How to get the most out of your herb garden in Scotland

The Herald Scotland

14-06-2025

They, including, and perhaps especially, those we call weeds, rush to seed during this moist bonanza.
Our herbs follow this pattern and provide lots of tasty leaves prior to producing the less welcome flowering and seeding stems.
So what do we do to maximise the development of the leaves we generally want?
The best approach is to foil the plants by removing the flowering stems, forcing them to grow more, if smaller, leaves prior to new flowering stems.
With biennials like parsley and leaf celery, all we can do is try to slow down the seeding process.
Fortunately, the leaves of these herbs freeze well when collected and bagged.
And, as with all biennials, annual sowings give you a fresh harvest every year.
Read more Dave Allan
Annuals like dill, coriander, and salad rocket have also rushed to flower, so we need to use and preserve as much as we can before the plants die.
Perennial sorrel, lovage, and sweet cicely behave slightly differently.
They don't die after flowering, but there is a lull in leaf growth as the plants concentrate on producing seed.
But again, cutting out flowering stems slows down this natural process and does encourage some fresh leaf growth.
My lovage reaches a domineering 7' - 8' so has to be cut back if I want to use a path or let its neighbours survive.
Some herb flowers and seeds have a part to play as well.
Dill, coriander, and salad rocket flowers have some, if not as much, flavour as the leaves, but chive flowers are really tasty in a salad.
And the young, green seed pods of sweet cicely are actually much more flavoursome than the leaves.
So don't cut back all the flowering stems!
My burnside was utterly gorgeous with its carpet of white ramsons, but if you're managing to grow and control some of this delicious wild garlic in the garden, you'll agree that the leaves, flowers, and seed are all great.
Chopped up leaves add zest to a salad, the flowers make a beautiful garnish, and tender green seeds pack a punch.
Collecting the goodies gives us a great excuse for an expedition to the burn.
Plant of the week
Paeonia (Image: PA) Paeonia (Intersectional) 'Copper Kettle' is a most beautiful mid-season, semi-double peony with large apricot pink flowers that are flecked with purple.
They have a spicy fragrance.
Intersectional peonies are tolerant of all the vagaries of Scottish weather, though many, like 'Copper Kettle', need rich, moist soil and a sunny spot.
Once established, they are long-lived and trouble-free.