisure list. At the same time you could consider a built-in barbecue. A permanent barbecue can also double as an outdoor fireplace which will prolong your time spent outdoors.

Playing

For children playing takes precedence over everything else, so most children’s wish lists will include every play structure, piece of equipment or toy imaginable. Decide what is most suitable for your children, as well as what will fit in the garden, bearing in mind that, as they grow, you may want to adapt or modify their play space.

Lounging

For pure relaxation all that is needed is a comfortable chair, or hammock, and some peace and quiet. If you have space, incorporate features, a summerhouse or an arbour.

Water features

Water safety is the main concern when planning a water feature. If you have young children, a pond may be out of the question, but there are several safe options to consider.

Attracting wildlife

If your garden is full of insect, animal and bird life it will not only be a more interesting place for your family, but a healthier, more balanced environment in which pests are gobbled up rather than killed by chemicals, and where plants thrive helped along by pollinating insects. So leave some wild comers and plant plenty of insect-attracting and berry-bearing shrubs that are attractive to insects and birds alike.

Decorative features

These can elevate a garden out of the ordinary. Pergolas and arbours wreathed in plants convey a soft romantic touch, while an urn, statue or other ornamental feature can add a wonderful element of surprise.

Child’s garden

You could plan to put aside a piece of the garden for your children to call their own or you could plant trees to commemorate special events, such as births and anniversaries. Children will quickly come to love their tree, and you can keep a record of the tree and your child’s progress with yearly photographs and a height chart for both tree and child.

Be extravagant!

Family gardens are the ideal place for you to indulge your imagination with light-hearted, playful features that reflect the personality of your family. Include a few oddities such as a sundial clock, or sink bricks with the hours painted on them into the ground in a circle and position them so that when the child stands in the centre of the circle their shadow falls across the correct hour.

You could include something to appeal to adults and older children, such as a giant chess and draughts board made with dark and light coloured pavers. Hopscotch and noughts and crosses also lend themselves to this idea. Most gardens are too small for a full-size croquet lawn, but a modified version is possible. You could also construct a sanded rectangle for boules or petanque.

Storage

Every family needs storage space – for toys, bicycles, garden furniture and equipment. This should be of an adequate size for your requirements, easily accessible and securely lockable. Sometimes you can use part of a garage or have an area in your home that can be used, but if not a shed is the most sensible solution. Work out how much space a shed will take up, and work this into your plan. Sheds are available in all sizes including small lean-to designs, so there is bound to be one to suit your garden and budget.

Refuse

Space for bins is important. They should not be too far from the kitchen, yet you will also want easy access to the front gate for refuse collection. The area should be lit and you should also consider whether you need to build an enclosure as protection against vermin and pets. You may also want to think about ways to disguise them, such as fencing, so allow space for this too.

Drying facilities

You will need easy, all-weather access from your washing machine to your clothes line. This should not be too far away from the house, in case you need to make a mad rescue dash if it starts to rain. Think about what sort of drying facility you prefer. There is a wide choice of dryers, including rotary lines (choose those set in sockets so they can be removed) and retractable lines. Consider safety, allow plenty of room for washing to flap without getting tangled in nearby plants, and remember that whatever you choose will need space and will affect your view of the garden.

Kitchen garden

This should he close to the kitchen, otherwise visiting it will become a chore rather than a pleasure. You will need easy access to water in the form of a strand pipe, hose extension, or water but, as well as to the compost heap and greenhouse.

Car parking

Now dial most families have at least one car, if not two, a driveway, car-port, garage and hard-standing for parking must he considered. Many homes will already have garaging and parking space so their position will be fixed. However their relationship to the rest of the garden can be altered by planting. For example, the walls of an ugly garage or car-port can be made to disappear behind a wall of shrubs. Climbers can be planted to scramble up the walls and cascade over the roof, and the edges of the driveway can be softened by spreading plains.

Lighting

You will need different sorts of lighting for different purposes. Convenience and safety are important, but remember that well-planned lighting can also transform a terrace and highlight unusual garden features.

Maintenance

How much time do you have to spend on gardening? This is a very important question, lie realistic, as there is absolutely no point in persuading yourself that you can easily look after huge borders of herbaceous plants, when in fact you would be hard-pressed to prune a few shrubs and cut the grass.

As they get older and more mobile children widen the range of the inedibles they attempt to eat. Anything colourful, especially berries, is tempting, and as many of these are poisonous the potential for disaster is considerable.

Set aside a couple of hours, arm yourself with a list of dangerous plants and take a stroll around your garden. You’ll be amazed at the results of your survey. Many of the most commonly grown plants, such as foxgloves and lupins, are poisonous, but do not pose much of a risk as few children would ever be tempted to eat them. It is the plants and trees with berries that pose the problem. Most children cannot distinguish between blackcurrants and deadly nightshade or laburnum seed pods and pea pods, and they are quite likely to think that anything that looks like food must be food.

The first thing to do is to train your children from the earliest age never to put things in their mouths or to eat anything unless you have specifically stated that it is safe. Next remove as many poisonous plants as possible, fence off any others that you want to keep, and make a real effort to remove any berries that fall on the ground.

If you find your child has been eating something poisonous, check that there is not any plant matter left in the mouth, then seek medical advice. Remember to take a sample of the plant with you if you go to the doctor or hospital. Do not try to make the child vomit.

When carrying out your survey of the garden also look out for the many garden plants and weeds that cause skin rashes and allergies. As children tear around a garden they are likely to brush against plants and so fall victim to any irritating leaves, stems or sap.

It is well known that weeds such as poison ivy cause dreadful rashes, vet there are many cultivated plants capable of producing similar if not worse skin reactions. Most dangerous of all are the plants with photo-sensitive sup, that when exposed to sunlight triggers a chemical reaction which makes the sap incredibly irritating.

Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazz-ianurn) is a common example of such a plant. It is wonderfully architectural, with its spreading while umbrella flowers on top of tail woody stems. Yet it is best excluded from any garden where children play as there have been numerous cases of children using these hollow woody stems as pea shooters and then developing vicious blisters around their mouths as soon as they go into the sunlight. The blisters can last for weeks, while the underlying damage to the skin may not be repaired for months.

Other common garden plants which can cause serious skin problems include the spurges (Euphorbia), rue (Hula and species), monkshood (Aconitum and species), hemlock (Conium macula turn). Colchicurn and species, and the easier oil plain (Ricinus communis). Site such plains at the hack of the borders where children are less likely to come into contact with llicm and warn them of the danger.

Plants with spikes and thorns are obviously a danger to children. Herberts. Pyracantha and sloe (Primus spinosa) all have long, needles, sharp thorns and Mahonia and holly leaves are very spiky, especially once they have died and fallen to the ground to dry out. The lips of yucca leaves have especially strong, sharp spikes, and most varieties of roses and blackberries have cruel thorns. However, it would be a shame simply to ban these attractive plains from the garden, so if they cannot be doctored in any way, for example by snipping the lips off the yucca, site them where they are out of the reach of children. Also, clear up old leaves and thorns as they fall.

If the garden is very small, grow herbs, fruit and vegetables in flower borders. Small plants, such as fluffy-headed carrots and leafy lettuces should be placed at the front of the beds, with delicate fronds of fennel and asparagus and the large leaves of rhubarb behind, and at the back of the border the tallest vegetables such as globe artichokes. Plant peas and beans to scramble up a fence or make a feature of cane wigwams for these and oilier climbers.

Many herbs, fruit and vegetables are so decorative that it is worth growing them on their own in containers so that their shapes and colours can be fully appreciated. Plant a frilly-leaved lettuce in a pot, or place a colourful miniature pepper plant as a centrepiece to a table. Courgettes are easy to grow and have glorious, trumpet-shaped, yellow blooms.

Be sure to include fruit and vegetables that children can smirk on, such as peas -which always taste sweetest when picked straight from the pod – and little cherry tomatoes. Alpine strawberries are also an excellent choice. Plant these as edging to your vegetable beds then send the children off alter lunch to pick their pudding. They will lie happy for ages, searching for the delicious, succulent little fruit.

While tiny alpine strawberries may escape the full attention of birds it is unlikely that any soft fruit will be so lucky. So if you are planning to grow redcurrants, raspberries or blackcurrants and do not want to share the fruits of your labours with every bird from miles around then it is worth growing them in a fruit cage. These are simple constructions made of netting and posts which can be bought ready-made then taken down and stored at the end of the growing season. Check carefully from time to time to make sure that there are no tears or gaps in the netting as small birds can easily become trapped inside.

There are many new varieties of fruit that allow gardeners with even very small patches to enjoy picking their own. Look for dwarf trees and the very slim ballerina breeds. You can maximise space by training trees into fan shapes to grow against the house or as espaliers, cordons or step-overs to work as dividers within the garden.

Like fruit and vegetables, herbs demand a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Yet they are happy to grow among the flowers and plants in borders, with fruit and vegetables, alone in a formal herb garden or in pots on the patio.

Herbs are important for more than their flavours. Many have extremely pretty flowers and foliage, are wonderfully aromatic and attract all kinds of insects, especially bees and butterflies.

The most basic selection of herbs for the family garden should include rosemary, lavender, mint, parsley, sage and thyme. However, do try to and find space for coriander, oregano and basil, which all look extremely pretty as well as having a delicious fragrance and taste. Mint is very invasive, so if you want to include it in a border or herb garden plant it in a container sunk into the soil, to prevent the roots from spreading.

A formal herb garden adds a special touch to any space and can be quite small. Like European medieval monks, early American settlers grew herbs for medicinal as well as culinary purposes and favoured a simple square or rectangular shape intersected by a path in the shape of a cross and with an island bed in the centre. This may originally have housed a beehive, although nowadays a sundial or obelisk is more practical. Such a design could easily be copied in a space of no more than a few square metres or yards.

In the past herbs have also been used as dyes, and children can have great fun experimenting with these. Most people are familiar with the wonderful blue that comes from indigo, but less well known is that sorrel yields an unusual greeny-yellow dye whilst a good yellow comes from marigolds.