This is a great time of year in the herb world as they’re all in full bloom and looking magnificent. Some may need a trim though to keep them healthy and producing leaves, and it’s a great time to plant a few extras to spruce things up!
First off, which herbs need a trim?
- Mint and Lemon Balm often become a bit leggy at this time of year, so you can cut them back quite heavily to encourage them to grow a bit more bushily. Cut them right back to the ground if they start to flower.
- Basil loves to bolt and flower, but cutting the stems right back leaving two or three pairs of leaf shoots will get it to grow some more leaves and bush out. Do this quite regularly throughout the summer.
- Chives can be cut right back after flowering to encourage new growth.
- Thyme will do really well from being lightly pruned after it has flowered. This prevents it becoming too woody. Cut back the oldest looking stems by two thirds but leave younger stems.
- Rosemary only really needs to be pruned if you feel it’s getting too big. Cut stems by no more than a third.
- Oregano, marjoram and tarragon can be cut right back once they start to flower. They’ll come back again really quickly, within a week or so.
- Sage doesn’t need pruning at this time of year but pick off the leaves regularly to encourage new growth even if you’re not going to use them.
So, which new and unusual herbs will you add to your herb garden next? We can highly recommend Vietnamese Coriander, a perennial which has a really punchy flavour for curries and looks very pretty too. Borage, a perennial, is great for attracting bees and has a fab flavour. Hyssop is another lovely looking perennial herb with beautiful flowers. And Wild Bergamot is an absolute winner with its pink flowers, again, it’s a perennial and will come back year after year.