Companion Planting

Whether your interest lies in medicinal herbs or simply its decorative qualities, growing Feverfew can be a welcome addition to any garden or allotment. Feverfew is a good companion plant and a natural insect repellent. Ideal for planting around outdoor seating areas and pathways

Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum', commonly called Golden Feverfew or Golden Feather, is a clump-forming, dwarf cultivar which typically grows only 20 to 30cm tall and features small daisy-like flowers and chartreuse aromatic foliage. It blooms profusely between July and October.

Used in many culinary dishes, the leaves and seeds of Fennel have a sweet aroma and an aniseed flavour. The fine clouds of feathery, bronze-purple leaves are wonderful in the herb garden or among tall perennials and grasses. The foliage acts as a delicate veil through which flower heads of plants can be seen.

This fabulous range of Edible Flowers and Herbs give decorative petals and leaves for use as garnishes and flavourings. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant, the range is surprising. They will bring a stunning finish to the food and drinks you that you love.

Dill Dukat is grown primarily for its abundant foliage, producing much more foliage before forming seed than most varieties. It is one of the best for fresh leaf production. Dill is certainly delectable. If ever the term "best if home-grown" were to apply to an item in the kitchen, dill would be it!

Dill Bouquet is a popular variety with gardeners. It is an early bloomer that sports large seedheads and dark blue-green foliage. With good flavour it is the best cultivar for seed production. Sweet and aromatic, the flavour is intermediate between anise and caraway.

Native to the eastern Mediterranean, Costmary leaves have an aroma which has been described as like garden mint with hints of balsam. Costmary is one of the most interesting and complex of all herbs, it can be used for many purposes, culinary, medicinal aromatherapy or ornamental.

Coriander 'Leisure' has been bred specifically for large, flavoursome leaf production, a particularly fine variety of superb quality. Extra slow bolting, it is particularly suited to hot weather regions. It is an excellent herb for slightly shaded areas, is very easy to grow and makes a good window box herb.

Coriander 'Slobolt' is a variety for leaf production that is resistant to bolting and running to seed. It isn't a hard plant to grow and of course, fresh herbs and spices have far better flavours than dried ones. Home grown herbs are infinitely superior, the difference can be quite startling.

To the organic gardener, Comfrey is invaluable. It’s easy to grow, easy to use and incredibly beneficial to the garden. Leaves can be used as a top dressing or chopped and mixed with leaf mould to make a base for potting compost. You can make your own organic liquid feed or use as a compost activator.

These easy to grow chives are one of the famous fines herbes of French cuisine. Easily raised from seed, they are perennial bulbs that spread to form neat tufted clumps, ideal for edging beds and paths. They are particularly attractive when in flower and are a favourite of bees and other pollinating insects.

Camomile is a most useful plant. It can be used to make beautiful lawns and raised beds, an infusion of the plant is an ideal family remedy, calming and sedative, perfect for restlessness or travel sickness, while for gardeners the tea is effective as a spray to prevent 'damping-off' of seedlings

Cutting celery or Leaf celery is the type that is used in Europe. It looks similar to parsley but tastes like regular stalk celery, but with a slightly stronger, herbier taste. It is a darker green, with thin, rounded, flexible stalks and curly, aromatic leaves; it is much easier to grow than its big brother.

Caraway is an incredibly useful plant. The seeds are used as a culinary spice and for medicinal purposes, the leaves can be eaten in salads and the roots cooked as a root vegetable. With feathery, delicate foliage the plant is lovely in the garden border and is a very useful companion plant in the vegetable garden.

Cheerful and bright, use Calendula in beds, borders or containers. Calendula is prolific and durable, and like most hardy annuals it is easy to grow, simply sow where it is to flower. It is currently one of the top herbs used for medicinal use. Sprinkle salads and decorate cakes with the edible tangy petals.

Borage is one of the most reliable sources of blue flowers, often flowering lavishly for weeks after sowing. The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers are edible and very important for bees, providing pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts.