Herb News
Bringing you all the latest news from the herb farm.
Jekka's Podcast on 'How to Sow Seeds'
In the first of our series Jekka shows how to sow seeds properly. She passes on tips on how to make sure your plants are as sturdy as possible to give them the best start, watering techniques, compost differences and pots. This skill can help you save money, is really rewarding and of course will help you create ingredients to make your cooking even better.
www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-blogs/sow-seeds/
Borage the Gnome makes the papers again.
Daily Mail; 'Welcome gnome! Chelsea Flower Show lifts ban on 'tacky' garden ornaments for first time in 100-year history'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276319/Welcome-gnome-Chelsea-flower-lifts-ban-tacky-garden-ornaments-time-100-year-history.html
Wood Blocx at Jekka's Herboretum
Woodblocx have been very busy making all our wonderful new raised beds for our Herboretum. The first set are to be delievered and installed next week, 17th December, ready for spring planting.
Jekka is awarded with the 'Life Time Achievement Award'
We are very proud to announce that Jekka McVicar has been awarded the 'Life Time Achievement Award' at the Garden Media Guild Awards 2012.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is made to individuals who have made an exceptional and long-term contribution within the gardening media sector and to the wider industry. It is voted on by members of the Guild.
'Katie & Kim's Kitchen' are in the final of the British Street Food awards.
Britain’s most exciting street food traders will be racing to London next month – in an extraordinary fleet of vans, trucks and trailers – to compete, head-to-head, in the 2012 British Street Food Awards. On 15th and 16th September, the critically-acclaimed traders will park up on the cobbles outside Fifteen, Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, to create the brightest and best street food market that Britain has ever seen – a street food spectacular.
The Awards are the central happening at FIFTEEN STREET — a weekend-long party celebrating the tenth birthday of Fifteen. The restaurant uses the magic of food to give young people a chance to have a better future through a pioneering apprentice programme. With its creativity and forward-thinking approach, Fifteen and street food are the perfect fit – and 15% of the ticket price will go to the Jamie Oliver Foundation.
The finalists have been picked by the BSF’s nationwide team of food journalists and bloggers. But they will be judged on the day by a plethora of culinary talent including food writer and TV personality Gizzi Erskine; MasterChef winner and the co-founder of Wahaca Thomasina Miers; poster boy for the British street food revolution Yianni Papoutsis and the actress and cookbook writer Fay Ripley. The Guardian columnist Richard Johnson, who wrote the book Street Food Revolution and founded the Awards, will keep them all in line.
End of era plant sale
With the nursery side of the farm closing at the end of September, this gives us the a wonderful opportunity to hold a massive plant sale with reductions of at least 30% on all plants atour last Open Days of the season, on 7th – 9th September. This will be the very last time our whole range of over 650 herb varieties will be available for sale, providing you with an unique opportunity to create a herb garden, or increase your herb collection , or to try a new culinary herb, for example Cosmos caudatus from Malaysia.
During the September Open days there will also be a free herb talk by Jekka on 'Evergreen Herbs' at 10.30 and 2.30pm, plus a pre-bookable workshop at 12pm on 'How to maintain herbs in winter and create winter salads'.
Best Plant Village exhibit at RHS Hampton Court Flower show
Thank you to everyone who came to visit us at RHS Hampton Court Flower show. We were very lucky with the weather and we were thrilled to win the Best Plant Village exhibit.
Hampton Court Flower Show
Have you ever wanted to walk through one of Jekka's Herb displays, well this year at Hampton Court Flower show you can do just that.
We are in a new position this year, TH5, down by the Thames entrance and the Rose Marquee.
Come and see our lovely range of herbs we have for sale, plus walk through Jekka's display.
Print off this map and claim your treasure - click to download.
Review of Chelsea Flower show
To read all the stories and reviews of Chelsea Flower show, we have two articles on our blog.
Le Manoir's Herb Garden
Planting has begun at Le Manoir's garden.
They are creating something extraordinary within the heart of the gardens at Le Manoir, with culinary and medicinal herbs from all around the world.
Chelsea Physic Gardens
Jekka was very honoured to officially open the Edible and Useful garden at the Chelsea Physic Garden.
The Chelsea Physic Gardens is one of the most beautiful and inspiring gardens hidden in the heart of London
The People's Choice Award at Chelsea Flower Show
The Arthritis research garden, designed by Tom Hoblyn, recieved the People's Choice Award voted by the British Public on the BBC website.
We were very proud of our herbs and extremely happy for everyone involved in the garden and it was a wonderful note to end the show on.
Gold for the L’Occitane en Provence garden
Peter & Angie Dowle and their team won gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and our herbs glowed in the sunshine with pride.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
20th - 26th May
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is the ultimate event in the gardening calendar. It is held for five days during May, in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in central London.
We will be launching our new seed collections; Herbal Tea collection, Edible Flowers and Oriental collection.
You will be able to find us on stand SW/1
Where has all the Tarragon gone?
There was a recent article in the BBC magagazine about Tarragon - with quotes from our very own Jekka.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17270310
We would just like to add that we will have lots of French Tarragon available at our open days.
The 50 Best Garden Centres
We are very proud to be listed in the top 50 Garden Centres and Nurseries in Saturday's Independent (10/03/12)
Three RHS Chelsea Show Gardens
At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, we are growing for 3 show gardens, The Arthritis Research UK Garden designed by Tom Hoblyn, The L'Occitane Immortelle Garden designed by Peter Dowle and The RBC Blue Water Garden designed by Nigel Dunnet.
Stories from Friends and Colleagues
In the lead up to the farm's Silver Jubilee celebration, we have all been reflecting back on the last 25 years and just how much we have achieved. Many of our friends and colleagues have very kindly taken the time to write a story about the Farm and Jekka, here is an extract;
"Jekka is my herbaceous girlfriend and an absolute star. We became good friends very quickly, bonding over all the different varieties of thyme, which I love to cook with. There was a lot to talk about: there are more than 100 varieties of thyme and, fresh or dry, it goes brilliantly with meat, fish, roast vegetables, cheese – pretty much anything. It can even be made into a tea and sprayed around doorways to repel insects and pests. Sadly it doesn't work on my kids… " Jamie Oliver
Visit 'Our Silver Jubilee' page to read the whole story and many other stories.
Jekka's Herb Farm Silver Jubilee
In April, we are very proud to be celebrating our Silver Jubilee. Over the next two months we will be posting photos and stories from friends and colleagues about the farms history. Our open day in April, will be extra special to mark this wonderful achievement.
"Jekka has done so much to promote the value and varied uses of herbs and we owe her a huge debt for all her work - not least in showing people what can be achieved by gardening without chemicals." Alan Titchmarsh
Thornbury 'Britain in Bloom'
We are very fortunate to be situated in an area with so many passionate gardeners. Our local town, Thornbury, won Gold in last year’s 'Britain in Bloom' competition. Following this success, the RHS have now invited them to enter the top and most prestigious class of all ‘The Champion of Champions’. We wish them all the best and have our fingers crossed for their continuing success.
Jekka will be giving a talk in Thornbury, on the 13th April, to help raise money for this years beautiful blooms.
Jekka & Le Manoir Herb Garden
We are hugely excited that Jekka wll be joining forces with Raymond Blanc to re-design Le Manoir's herb garden. They are going to be creating something extraordinary within the heart of the gardens at Le Manoir, with culinary and medicinal herbs from all around the world.