Fresh herbs are available in bunches for immediate use or in pots to be planted in the garden or kept on the kitchen windowsill.
In addition to their culinary uses they are good companion plants and attractive to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
Lemon Balm: delicate lemon scented leaves used in sauces and dressings
Sweet Basil: wonderful with tomatoes
Chervil: similar to parsley but with a slightly stronger spicier taste
Chives: mild onion flavour, good with eggs and cheese. Edible flowers make an interesting garnish
Fennel: aniseed flavour, particularly good with fish
Hyssop: aromatic with a slight bitterness, used to add a twang to salads. Decorative blue flowers attractive to bees
Lavender: strongly aromatic, but can be used in sweet dishes and cakes
Lovage: richly aromatic with a celery flavour, use in soups and salads
Marjoram: another mediterranean herb, used widely in sauces, stuffing and of course on pizza
Mint: essential flavouring for new potatoes and peas, widely used in salads and dressings
Oregano: the pizza herb, used widely in Italian dishes
Parsley: another important herb used widely in sauces, salads and stuffing with both fish and meat
Rosemary: a classic culinary herb with a wide range of uses in both meat and vegetable dishes
Sage: used mainly with thyme and marjoram in mixed herbs, particularly good with pork
Thyme: classic herb, wide range of culinary uses, particularly good with lamb and tomatoes.