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In your herb garden in August

August is the time to start thinking forward to winter, when there will be few fresh herbs to harvest. You can cut shrubby herbs back to maintain their shape now, and harvest and dry the prunings for use later. Now is also the time to prepare a few herbs for a winter indoor herb garden. You can also start saving seeds to sow next spring.

August may also be holiday time, in which case make sure you have someone to keep an eye on the garden, and water outdoor plants and containers when necessary. Any herbs in the greenhouse will need daily attention. And if you're not going away, remember to find time to relax and enjoy the sensual delights of the herb garden on a summer's evening!

Things to do in the herb garden this month

• Pot up a few herbs to make an indoor winter herb garden. See below for instructions on potting up herbs
• Keep sowing seed outside - to maintain supplies. See below for suggestions of which herbs to sow
• Mulch moisture-loving herbs to prevent them drying out in hot weather
• Thin seedlings that have been sown direct in the garden
• Dead-head where flowers have faded, unless seed is to be collected
• Harvest thyme, sage, clary sage, marjoram, lavender for drying
• 
  Lavender at Garden Organic Ryton
• Cut flowers such as lavender, love-in-a-mist and cornflower for drying See below for instructions on drying herbs
• Take softwood cuttings See below for instructions on taking softwood cuttings
• Begin gathering seed, e.g. angelica, anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, chervil, dill, fennel
• Freeze mints and pennyroyal. Borage flowers look great in ice cubes
• Cut back box, cotton lavender and the curry plant to maintain shape
• Water regularly any plants that may be showing stress

Flavour from the garden this month

Nearly all herbs should be available from the garden this month.
Here are a few ...

Edible flowers from the herb garden this month

Using flowers in salads and cookery is an ancient method of adding flavour and colour to food. Pick early in the day, once any overnight moisture has gone, but before the sun becomes too hot. Take care not to bruise the delicate blooms.

Scented geraniums Pelargonium spp.
Pot marigold  Calendula officinalis
Nasturtium  Tropaeolum majus
Hollyhock  Alcea rosea
Heartsease  Viola tricolor
Violet  Viola odorata
Pinks  Dianthus sp.
Rocket  Eruca versicaria
Borage  Borago officinalis
Day lily  Hemerocallis sp.
Rose  Rosa sp.

• Caraway (Carum carvi) Biennial
  Caraway is a member of the carrot family, and like its cousins is a good attractant flower for beneficial insects. It also yields delicious, aromatic seeds, ready to harvest this month. Use in bread and biscuits, as well as any recipes with cabbage.
• Lavender (Lavandula spp.) Hardy perennial
  A common herb garden plant, at its best in the height of summer. As well as being useful for pot pourris and scenting underwear drawers, it is also has edible flowers. Make your favourite plain biscuit recipe and press some flowers into the top of the ready-to-bake shapes before baking as usual. You can also use the flowers to flavour home-made ice-cream, as an alternative to vanilla.
  Organic lavender seed available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue.
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Hardy perennial
  Chives with yellow and brown tips are a sign of poor soil as they need a rich, moist soil. This herb does not dry well but can be frozen in ice cube trays with a little water. Add to summer salads, or use a garnish for beetroot soup.
  
  Organic chives seeds available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue
• Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) Hardy perennial
  Russian Tarragon is a hardy annual but Artemisia dracunculus or French Tarragon is superior in flavour. However, this variety does not produce viable seed so must be propagated by other methods. Flowers should be removed to encourage the plant to put its energy into leaf production. It goes well with cheeses and is an excellent addition to quiches and flans.
• 
  Red basil is just one of many varieties
• Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Annual
  A popular summer herb that is easy to grow from seed and comes in several varieties. If you grow more than one variety, don’t save your own seeds for next year as it won’t produce the same variety. If you don’t plan on saving seeds for next year, keep removing the flowers to ensure maximum leaf production. Add the leaves at the last minute to tomato and meat dishes or stir torn leaves with a dash of olive oil into hot pasta for an easy lunch.
  
  Organic seeds of lots of basil varieties available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue
• 
  Rosemary ready to pick
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Hardy perennial
  Rosemary should be putting out lots of fresh young shoots over the summer and these go extremely well with lemon in iced lollies. Add the zest of two lemons to a cup and a half of sugar, add a cup of water and the rosemary. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until the sugar melts. Simmer for around ten minutes, then strain and cool. Add another seven cups of water and one cup of fresh lemon juice. Use this mixture in ice-lolly moulds to make a lovely cooling snack for high summer.
  
  Organic rosemary seed available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue

Herbs to propagate this month

Seed sowing

For a continual crop, sow the following in a prepared seedbed, outdoors:

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Biennial
  Native to continental Europe, where it grows alongside streams and in other damp places. Sow seed in early autumn in its final location – angelica hates to have its roots disturbed. It needs no protection from frosts, but it does require deep, moist soil. Angelica prefers a site where its roots are in shade, but its flowers get some sun.
  
  
• 
  Coriander
  Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Annual
  This herb has been cultivated for more than 3000 years. It is mentioned in The Old Testament, and is traditionally eaten at Passover feasts. Sow the large seeds into drills in light, well-drained soil in a sunny spot; coriander dislikes damp, humid conditions. Direct sowing works best as coriander does not transplant well and tends to bolt.
  Two types of organic coriander available in the Organic Gardening Catalogue. 'Cilantro' is a special selection for leaf production.
• Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Hardy perennial
  As suggested by its common name, lovage was used as an aphrodisiac during the 16th Century. Lovage is a large plant (up to 2m) and takes up to five years to reach maturity. When selecting a site ensure that the plant will have enough room to grow. Prefers a rich, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Direct sow in autumn, thinning to 60cm apart when large enough.
  Lovage prefers a rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade
• Dill (Anethum graveolens) Hardy annual
  Originating in the far East, this herb has been used for more than 5000 years. Direct sow into poor, well-drained soils in full sun. The tall (1.5m) plants are rather fragile and may require support. Collect as much seed as possible to prevent the plant spreading too rapidly.
  Do not plant dill near to fennel as the two will cross-pollinate and produce inferior plants.
• 
  Moss-curled parsley
  Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Hardy biennial
  Parsley seed takes 3-6 weeks to germinate. Direct sow in early autumn into deep, fertile soil in sun or partial shade. Thin first to 8cm, then 15cm apart as the plants grow. If you wish to continue to harvest leaves, remove flowers as soon as they appear.
  Soaking parsley seed in hot water can help to speed up germination.

Potting up herbs for a winter supply

Chives, mint, marjoram, parsley and lemon balm can all be lifted carefully from the garden, divided if necessary, then small plants potted up using a gritty compost mixture. Keep these in a shady spot to acclimatise them gradually to the lower light levels they will have when brought indoors in the autumn.

Cuttings to take

Take cuttings from bay, wormwoods, rosemary, thymes, lavenders, sages, scented geraniums (Pelargonium spp.), Balm of Gilead (Cedronella triphylla), pineapple and other tender sages, myrtles.

'Softwood' is the term given to the type of cutting taken from young growth in the spring and early summer.
Here are the main points to follow:

• Take cuttings early in the morning
• Take cuttings with a knife or secateurs rather than scissors (which squash the stem)
• If cuttings are not to be dealt with immediately, place in water or polythene bag and leave in shade
• Prepare pot or seed tray with good organic potting compost with extra grit or coarse sand added
• Trim the cutting to just below a node (where leaf joins stem) and remove any leaves from bottom third of the stem. This will reduce water loss as well as the possibility of fungus on leaves touching the soil
• Make a hole with dibber and push cutting in. Make sure the bottom of cutting touches the bottom of hole.
• Firm compost around cutting
• Water, but do not leave pot standing in water
• Covering with plastic bag or cloche can aid in germination in some cases. Increased humidity can also encourage fungal diseases, so keep a close eye on the cuttings and remove the covering every now and then to improve airflow.

Drying herbs for winter use

Drying herbs is not easy and if you plan to dry lots, it may be worth investing in a dehydrator – they will also dry fruit and vegetables.

If drying herbs without a dehydrator, they need to be placed in a dry, airy, dark place at 20-32°C. Try an airing cupboard or spare bedroom with the curtains closed and the door open. Place the herbs on absorbent kitchen paper and turn them frequently. They should be dry and ready to pack in 24-48 hours. If they develop any moulds or black spots, the drying process has not worked and the herbs should be composted. You can also use a microwave oven. Again place the clean herbs on absorbent kitchen towel and set the microwave for 30 seconds. Check after this time and repeat– most herbs should be dry in 3 minutes or less

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