Thursday 21 February 2013

Herbs for Pollinators




I've noticed that my herb garden is starting to look a little neglected and so I've plans this year to revitalise this corner of the smallholding.  I planted my herb garden when I first created a vegetable patch and many of these early herbs are still flourishing.  But when I planted them, I did so with an "I think I'll probably need this" approach and now, thirteen years later, I know a lot more about the herbs I'm regularly using in the kitchen and the herbs I don't use at all.  At the same time, I'm now looking at growing herbs for other reasons; I've learnt more about their uses in companion planting (so that pests are lured away from the fruit and vegetables) and I'd love to try using herbs in homemade hand creams, shampoos or even old-fashioned medicines.  But, most of all, I'm keen on growing herbs for my bees and other pollinators.  Many herbs provide excellent forage for pollinators and I have a vision of creating drifts of herbs that will hum and buzz with pollinators for almost every month of the year.

As well as the herb garden, I also grow herbs in other areas on the smallholding (among the cottage garden flowers, the wild flowers and in pots by the back door).  I've started to sketch out a plan of where my herbs are and whether they are still in the best place i.e. are their growing conditions ideal.  Most herbs prefer full sun and well-drained, moist soil - and over the years, some of the herbs I've planted are now being overshadowed by other plants. My mint is one of the offending plants that is now overshadowing others; it's flourished a bit too well in its current position and will have to be moved.

I've made a list of the herbs that I would like to grow for pollinators, but I also have to consider that pollinators love herbs when they flower - and the leaves of some flowering herbs can taste bitter.  So when I'm looking at these herbs (like basil) that I want to use in the kitchen, I'll have to keep some flower-free and let others go on to bloom.

I've decided to grow the following herbs for pollinators in the herb garden; chives, hyssop, sweet marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme.  This list includes some must-have herbs for bees; rosemary is a good, early source of nectar and pollen for bees when there is little else about and flowering thyme is one of the best of all bee plants.

Honeybee on borage
In the wild flower area; I'm going to grow one of my favourite plants; borage. The lovely blue flowers of this plant produce nectar that flows like a spring for honeybees. I'm also growing comfrey in this area, which is loved by bumblebees.  I always like to find a few moments, first thing on a sunny, summer morning, to watch the bumblebees busily foraging on the comfrey plants.

In my cottage garden flower area; I'm growing bergamot - a favourite bee herb.  On the edge of this area I'm growing lavender (I've chosen lavandula angustifolia "munstead").  Lavender is loved by different pollinators.

Other herbs I'll grow in pots (like the invasive mint) or in the greenhouse - basil, for example, I'll grow both in pots and in the greenhouse as a companion plant to my tomatoes.

I've made a note to regularly look at where and how my herbs are growing and to spend more time tending to the herb garden; I won't leave it for another thirteen years (adding herbs here and there in the meantime).  Herbs are going to be an important part of the smallholding, for so many reasons, from now on.

14 comments:

  1. Borage flowers are edible as well aren't they?

    So far I haven't done so well with herbs down here, maybe it is too wet (over the last year anyway). When I get a proper veggie garden sorted out I must try again.

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    1. Yes; borage flowers are edible, although I've never used them. I think I will give them a go this year, even if I just add them to a glass of Pimms (it seems a good excuse to buy a bottle). I'm sorry your herbs haven't done so well; hopefully we'll have a warm and sunny summer to give them a boost.

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  2. We (by which I really mean Liz) have planted lots of herbs and love the insects they attract. We've found slates set in the ground a good way of restricting the root growth of the invasive mints.

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    1. It is lovely to see the herbs drawing in the insects. Thanks for the tip on curbing mint. When I neglected my herb garden, the mint just took advantage.

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  3. I love my herb garden but like yours it needs sorting out as some of the older plants are getting a bit woody - I have them all over the garden mixed in with the flowers and the veg - borage self-seeds itself all over the place and I have recently learned that you can eat the leaves as well - so I will give that a try this year. Looking forward to seeing how all your plans turn out.

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  4. Growing herbs well is going to be one of my gardening priorities for this year and I'm really keen, now, to explore using them. And I'm also starting to get ideas about borage "recipes" - like you, I think I'll also try the leaves.

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  5. What a lovely post! You and I are exactly in tune re the herb garden. Strangely I am doing the exact same thing at the moment, totally reorganizing my herb garden, and even stranger, I planted mine thirteen years ago and intend to change the herbs I grow as many are wasted as I never use them. And finally, my next post is going to be about my herb garden....great minds think alike eh??? We can both follow each other's progress....wonderful.xxxxx

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    1. Wow!....that is a coincidence and I'm pleased that we'll be sharing information. I look forward to your next post!

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  6. Your plans sound lovely, I plan to try borage in the kitchen garden near some comfrey, so that made me smile, and when the fence is finished I will be building herb beds for the patio so that I can have rosemary, thyme, marjoram, chives etc. close to the kitchen.

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    1. Building new herb beds sounds a wonderful project for your garden. I'm really enjoying sorting out my herbs; the more I think about it, the more ideas I have for them!

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  7. We grow all our vegetables and herbs in raised beds because our garden soil is heavy clay. I was looking at the herb section yesterday and it is looking a little forlorn except for the rosemary. The borage we planted last year has died away of course but I think it might have seeded nearby as there is a little clump of leaves which I'm hoping are borage leaves. I love the blue flowers and we had an amazing crop of strawberries growing nearby:)

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    1. Hi Rosie; I think the rosemary is the one herb that is looking good in my garden at the moment. I hope your borage has seeded; I'm hoping to plant some of my strawberries/borage together this year as they're such excellent companion plants.

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  8. Hello Wendy,

    Thank You for your message on my blog - and for teaching me that it is called a murmuration of of Starlings! I am very happy to have discovered your blog and will enjoy reading about your smallholding. I couldn't imagine a garden without herbs. Last year I caught the other half ripping up borage plants left right and centre which he thought were weeds. I could have throttled him...hoping some survived the masacre! I never seem to have much luck with thyme though - I think I treat it too nicely. I have been busy preparing a new bed which I am dedicating entirely to herbs and can't wait to hear that lovely hum of the insects! Best Wishes and Happy Gardening, Mici.

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    1. Hi Mici. Well, I'm no expert on starlings, but I love to watch them, as you do. Hope you get some borage this year and good luck with your new herb bed.

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