At last, summer is here. Our organically grown herbs have burst
into luscious leaf and fragrant flower; the herb farm is abundant with scent, taste and texture. Then there's constant buzz
of happy bees, bumbling amongst our organically grown borage, lavender and thyme.
Happy, herby summer days!
Summer days on the herb farm, filled with the
happy buzz of bees filling up on Lavandula angustifolia 'Folgate'.
Hannah McVicar, Jamie Oliver, and Jekka, at Chelsea Flower Show in May, where we launched 'Jekka's Herb Cookbook'
This year, we took our first, Main Avenue 'booth' at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This was the launchpad for the brand new
'Jekka's Herb Cookbook', illustrated by Hannah McVicar, with a foreword by Jamie Oliver. We were delighted when Jamie visited our stand in person. Read more..
We've also held three Herb Farm Open Day events so far this year, with our next open days taking place just a few weeks after Hampton Court Palace Flower Show..
Our June Open Days were a sunny, scented and succulent affair!
Herb loving visitors flocked to the farm for a browse and a buy amongst our 600+ herb varieties.
After a herb filled morning which included Jekka's Farm Tour, and Jekka's herb workshop, visitors retired to the 'Berry Blue' catering tent, where they sampled delectable dishes from 'Jekka's Herb Cookbook'.
Stevia - Jekka discussed its
intensely sweet flavour and controversial use in food production
on BBC Radio 4 'Woman's Hour'
Many, many congratulations to Jill and Gareth on the birth of their daughter, Anya, on 3rd June...
We are all thrilled for herb farm propagator, Jill and husband Gareth, as they settle down to life with their tiny new daughter, Anya. We're very excited about meeting little Anya soon - who knows, perhaps another horticulturist in the making!
Anya is the second herb farm baby in two years - last year, Senior Horticulturist, Wendy, gave birth to daughter Florence. Jekka thinks it may be something in the water..or the herbs!
Congratulations Jill & Gareth on the birth of daughter, Anya.
Jobs to do now in the Herb Garden
We've had sunshine, warmth...some torrential rain and a north wind..in June! Still, this is England, and our slow-grown, hardy herbs, raised here on the farm in rural South Glos. can take a fair old bit of English weather!
Right now, your herb garden is blooming and bountiful, and you can now begin to reap what you've sown.
It's also perfect planting time: the soil is both warm and moist, and you should keep on planting whilst the soil remains warm.
Mid summer is the best time to harvest herbs for drying - lemon balm, summer savory, hyssop, tarragon, thyme and lavender; for dyeing and pot pourris - lavender and rosemary; and also for the seed, as it's already time to think of next year and to start collecting seeds, such as Caraway and Angelica.
If you're not sure how to go about harvesting your herbs, then pick up some tips from our Harvesting Herbs series.
Finally, enjoy the fruits of your labour, and use those Borage flowers: freeze in ice cubes, apply to Pimm's...and relax!
Melissa officinalis, Lemon Balm - harvest it now for drying
Anethum graveolens, Dill - continue to sow outside now
Borago officinalis, Borage - freeze the flowers in ice cubes and apply to Pimm's!
Stevia- Jekka's herb of the month
Don't forget to view Jekka's Herb of the Month, Stevia
Stevia is a truly amazing herb; take the smallest piece of leaf and put it on the end of your tongue, and you will realise that the claim that it is 30 times sweeter than sugar is true.
Records show that a quarter of a teaspoon of dried leaf is equivalent to 225g sugar. Read on...
That’s all of our news for now: please feel free to get in touch if there
