The proverbial British weather.

I love clear frosty mornings,

 

not only does the sun lift your spirit, the birds sing, the air is clear and you know that any aphid that is silly enough to have thought spring was on the way has been given a shock.

On the other hand I know that the grey, dank, gloomy days one can get in January and February are, to use a wonderful word, lugubrious .  It is on those days that working in the glasshouse can lift your spirits, as there is nothing more inspiring than seeing seedlings emerging.

Also, when I take a tea break in the afternoon, I top up my good mood with a cup of 3pm tea, the sheer warmth and aroma of the peppermint warms the cockles of one’s heart.

I can hear you all muttering that I am having a senior moment, well may be, but seriously there is nothing more inspiring than raising plants.  So top tip for the next few weeks, prepare some plug trays or a small pot, fill with seed compost, water in well, then sow the herb seeds of your choice, cover with perlite, not vermiculite. For those that don’t know the difference, perlite is the white light product and does not hold water

and vermiculite is the beige product that does hold water.  Only water again if you find that the compost is drying out and, if it is a salad herb, the seed will sprout within a week.  At that point it is crucial not to over water.  So a good tip is to water in the morning before you leave for work, not at night so that the seedlings do not go to bed wet.

Happy sowing.

2012 Happy New Year from Jekka’s Herb Farm

Happy New Year to you all.

A new season has started, the days are getting longer and the seeds are  beginning to germinate. This is the ideal time to start  sowing some varieties of  seed under protection so that  you can get a head start on the year.

The seeds which benefit from an early start include many of the annual herbs which will mean that you can have them flowering as early as possible. Calendula, Borage, Nasturtiums are the prime ones and also the salad herbs such as  Wild Rocket, Parsley and especially Purple Shiso. Not only does the Shiso look great in the garden, it, like the other two salad herbs mentioned, is ideal  to whet the appetite after the glut of  winter root vegetables.

There are two watch points at this time of year, first is watering. Be very careful  not to over water, but also do not stress the young plants by letting them dry out. Check the weight of the container before watering as the surface of the compost can look dry when the root ball is actually wet .

The second major watch point is ventilation. Open up the poly tunnel, glasshouse or window, when ever possible and certainly if the temperature rises to double figures in the day.  Only cover tender young or newly potted plants with horticultural fleece when the night temperature drops below 5C.

Just recently I have been enchanted each morning  by the most delightful Song Thrush, it has the most uplifting song.  I checked, via the RSPB, that my identification was correct and discovered with great sadness that this

 wonderful bird is on the red endangered list.

So please could you add to your new years resolution to be to be more sustainable and organic in the garden, for  the Thrush is a good friend to the gardener eating snails.  Then our grandchildren , in years to come, will also be able to be enchanted by the Song Thrush.

© Jekka McVicar , Jekka’s Herb Farm,  January 2012.

December at Jekka’s Herb Farm

It has been a very busy few weeks putting the herb farm to bed for December.

The weather forecast is apparently going to give us a bit of everything in an over blown way and today has been no exception. We have had hail, rain, gales and now sunshine. However the morning sunrises on many occasions this month have been inspiring, this was one of my favourites.

In the kitchen I have been making Xmas presents for friends and family.  My Mirto, that I started in late October,  is maturing well. The recipe was in our last  News Letter in case you missed it.

I am going to strain it in the next few days, then add the sugar. So it should just be ready to toast in  the New Year.

So may we wish you all a very happy, warm, safe Christmas and a wonderful, peaceful New Year and we look forward to seeing you at  Jekka’s Herb Farm in 2012, our Silver Jubilee year.

Picture of Dipsacus fullonum, Fullers Teasel 

On the Farm in late November

For the last few weeks I have been battling with the propagation schedule for 2012.  When one grows  annuals, perennials, shrub, woody, tender and tropical herbs in a comparatively small propagation area, it is rather like doing one of those impossible jigsaws.

We have just finished all the root cuttings so that the seed sowing schedule  can start next week.  Priority goes to the  Chelsea annuals that have to be in flower for May, what a thought just 24 weeks until we deliver , no pressure! We will do two sowings, one now and one in a month’s time, this second sowing  will catch up, but we need the  insurance so that can  we guarantee, as much as possible, that the plants will be as near perfect  for those unique days in May at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

So the headache is that I need to get x amount of trays through the house in December and  January, when the light levels are low and the day and night time temperatures are erratic so making it nearly impossible to schedule. Where as the April schedule for plants, sellable in July, is much easier  as one can actually forecast  how long a plant will take from seed to sale, which on average is 6 weeks.  So to help me concentrate and to stop me feeling uptight with the computer I am drinking my 3pm tea and when things get really bad, I go and find Hampton, my dog, and walk the farm.

I have made an interesting mistake with my own garden, I

put these pea seeds to dry on the table near my house, before storing, then forgot them, and it rained, they have now germinated .  So I have potted them up and we will shortly be having pea shoots in our salads.

Despite our first frost, of the month, last night it has been incredibly warm.  This I am sure accounts for the infestation of aphids  still being rampant on our outside stock.

These black aphids are making a meal of  garlic chives.  We spray with a soft soap solution, please do not use washing up liquid as this is not suited for use on plants .    This solution is readily available from any good hardware store or garden centre.

So now I have finished the propagation schedule it is off to the seed shed to clean all the seeds we have harvested this year, get them labelled and filed so that we can find them quickly once the season is up and running.  It’s a great job to do and the smell is amazing and, even better, it takes me away from the computer.

The sage words of Mary Berry

Watching BBC2 the Great British Food Revival the other evening, I was transported back to last August, when Mary Berry

Picture from the Great British Food Revival

visited Jekka’s Herb Farm. We have known each other for over 20 years but to date she had not visited the herb  farm  so it gave me huge pleasure to show her around and to be able to share together our enthusiasm not only for the flavour and texture  that  herbs can bring to food but also their social history.

During the transmission Mary said   ‘try something new’.   I know like myself she is concerned that the knowledge of how to use herbs in cooking is disappearing. We were both lucky that our mothers and grandmothers both cooked and handed down their knowledge. Sadly today,  as the availability of  many herbs becomes more difficult, we are all becoming more cautious about what we can and cannot eat.  So not only try something new in 2012, try something that our grandmothers used  in their kitchens .

Three of the herbs we chatted about in the programme were

Marshmallow, Althea officinalis

This native herb of the UK can be found growing wild mainly in the south and west of the country.  The Romans considered it a delicious vegetable, they used the young leaves and  roots  in barley soup and  in a stuffing for suckling pigs . I remember the soft , sweet marshmallows which were originally flavoured with the root of this herb.  It also has many beneficial medicinal properties.

Broad leaf sorrel, Rumex acetosa

Photograph by Torie Chugg

As a child, I remember going on many walks with my father all of which were adventures. He taught me to pick and eat Rumex acetosella, Sheep’s sorrel, that grows wild throughout the UK, and to chew on if  I was thirsty, just as the Roman Soldiers did. My mother on the other hand always had a large patch of broad leaf sorrel that she used with gusto in the kitchen. One of her recipes I use to-day is Sorrel and Lettuce soup, which can be found in Jekka’s Complete Herb Book, it is delicious on a hot summers day.

Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis

Melissa originates from the Greek word for Bee.

Lemon Balm is a native of the Mediterranean but unlike many of its cousins, for example Thyme and Sage,  it has adapted happily to our climate so much so that I know it can be invasive in the garden. But despite that fact it is certainly worth growing, for not only is it beneficial for bees, they love the high nectar flowers, it is also incredibly useful  in the kitchen.  It is great with stewed fruit as it takes away the tartness.  You can make Mary’s wonderful Lemon Balm ice cream   and  you can also make a tea from the leaves, which is said to relieve headaches, tension and to restore the memory.  What more could you ask from a cuppa.

So I do hope that in 2012 you do try something that our ancestors used with relish.

© Jekka McVicar , Jekka’s Herb Farm,  November 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jekka McVicar and Jekka’s Herb Farm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Sowing seeds Nature’s way

Late autumn is a magical time of year as the plants prepare for winter.

Nature  uses this time to sow the seeds that need the vagaries of the winter weather to germinate.  One herb that produces seed that needs frost ( stratification) to germinate is  Viola odorata, the seeds if left would naturally fall onto the ground where they will germinate in the following spring.  You can replicate this yourself , by collecting the seeds, filling a small container with seed compost and  watering in well.  Sow the seeds thinly on the surface of the compost, then covering with a fine layer of horticultural sand. Label the container, placing it outside so that the seeds can experience the weather.  Then in spring, you will be rewarded with baby violas. which when mature will flower and smell like heaven.

Another herb that has seed pods that are also splitting, indicating that it is time to sow, is the Caper, Capparis spinosa.  This herb, being Mediterranean, cannot be left outside to withstand the frosts that will soon be besetting us on a regular basis.

Therefore sow the fresh seeds onto the surface of a small previously prepared pot. Cover with a thin layer of standard perlite. Place the container in a well lit, well ventilated, frost free environment.  Kitchen windowsill, if it does not get too cold at night, a heated glasshouse or a conservatory.  This herb will take two to three years before it flowers when raised from seed.  But when it does one will wonder why one eats capers as it deprives us from this most amazing flower.

© Jekka McVicar , Jekka’s Herb Farm,  November 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jekka McVicar and Jekka’s Herb Farm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn herb tips – treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em green

In life sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind. And this goes for herb plants too.

Can you imagine standing all night long  in winter, with your bare feet buried in cold, wet, compacted soil? “But I’m a person, not a plant!” you’ll retort. True. Just trying to give you a bit of empathy with your herb plants – many of which originate from sunny mediterranean hillsides, and won’t thrive in chillier climes if you water them late in the day, especially when autumn night temperatures begin to drop. Even if it’s one of those hot old Indian summers, and your basil looks like he’s gasping for a drink at 5 in the afternoon – don’t do it – it’s too late. You might feel cruel, but he’ll thank you in the morning. The same goes for all the other mediterranean herb species, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano etc. Water well when it’s hot, but water early.

Basil, is of course, an annual, so he’s not going to make old stems anyway. You can keep him going for as long as possible, by pinching out and picking regularly to prevent flowering, by watering before midday, by not transplanting (which can cause the plant to bolt), and by giving protection from the midday sun (ditto).

Sweet, fussy basil - but he's worth it. Use a glut of tatty old leaves in home-made pesto

It’s true – basil is a bit of a fusspot. But the reward is clear, when you’re chomping down on ciabatta topped with tomato, mozarella and freshly torn basil – because he’s worth it. Use up a glut of tatty old basil leaves by whizzing them up with garlic, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil for home-made pesto sauce. Or make some basil oil. See Jekka’s Herb Cookbook for some gastric-juice-inducing basil recipes.  Hurry now though – as soon as the firsts frosts come, he’ll be gone. If your basil has gone to flower, harvest the seeds for future sowings. If basil’s in a pot, bring him inside and pop him on the kitchen windowsill to prolong his life.

Many thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano varieties are fully hardy perennials (thyme and rosemary are also evergreens, so you can harvest them all year round).

Harvest Thyme - all year round

So, in theory, they should survive winter temperatures down to about -15 degrees C. But if it’s an excessively wet, dark winter, they’ll suffer (like us all) if their roots get too cold and wet.

We grow them from seeds and cuttings on the farm in South Glos,  so they’re not raised to be fair weather plants, but instead to endure wind, rain, snow..and the odd (very odd, this year) spot of sunshine. But it’s worth remembering that these herbs are native to hot, dry, sunny climes and rough, sandy soil. You’ll find clumps of thyme growing wild and picturesquely on the mountains of Greece, and big, beautiful, rosemary bushes thriving on the plains of Spain.

So, don’t plant mediterranean herbs in clay soil. It has tiny particles which stick like glue when wet, which makes the soil heavy and difficult for roots to penetrate. Clay soil is also very moisture retentative, which doesn’t make for good drainage. One benefit of clay soil is that because it’s so sticky, it is more likely to retain nutrients. But these mediterannean herbs are used to surviving on very little food and water and too much will spoil the plant and damage the flavour. A raised bed is one solution. Or plant in a pot. But if you absolutely have to plant thyme in clay soil, then improve it first, as good drainage is essential to prevent cold, continuously wet roots: dig in horticultural grit, sand, organic mulch to break it down. Autumn gives a perfect window of opportunity for soil improvement – once you’ve tidied up the beds, harvested your autumn berries

Myrtle berries - harvest in late autumn

and roots,  and sown your autumn salad herbs (under protection), planted your hardy perennials (which will put all their efforts into establishing healthy roots over winter before spring growth) there’s not much else to do in the garden. So, plenty of time to dig. Warms you up too.

PS – we’ve just been featured on Pocketchange.com, in their latest ‘Best of the web’ - hoorah!

© Jekka’s Herb Farm,  October 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to  Jekka’s Herb Farm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.