The best flavoured herbs, with a high volatile oil content, are usually picked just before flowering. The oil content is highest in early morning, when the dew has lifted, before the sun gets too warm. Herbs should be cut off cleanly and handled as little as possible to prevent bruising. A shallow box or basket is ideal to collect them in, so that they do not get crushed. Do not gather more than you can dry easily at one time. Herbs quickly lose flavour when they Wilt.
Leafy herbs, such as rosemary, sage and bay, can be tied into loose bunches and hung in a shady, airy place to dry.
Herbs collected for pot pourri, such as mints, lavender, thyme, hyssop, balm and sage can also contain roses, sweet peas and carnations.
Most culinary herbs can be frozen: just pack fresh, clean herbs in polythene bags and freeze immediately. Be sure to label them. Herb mixtures can be frozen together to make it easier to add them to your favourite soups and stews, When unfrozen the herbs will appear rather limp, but will taste
excellent. Apart from their uses in savoury and a few sweet dishes,

herbs arc used to flavour home-made vinegars. Herbal teas, tisanes or infusions are said to cleanse the system, relieve colds in the head and generally act as soothing tonics. Cosmetically, herbs are used for steam baths, face packs, bath essences and hair rinses. Also as pot pourri herb sachets, herb pillows, moth bags, and incense.
Herbs have been used and enjoyed for centuries, for flavouring, preserving, colouring, and in medicines, perfumes, fly repellants and cosmetics and it’s time you tried some.

Lemon Balm

(Melissa officinalis). A bee attracting herb with leaves having a musky lemon scent. It is a vigorous, leafy plant from southern Europe, very common in gardens and often found as an escape in shady spots. Leaves should he collected before flowering. An infusion would help ease stomach cramps, vomiting and insomnia. It is very soothing and helps in relaxation. The leaves arc very tasty in China tea, cold drinks, salads and omelettes. A soothing bath herb for aching joints. Grows up to 3 ft.

Bay

Bay can be grown into a handsome, evergreen tree or can easily be kept as a standard bush or, if trimmed, is suitable for small pots in window boxes and on patios. The leaves can be picked and dried throughout the year and add a distinctive flavour to bouquet garnis, preserves, marinades, soups, stews, and curries. The dried leaves have a better, sweeter flavour than fresh ones. The leaves contain a volatile oil that can I rubbed into rheumatic joints. A decoction of the , works as a general stimulant and helps settle gastric upsct«

Celery

(Apium graueolens). An annual herb with a I flavour. It is eaten raw in salads and can be dried and 1 in casseroles, soups, curries, sandwiches etc.

Feverfew:

Attractive daisy-like flowers adorn the throughout the seasons. The fresh leaves when chewed reputed to alleviate migraine. Leaves can also be used sparingly in mixed salads.

Marjoram:

A perennial in the northern plains, this bushy plant has small leaves which add flavour to fish, meat :1I1d tomato dishes. It can also be sparingly used in mixed salads The lilac flowers attract butterflies. Grows up to 2 ft.
The Mints

There arc many different species and varieties of mint with quite different flavours. till, biennial tends to grow vigorously and spreads by runners. So I it is advisable to separate different mints by barriers I sunken slates, or by planting them in pots. The leaves taste best if grown in semi-shade. Mint is an excellent appetizc: arid digestive. In the kitchen, mint is indispensable especially in salads, curd or raita, sauces, cold drinks and tea.

Oregano
A bushy plant with oval leaves which adds flavour to meat dishes, pizzas, tomato dishes and bouquet garnis. Their purple flowers attract bees and butterflies.

Parsley

(Petroselinurn crispurn): A farniliar and universal herb, it probably originated in the eastern Mediterranean. It is very easy to grow, even in a small pot on the kitchen window sill and can be used to flavour a wide variety of dishes. The leaves can be used fresh in sauces, salads, mayonnaise, soups and I garnishing. They dry or freeze well. Parsley in a white sauce i.-, excellent with fish, parsley butter or curd is very good ill baked potatoes. Leaves are best dried in a hot oven and Stored in airtight jars. There are many varieties such as curly and fern leaved parsley. Parsley leaves are rich in vitamins A Band C .ind iron. Parsley tea, made from dried leaves, is a mild diuretic and will soothe rheumatic pains.

Peppermint :(Mentha piperita), Ideal herb for digestive problems, cold and blocked sinuses. It makes the best mint  dry easily and can be crunched up and stored 111 airtight jars.

Rocket: This annual salad plant grows upto 2 ft. 111 is also known as Italian cress. It prefers :1 rich SOIL I he fresh, green, crisp leaves are used in salads.

Rosemary

(Rosmarinus officinalis). An essential bush in ev:ry herb garden which flourishes best in a light, sandy, dry soli. It has a spicy, piney, gingery taste and can be used also as an air-freshener and a moth repellant. Rosemary is excellent with roast chicken or game and also in jams, custards and biscuits. It is said that it aids in the improvement of memory.

Sage
(Salvia officinalis), There are an enormous number of different sages, all with aromatic properties. The familiar broad-leaved English sage grows into a bush 2 feet tall and likes a yght chalky soil in a dry sunny position. It has a very good flavour and dries well. It can be used sparingly in cheese, herb butter and to flavour pickles. Sage cures gastric upsets and has antiseptic properties.

Spearmint
(Mentha spicatei. It is the common garden mint. Can be added to vezetables and salads and crushed and stored.

Thyme

(CThymus vulgaris): A biennial edging herb known to be one of the most important culinary herbs used for stock auces, soups etc. Thyme aids the digestion of fatty meats: such as mutton and pork, and is very good in cottage and cream cheese and in bouquet garnis as it dries easily. It is also known to treat gastric upsets and bronchial ailments. Thyme soup was once used as a cure for shyness!

VHOO1 Basil, Sweet (Ocimuln basilicunii. A spicy, tasty .uinual herb useful in teas, green salads or flavouring egg, mutton, fish or tomato dishes. Fresh green leaves can be I .lucked 6 weeks after planting. For drying, cut leaves just l xfore flowering stage. For strong aroma, avoid lush growth.

vh002 Borage (Borap,o officinalisy. An easily grown .uinual herb, the delightful flowers of which are irresistible I,) the bees. Grows up to 2 to 3 feet in height. The flower .u id leaves have a cucumber-like aroma when crushed anel .irc used to flavour drinks and enliven cooked cabbage. I Image flowers can be frozen into ice-cubes for long drinks.

VH003 Chervil (Anthriscus cerefoliurni. It is best late summer. An annual with feathery leaves I delicate aniseed flavour. The leaves are used in  soups, egg dishes and fish sauces. It likes the shad, .. 11111 does well in pots. The juice was once used for  of jaundice, gout and digestive properties. Grows 1/2 ft. in height.

VHOO3 Chives (Allium schoenojJrasum): Perennial chuu] h of tender green, spear-like leaves tasting of mild , make a pretty edging plant and grow well in pots , boxes. Delicious in all egg, potato and cheese dishes, sal and can be sprinkled over soups and potatoes.

VH014 Gar’Iic Chives (Allium tuhrosumi. A biennial 1 with a mild garlic taste. The plant is taller and broader l lt.u: normal chives. The flowers are white and ideal for sal I,. and cooked dishes.

vnoo4 Coriander Coriandrum scaiuumi. A feathery hell, with spicy seeds which arc used in curries, pickles .uu l sauces. The tender leaves arc used for garnishing a vatic-tv of dishes. Coriander (clbania) has carminative properties for digestive ailments. Crows up to 1/2 ft. in height.

VH005 Dill  graocolensi. An annual with feathery blue-green leaves. It is used to flavour soups, vcgetabk-s salads, fish and fruit dishes. The seeds arc also used ill pickles. Dill (soya) is good for digestion.

VH006 Florence Fennel (Foeniculwn dulce), An Italian breed annual herl; producing a solid white bulb used as vegetable and raw in salads. Feathery aniseed tastinu leaves arc used for flavouring stews, soups and salads.•,

VH007 Hyssop (IIysso!Jus officinalis). This edging herb prefers a sunny spot. The young leaves have a tangy mint flavour and should be used sparingly in salads and stews.

vh008 Purslane, Green (Portulaca oleracea). An annual IWliJ with tender and succulent growth. Fresh and young can be cooked or used raw in salads.

VHOI0 Savory, Summer CSaturcja hortensis . full little herb which grows best in a loamy soil and a II Ii I sun position. The taste is similar to that of sage. Used all bean dishes, and cucumber salads. A good antiil.rrulant.

Vh013 Sorrel . A tufted herb with freshing taste is also used as a digestive. Can be cooked .1.’; spinach or used in soups and salads. Prefers light rich .oil and a sunny site, grows up to a height of 1 ft.

Herbal Garden

Herbs have been cultivated almost as long as man existed, and are inextricably bound up with a wealth (” folklore based on ancient mythologies, religious ceremonu witchcraft and superstitions. Some authorities argue herbs were first grown for their medicinal qualities, othcr. for their culinary purposes, but it seems logical to assail that the two developed simultaneously. The great majority of herbs arc useful aids to the digestion, and many al:;( I have food preserving and antiseptic qualities.
Today there is an increased awareness of aroma I j, herbs, partly due to the subtle flavors they impart to mass produced foodstuffs, and partly due to the free merchanted of national cuisines brought about by expanding tourism
I n any type of garden a small portion or even  a flower bed can be kept for herbs. Most of them all’ fragrant and will fit into any type of garden and  convert the simplest meal into a treat.
‘Initially try growing herbs which a rc commonly USI in our country like mint, celery, parsley, dill, coriander, b.iv,oregano, and thyme.Many of the herbs mentioned in this beneficial insects into the garden which in turn help cantil Ii pests, thus helping the garden in time to develop its OWII natural balance.

HERR GARDIeN DESIGNS
Few gardens have enough space to allow a replica of  Elizabethan knot garden, the geometrical design of which was based on individual, often irregular beds planted with I herb contrasting in colour and texture with that in  bed. They were linked by paths of grass or gravel and I,lged with low hedges of box, lavender or santolina. A  paved herb garden can, however, be created on the ‘ .. I me principle, dividing a square or rectangular plot into , actions separated with paving stones or bricks and edged with violets, chives, parsley or thyme.
A circular herb garden can be created around a central ture, such as a sundial or a bird bath. The individual l xds are then laid out in wedge shapes and separated from ,other with gravel.
Herbs can be grown in the following ways as-
BORDERS: Balm, hyssop, lavender, fever few, , hives balm, fennel, dill, borage, marjoram, thyme.

CARPETING HERBS: Coriander, mint, savory, chamomile. HERBS: Basil, chervil, chives, dill, sage, savory, I rrsley, oregano, balm. Suitable plants would be one well Jraped rosemary, surrounded by parsley, chives, oregano, winter savory, and French tarragon interspersed with three I railing nasturtiums for colour and use in salads.