Our organically, slow-grown herbs loved the late spring sunshine and we were blessed with sunny weather for our April Open Days too.
Suddenly we're into show season -
Malvern Spring Gardening Show, swiftly followed by the Chelsea Flower Show, where we'll be proudly launching the brand new 'Jekka's Herb Cookbook'...
RHS Chelsea Flower Show - May 25th- 29th,
where we'll be launching Jekka's Herb Cookbook (more about this below...)
Herb Farm Open Days in April saw the farm come alive with happy herb-loving people (just like us)...
Herb Farm Open Days in April. Our next Open Days are June 11th, 12th & 13th.
Jekka's herb workshop sold out before the April event, so her twice daily farm tours were very popular. There are still spaces remaining for Jekka's June herb workshop 'How to take Herb Cuttings ',but please book early to avoid disappointment.
Caterers, Berry Blue Creative Foods prepared a sumptuous selection of seasonal, herby refreshments, which our Open Day visitors happily feasted upon!
Our next Open Days take place on 11th, 12th and 13th June, where signed copies of Jekka's brand new 'Jekka's Herb Cookbook', will be available to buy, hot off the press!
The June Open Days will also be our 'Basil Days' when our many organically grown basil varieties will be on sale. Do come along for a sniff and a taste
Jekka's FREE farm tour and
Berry Blue's seasonal refreshments
were very popular!
Shortly after the Open Days, we took our organic herbs to the Malvern Spring Gardening Show in early May,
and Jekka had a lovely surprise...
Jekka created a beautiful herb display which centred around a standard Bay, flanked by Woad and the very beautiful Australian Mint Bush. We also showcased a new (to us) herb - Black Parsley, which caused a real stir with stunning umbels of pale pink flowers. We don't have any more Black Parsley available for sale this year, but hopefully it will become one of our mail order herbs in the future.
The highlight of the show, for us, took place on the Friday: Jekka was chatting happily to a customer, when she was approached by a member of the Three Counties Showground, and presented with a Gold Medal award. Unaware that we were even competing, this came as a wonderful surprise!
Jekka's organic herbs display at the Malvern Show..
...won an unexpected Gold Medal!
Very soon now , we're at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, from May 25th - 29th. Visit our Main Avenue stand (near the ladies loo)!
You may be used to finding us inside the Grand Pavilion at the Chelsea Flower Show, but not this year - instead we have a Main Avenue Stand (near the ladies loo!), where we'll have a much smaller (but no less beautiful) herb display, and our many herb seed varieties will be on sale.
Chelsea is especially exciting for us this year, as we'll be launching the brand new 'Jekka's Herb Cookbook'. This beautiful volume contains over 250 original recipes, and is illustrated throughout by Jekka's daughter, Hannah McVicar. Hannah has also designed a set of limited edition garden prints especially for our Chelsea customers!
We will also be introducing 'Jekka's Culinary Collection', a new herb seed collection which compliments the cookbook, and includes Buckler Leaf Sorrel, Coriander, Sweet Marjoram, Welsh Onion and Wild Rocket.
Jekka's Herb Cookbook - to be launched at Chelsea Flower Show..
..along with a brand new Culinary Seed Collection to compliment the book
We continue to have a 'behind the scenes' presence at Chelsea this year, as we're growing for 5 show gardens. Chelsea
provides the perfect showcase to illustrate that organically grown herbs not only taste good and do you good, but they are also visually stimulating too, enhancing a garden with colour, texture and structure...read more..
We say au revoir to herb farm propagator, Jill, this month as she leaves us to begin maternity leave..
Au revoir Jill - we can't wait to meet your new family member soon!
Jill's been with the herb farm for 8 years and literally brings our herbs to life, as farm propagator. It's a highly skilled role, and so for the last few months, Jill's been training Claire, who joined us last year, to take over propagation whilst Jill's on maternity leave.
We're very excited at the prospect of a second Herb Farm baby (Wendy's back with us now after giving birth to daughter Florence last year). We wish Jill and Gareth all the very best, and can't wait to meet the little one!
Jobs to do now in the Herb Garden
Finally it feels like the weather's on our side, though late frosts were not particularly welcome, and the team have been busily applying the horticultural fleece - in May! Still, with a bit of rain and a bit of warm sunshine, suddenly the herbs are taking off like a rocket.
May is a good time to sow basil:
avoid using seed trays because basil has a long tap root and dislikes being transplanted. Plugs also help minimize damping off, to which all basil plants are prone. Water before midday, even when transplanted into pots or containers: basil hates going to bed wet. Our many basil varieties will be on sale at our Open Days in June..
If you're planting mediterranean herbs, such as thyme, oregano, sage and rosemary, remember to give them good drainage and a sunny position.
Diplotaxis muralis, Wild Rocket
It's almost mid season, and our herbs are taking off like a rocket!
Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens 'Red Rubin', Red Rubin Basil
Water basil before midday, as it hates going to bed with wet roots.
If you're planting into clay soil, then dig in sharp sand, grit and/or organic mulch to break down the soil. Or plant them into a container instead - this way, you'll have the freedom to move them to a warmer position in case we have an excessively wet and windy summer - fingers crossed that we won't!
Basil - Jekka's herb of the month
Don't forget to view Jekka's Herb of the Month, Basil
Basil combines wonderfully with garlic. Tear into French salad dressing. Use lime basil to accompany a fish dish - it has highly aromatic lime fragrant leaves.
Use the tiny leaves of Greek Basil to make a herb butter, because you can keep them whole...read on..
That’s all of our news for now: please feel free to get in touch if there
