Herbs for the terrace, allotment and garden - a baker’s dozen for starters

SINCE living in Spain herbs have featured in the plantings in the garden, experimental terrace gardens, builder’s bucket salad bars, our allotment when we had it, and the naturally occurring herbs left to grow wild on our naturally cultivated olive grove.

Knowing that space is a premium a baker’s dozen are described below. Why a baker’s dozen? Well my first Saturday job was to count up piles of 960 farthings and bag them for the bank at my father’s baking business.

Every 13th bag was my pocket and birthday money in the same way that in those days a 13th Easter hot-cross bun, doughnut or roll was free.

So to an interesting selection of beneficial herbs:

• Mint (perennial) – Best planted in a large sunken pot to control the expansive roots. Added to boiling water adds a good touch to your new potatoes.

Has several culinary and medicinal uses ranging from mint sauce to serve with lamb to a strong infusion in the morning after a night on the town.

If you hunt around, an interesting collection of mints can be built up with a diversity of leaf colours, scents and flavours.

If you look at the labels on horseradish sauce bottles you will be surprised by the small percentage of horseradish included and the range of other ingredients. So grow it yourself.

To understand what is available have a look at the catalogue of photographs and descriptions on the website of ’Robbins salvia’.

It’s also beneficial to wrap seed potato in a couple of leaves before planting; add some to the compost heap as an accelerator; use a poultice on a strained knee or ankle, or a gouty toe.

Well that should get you off to a productive start. There are many more. Forty that we regularly use for cooking and various preventive health measures are listed in our book ‘Living Well from Our Garden - Mediterranean Style’ available from Amazon Books.

Finally a few words of warning. Most annual herbs are best if not grown in full sun all day long as they can soon go to seed.