Hooray - spring is in the air, the days are
lighter and longer, and it's all hands to the herbs, which are suddenly bursting into life. We're releasing herb plants for mail order on a daily basis now, and herb seed orders are flying out of the farm as fast as we can possibly send them..
Jekka's herb farm in spring
It has been a long hard winter, but at last our herbs are enjoying a welcome breath of delicious spring air...
By the very nature of organic growing, our herbs are not force grown and are therefore seasonally available i.e. weather dependant. Amongst the many benefits of organic growing, is the fact that our herb plants are slow grown here on the farm, and therefore fully acclimatised to the extremes of British temperatures.
They may take a little longer to grow than non-organic, mass produced herbs which have been force grown in warmer climes, but we hope you'll agree that it's worth a brief wait in the short term, to achieve a sustainable herb garden in the long term - you can be assured that our herbs won't keel over with their fronds in the air at the first sign of frost!
As the temperature warms up, we're releasing herb plants for mail order on a daily basis. If the herb you're after is still showing 'Out of Stock', be sure to add it to your wishlist, so that we can drop you an email as soon as it's ready to order.
Primula vulgaris , Primroses - spring herbs to gladden the winter-weary eye!
There's an air of excitement on the farm, as we gear up for our first Herb Farm Open Days of 2010, on 26th, 27th and 28th March...
Jekka's farm tour at our Herb Farm Open Days - March 26th, 27th & 28th...
We love Open Days. It's great to meet our customers and chat about herbs - our passion! So do come and have a chat and a browse amongst our 600+ herb varieties.
We're giving away a FREE packet of herb seed from our lucky dip box to everyone that brings along (and fills in) our free seeds voucher - download here.
Jekka's preparing for her (pre-bookable) herb workshop 'How to Raise Herbs from Seed'. If you haven't booked yet, please hurry - it's sold out for the Friday and Sunday, but there are still (just a few) places available on Saturday 27th.
Handpick your herb garden
Herb Workshop with Jekka,'How to Raise Herbs from Seed' - take your samples home afterwards
! Don't forget to download and bring along your voucher for a free packet of herb seed
Even more exciting: for the first time ever, we'll have refreshments available for hungry herb hunters throughout the day. Caterers, Berry Blue Creative Foods, will be offering locally sourced, seasonal refreshments.
As if all that's not enough, Jekka will also be giving farm tours twice daily at 10.30 and 2.30 - there's no need to book for these.
We do hope you'll join us and can't wait to help you handpick your herb garden!
Jekka's thrilled - she picked up the RHS Lawrence Medal award
and the Colin Spires Herb Trophy last month, for her Chelsea 2009 herb display...
The Lawrence Medal is awarded to the best exhibit shown to the RHS at all of their shows throughout the year.
"This is great news for the organic movement!" says Jekka "It proves that organically grown herbs don't just taste and smell fantastic - they look amazing too!"
It's an extra special accolade for the farm, because it's the first time that the Lawrence Medal has been awarded to an organic nursery, and the first time it's been awarded for a herb exhibit - and as we were competing with large, non-organic nurseries from all over the globe, we're truly honoured!
President of the RHS,
Giles Coode-Adams presenting the Lawrence Medal to Jekka
Colin Spires presenting the
Colin Spires Herb Trophy to Jekka
Jekka was also delighted to receive the Colin Spires Herb Trophy.
This is awarded for the best exhibit of medicinal and/or culinary herbs staged during the year at an RHS show.
Our next flower show is the Malvern Spring show in early May..find out more..
We're seed sowing here on the herb farm- are you? There's nothing more satisfying than entering the glasshouse on a spring morning to see seedlings emerging in rows upon rows of trays..
Sowing your own herb seed is an economical and satisfying way to stock your herb garden
Always check individual seed packets for
specific
sowing sinstructions
Sowing your own herb seed is an economical and wholly satisfying way to stock your herb garden.For suggestions on seed to sow in March, take a look at our monthly guide. If you're sowing for biodiversity, to encourage bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects, see our recommendations for a biodiversity herb garden...
As with most things, preparation is key to sowing successfully: prepare the pots and make sure they're clean, to reduce any risk of disease. We spend a good deal of time pot-washing for this very reason. If you're using a standard seed compost, mix it to break up large lumps and to aerate it.
Overfill the pot, tap the base on a hard surface to settle compost and then firm it lightly to make a smooth, level top, leaving a gap from the top of the pot, depending on the size of the seed. Once the pots are filled, soak with an upturned fine rose on a watering can, and allow any excess water to drain away.
Sow seed thinly and evenly to ensure that each seed receives enough air, light and moisture, and to further reduce the risk of disease.
Place your pots in a good light - a greenhouse or cold frame is ideal, and a heated propagator will speed up germination. As a general rule of thumb, don't sow outside until the ground is warm enough to sit on.
With spring in the air, we're all eager to get outside and start planting. Hardy perennial herbs such as rosemary and thyme can be planted outside provided that the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
But for less hardy herbs (and you can use our Guide to Herb Hardiness to check), such as Balm of Gilead and Gotu Kola, and annuals, such as Amaranth and Tree Spinach, wait until the soil is warm and danger of frost has passed. Before you start planting - or sowing - outside, check to see if weeds are growing: this is a sure sign that the soil is warming up!
Check seeds that have been left outside from the previous autumn for the purpose of stratification. If they are starting to germinate, move them into a cold greenhouse.
For an easy to follow guide to planting herbs, read our factsheet on Caring for your Herbs.
Hardy rosemary can be planted as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged..
Half hardy Balm of Gilead shouldn't
be planted until danger of frost
has passed...
Take root cuttings of Sweet Woodruff.
Oregano is a kitchen favourite, adding flavour and aroma to tomato dishes, pasta, meat (especially lamb) and fish. The heady
aroma of this herb fills the mountainous Mediterranean landscape, and is credited with lifting people's spirits. Medicinally, it is probably one of the best antiseptics..read more..
That’s all of our news for now: please feel free to get in touch if there
