Tasty Herbs to Grow!

Kids love to growing plants, it’s a chance for them to roll their sleeves up, get messy and learn. So let’s take that one step further and teach them to grow plants that taste great!
   It’s important to remind them that not all plants are tasty and some can be very poisonous, so parental supervision when tasting in the garden is essential. Creating a fenced herb patch, trough or a stacked herb planter will be a good way to show which plants are yummy and which are strictly for enjoying with their eyes only.
 
Creating plant labels is fun craft activity to do with the little ones and will give them a sense of ownership and pride as the plants grow. It can be as simple as writing on paper that can be glued onto kebab sticks to mark a planter, or painting the plant’s name on the pot itself, or even using lollipop sticks as markers.

We stock a wide variety of herbs, from the ones you know and love, to the more exotic and unusual, but for this we’ll stick with the firm favourites as children can be fussy eaters. Who knows maybe once they’ve cracked the main 6 they’ll want to try something new and exciting?


Mint
There’s so many varieties of mint, from sweet to savoury, all extremely delicious! Our tip, try growing pineapple mint as it has a surprisingly fruity flavour!
  We advise growing mint in a planter as it does have a tendency to take over when planted directly in the ground. If you’re thinking of trying out a few varieties make sure to grow them in different containers as growing together the flavours can be affected.
  Grow mint indoors on a sunny windowsill or outside in well-drained soil in a slightly shaded location.
If grown in  a container, treat it as you would any container grown plant by making sure to keep up on the watering. Mint doesn’t like to be too dry or water logged.
 Aim to plant when available late spring through to summer and pick the leaves before the plant blooms as the flavour is at its most intense.

Treat Ideas
Well it depends on the type of mint, but we’re sure little ones will love spearmint crushed up with blitzed watermelon mixed into lemonade – a super refreshing treat! Or why not try dipping a leaf (cleaned) into melted chocolate. Leave to set and you have a bite sized tempting treat.

Fun Facts
Mint has been found in Egyptian tombs from as far back as 1000BC.
American produces 70% of the world’s peppermint and spearmint.
There are over 30 varieties of mint!


Parsley
A savoury staple, parsley comes in two varieties, flat leaf and curly. Flat leaf has a stronger, aromatic flavour so we’d opt for the curly leaf when growing with the little ones, as curly leaf is fun looking and a subtler flavour.
   Parsley will grow well in a container in a part shade to full sun position, in well-drained soil that is kept constantly moist but not soaking.
Parsley will thank you if you incorporate some organic matter into the soil, but will tolerate poorer quality soil.
Harvest leaves as you need them, and be sure to get some of the stalks too as they’re full of flavour.

Treat Ideas
Create a kids sized omelette with the usual health fillings like slices of onion, tomato and for a meaty treat add some bacon or ham. Once ready to plate sprinkle in some sliced basil for a fresh herby taste that will lift the dish.

Fun facts
According to legend, parsley sprang up where the blood of the Greek hero Archemorus was spilled when he was eaten by serpents.
Just like the bay wreaths honoured the Olympians in ancient Greece, crowns made of parsley were bestowed upon the winners of the Nemena and Isthmian sport games.
Credit for making the herb so popular goes to Charles the Great, the Holy Roman Emperor whom had it growing all over his property.


Sage
An aromatic champion of the herb garden, but did you know it’s actually a part of the mint family? We’re putting sage in our top 6 herbs to grow with the little ones because not only is it an easy grower, but it plays a key role in the classic roast dinner. Children will love harvesting the sage and drying ready for the stuffing to complete their Christmas dinner. 

Ideal for either container growing or straight in the ground, so long as it’s grown in well-drained soil and in a medium to full sun position. Aim to give the plant a good soak once the soil has dried. You’ll notice the plant wilt a little when it’s in need of a drink, but it’ll bounce back swiftly.
Pick the leaves as you need them, it’s as simple as that and therefore an easy job for little ones.

Did you know you can freeze sage by adding shredded sage leaves to an icecube tray and topping up with either water or oil. If you’re using water, you’ll need to let the water melt again before using.

Treat Ideas
Sage goes great with sweet potatoes for an enhanced earthy and autumnal flavour. Cut your sweet potatoes into cubes,toss in oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until they start to brown, then add chopped sage and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Delicious!

Fun Facts
Sage has been used as a way to flavour food for at least 2000 years!
The Latin name for sage is “Salvia” which derived from the word “salvare” which means “to save” as it was believed to have numerous healing properties.
Sage was used in the ancient Greek and Roman times as a way to preserve meat as it has antibacterial properties.


Chives
A savoury herb with a soft garlic-onion flavour, ideal for adding to cream cheese or even egg for a scramble with a twist!
   The best thing about the plant, besides the flavour, is that the flowers are edible too. Just image the children’s’ faces light up as they find dusky pink flower heads in their potato salads! The flowers also attract beneficial insects like bees, so be sure to point them out to the budding gardeners and why they’re so important to the natural world.

This low maintenance herb loves a sunny position in the garden and in well-drained soil. Once you’re ready to harvest, simply cut above 5-6cm from the soil, a job little ones will love doing.
   If you find you have more than you can enjoy at once, just put the harvested chives in a bag and freeze. Not quite as good as when they’re fresh, but still a useful hack.

Fun Facts
Although chives attract bees, they also repel most types of pest insects due to the chemicals they contain.
In the past Romanian gypsies would specialised in using chives to tell fortunes.
People would protect their houses from evil spirits by hanging dried chives in their home.


Thyme
Thyme has a carpeting nature, which makes a great filler around stepping stones and in the flower beds. You’ll also find it’s a bee magnet once it flowers, just like chives.

Try lemon thyme for a surprising citrus flavour and scent!
  
Plant as you would in well-draining soil, and water before the soil dries out, but be careful not to over-water. The plant will benefit from a layer of horticultural grit on the soil surface to prevent the foliage from touching wet soil.
  Grow in a warm, sunny spot in the garden if grown in a container, make sure to move to a drier location over winter to prevent the roots from rotting.

Tasty Treats
Up the anti when it comes to carrots by cooking in honey and thyme. Simply add a little butter, a pinch of slat, honey and thyme to a pan of carrots (all as flat as possible, creating no more than two layers of carrots) and boil down. You’ll be left with sticky herb infused carrots which kids will love!

Fun Fact
In ancient history, thyme was used for purification purposes and was believed to provide courage or be symbolic of bravery.


Basil
Basil is a fresh and tasty herb, known for its use in Italian and French cooking. Chefs rarely cook with basil, but add it at the end to avoid ruining the delicate flavour.

Basil needs at least 6 hours of sun a day, so find a sunny position in your garden borders or in container.  Plant about 30cm deep and 30cm apart to give the roots enough space. Water enough to keep the soil consistently moist but not water-logged
 Kids will love it for this subtle flavour and for its beautiful big leaves that can be picked as needed, focusing on picking the larger leaves only. In fact the more the leaves are harvested the better, just make sure to feed the plant often to give the plant the energy to grow back the leaves.
  If the stems grow woody in the autumn and stop producing as many leaves, simply lightly trim some of the stems to encourage new growth.

Tasty Treats
Try slicing up big juicy tomatoes, mozzarella and layer alternating into a circle with laves of basil in between. It’s a true Italian classic dish that just needs a little drizzle of olive oil and voila!
   Kids will also love it sprinkling the fresh herb on pizza.

Fun Facts
It’s believed that basil originated from India but has been cultivated across the world for the past 5000 years.
Basil was once believed to give strength during religious fasting and an antidote for snake bites.
Basil has been found in Egyptian mummies as part of the embalming process.

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