Herb Seed

Welcome to HerbSeed.info, the site where you can find information about various popular herbs and find cheap seeds to sow and grow yourself. We are all of us familiar with 'herbs' whether or not through seeing jars and packets on supermarket shelves or having adverts tell us that certain ones are important ingredients of the many potions designed to make us stay, and look, younger. All very well but there is so much more to know and enjoy with the use of herbs. You can find lots of packets of seeds for sale via online auction platform, either as an auction lot or to buy now. Not used an auction site yet? . Non UK visitors to this site may prefer to .

Herbs and their cultivation have a long and venerable history going back thousands of years. Many were used in ceremonial rituals, for instance the bay leaves twisted into a circlet for the Greeks to honour their poets, and hyssop that was used in purification ceremonies in temples. Certain plants and infusions have been recognised through the ages as having medicinal and healing properties. In early Egypt those exponenets of the use of herbs were respected and their knowledge was recorded and passed on to the early Greeks and then to the Romans. By this time their use as important additions in the preparation of food, enhancing the flavour and appearance, was being recognised and used. It is believed that the Romans depended to such a degree on herbs, both in their food preparation and for medication, that the armies on the march carried bundles of herbs in their baggage. Not only were herbs used in these ways but, as time went on, the more fragrant herbs were used to disguise the smells of insanitary living conditions, unwashed clothing and the rushes on the floor. It is hard to imagine how our ancestors would have managed if they had suddenly been deprived of such a wonderful resource. However, there are always downsides to every good thing and, at times in our history, women (and sometimes men) who were learned in the use of herbal remedies were considered to be witches or in league with agents of the devil and were condemned to death for ill-wishing or harming animals and humans. However, none of this stopped those who were skilled in the use of these plants.

Because there is such a profusion of plants that can be considered to be herbs, and each had quite specific attributes, there came a time when it just wasn't practicable to throw a few seeds of different herbs on the ground and then wait for them to grow. This, in the 1400s, was when the formal herb gardens started to appear. The first ones were usually in monastery gardens where the monks would often make herbal infusions to help the sick and injured in the area. Honey was used as a sweetener and, as some herbs are particularly attractive to bees, these were planted near the hives to attract them. Savory, thyme, rosemary, lavender and lemon balm were all planted by the hives as they also served to add flavour to the honey. Many of the herbs planted were kept for their fragrance and use in cosmetics or confectionary. By the mid 16th century the passion for herbs was translating itself into the desire to make the herb garden into a place of beauty as well. It was at this time that the formal and visually beautiful herb gardens were created in the grounds of great houses where they were designed to give pleasure as well as have more utilitarian uses. Some of these gardens were laid out in the shape of a wheel and the spokes, radiating from the centre would be such herbs as hyssop, rue and thyme. The spaces in between would be filled with lower-growing, less compact herbs. Some herb garden designs were marvels of geometric patterns and would incorporate lines and curves of clipped shrubs like lavender and box. Always included were the fragrant and sweet smelling plants.

Very few people, nowadays, have the space or time to create a fantastic geometrical herb garden but we all of us have a little space, even a window box, that can be utilised to grow some herbs that can add a little variety and interest to our cooking. Yes ........ we can buy everything we need in convenient little packets and jars of dried leaves and seeds straight off the supermarket shelves .......... but where is the fun in that? There is nothing like the feeling of gathering your own home-grown herbs from your own little patch of soil and chopping them fresh for the pot. The scent itself is reward enough for the effort.

Certain herbs are associated with certain culinary uses and, if using herbs is a new experience for you, the best introduction is probably to stick with the tried and tested until you feel confident enough to experiment. Some herbs are also easier to cultivate and maintain than others and you could perhaps start off by sowing some of these in your little pots, window box or garden bed. If you are starting your garden in little pots on the kitchen window sill then good ones to start with, that grow happily in pots, are chives, chervil, parsley, basil, marjoram and thyme. Borage, fennel and sage can also be grown in pots but the plants would grow to a larger size if planted out with more space. Tarragon, lemon balm and mint will grow in pots but because they have aggressive root systems keep them separate from other plants or else they will overpower them. If you are planting your seeds outside give a little thought to their cultivation needs as herbs such as marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme enjoy lots of sun and don't like too much water. Herbs such as chives, chervil and mint prefer more moist conditions and some shade. Some herbs are more high maintenance than others and shrubby varieties such as lavender need careful clipping.

A mistake that tends to be made is that herbs are only grown for their leaves but, in fact, the opposite is true. Many have seeds that contribute their own unique flavours and some, like angelica, have stalks that have their own particular use. so ......... decision time; which herbs to choose to plant first? Mint is an all time favourite; it is used to enhance the flavour of lamb in particular and can be mixed with vinegar and a little sugar to spoon over the slices on your plate. Sage goes well with pork and goose whereas feathery dill, helpful to the digestion, goes with vegetable and potatoes, so these might be obvious starting points. Basil goes with almost everything, fish, fowl, meat, and cheese. Coriander leaves are beautiful in salads, or with cheese, vegetables and pork. Parsley, in all its varieties, is a universal favourite with fish dishes and as a garnish on many other foods. Lamb and beef like garlic, basil, bay, rosemary, sage, tarragon. For use with vegetables the list is almost endless and depends on your own personal prefence. Try basil, bay, chervil, coriander, dill, mint, nasturtium, sage, tarragon and thyme (but not all at the same time!).

Before we plant our herbs let's not forget that, before tea and coffee were introduced into this country, as expensive and exotic beverages, herb teas were in constant use and still make a welcome and healthy change from a pot of tea or coffee today. Mint, bergamot, camomile, coltsfoot (the flowers for wine), dandelion hyssop, lemon balm, nettle and yarrow all make herbal brews.

Now ............... make a list of the herbs that you want to start growing and you won't regret it!

Find cheap herb seeds at auction and to buy now. Grow your own salad garnish and essential cooking leaves. For bargain seeds come to HerbSeed.info.

Herb Seeds - Coriander, Parsley, Thyme & more