Herbs: H-L

‘The pansie hearts-ease Maidens call’ – Michael Drayton, 1563 – 1631. Lovely tricolour pansy, often called the ‘trinity herb’ for the three flower colours. Traditionally used for skin complaints to bathe sores, in tea as a cordial or heart tonic. Invaluable in todays herb garden for its flowers, when used as an edible ganish or added to a salad. In a cool, sunny position it will flower through Summer and Autumn and happily self-sow.

Attractive lacy foliage, topped by clusters of small purple flowers. Thrives in damp, shady places. Believed to repel slugs. A hot poultice can be used on bruises and skin problems.

A white flowered form of Herb Robert, studded with prostrate, pure white stars. Nice on a rockery wall or path edge. Or perhaps in the vege plot, as it is believed to repel slugs. Self seeds, but not invasive. Especially happy in damp, shady places.

Old fashioned medicinal herb, used for breathlessness, as a heart tonic, to promote digestion and for bruising. The trefoiled leaf and five-petalled flower were used as symbols of the Holy Trinity and the five wounds of Christ, hence the name ‘Blessed Herb’. Grows in clumps, rather like strawberries, with similar flowers, only yellow. Easily grown in a moist, shady place and will self seed quite readily.

A rapid groundcover, which propagates by creeping stolons, especially in damp situations. An old wound herb, the bruised, fresh leaves were used directly on wounds, or made into an ointment. Also taken as a drink in wine or water. Once used as a specific for whooping cough.

Moisture loving creeper with attractive golden yellow foliage

Some of you requested this ancient medicinal herb. Much valued as a cough remedy, it is also used as a tonic for weak stomachs and lack of appetite. Use small quantities of leaf only, before flowers appear, and infuse as a tea, chop and mix with honey, or make into cough sweets. Use as soon as cough starts. An infusion can also be used for cankerworm in trees. The botanical name marrubium appears to be derived from the Hebrew ‘marrob’, which translates as ‘bitter taste’. ‘Hore’ comes from ‘hoar’ – greyish-white, referring to its appearance. Whitish-grey, woolly foliage is attractive in the herb garden. Attracts bees. Thrives in hot, dry, sandy soils.

Once used medicinally to stimulate digestion, clear sinuses and improve skin clarity. Best known for the white pungent roots used to make horseradish sauce to accompany roast beef and smoked or oily fish. Infused root also used (diluted one part to four) to spray st brown rot. Dig in autumn. Propagates readily from root cuttings. Spreads in light soils. 60 cm.

A decorative, easily grown, aromatic shrub, of medium height, suitable for a low hedge. Available in separate colours, blue, pink and white. Use sparingly in soups and salads. Loved by bees. Medicinal uses. Available in the following:-

1Blue Hyssopus officinalisP
Pretty, violet-blue.

1Hyssop ‘white ‘P
Superb, compact strain, with white flowers.

Recorded in 32 BC and the 1st century AD growing on roofs. According to legend it protected from evil, witchcraft, thunder and lightning. One of the oldest first-aid herbs, it is used in a similar way to aloe vera, with the advantage of frost-hardiness. The juice, or fresh leaf, is applied to shingles, ulcers, stings, inflammations and burns. The fresh leaves are reputed to be a cure for warts and corns. Rosettes of fleshy leaves with red tips are extremely drought resistant. Grow it in a well-drained position on walls, between pavers, in rockeries, or as a tough pot plant.

A condiment of Japanese cooking, which is becoming popular in the West. The plant has a fresh fragrance and strong antibacterial qualities. Needs a cool, shady site and a rich, well-drained soil.

A medicinal plant used as an astringent. A tea can be made of the large leaves, dried when the plant is flowering, which will regulate excess menstrutation and rumoured to ‘restore female beauty’! Other reputed uses are for lack of appetite, stomach ailments, bathing wounds and muscle disorders. Of considerable ornamental value, the attractive, pleated and scalloped leaves, and filmy, yellow flowers look great en mass as a border, or as a weed-suppressing mat under deciduous trees. 60cm

Distinguished by showy, coloured, sterile bracts at the top of the flower spike, and a camphoraceous scent. These lavenders tend to be more tender to frost, and require a sheltered position. Plants are more susceptible after pruning, so pruning is better done in Summer, especially in cooler climates. This also encourages Winter flowering.

2 HelmsdaleL. stoechas hybridP HL3
Hybrid. Very striking and quite distinctive! Similar to L. stoechas, but the flowers, calyx and bracts are a lovely, velvety burgundy-purple. Long flowering season. Not as quick growing as other stoechas varieties, but it matures to a compact plant of excellent form, which we showed off in one of our baskets at Ellerslie. Use in pot pourii, floral work and as hedging. Up to 80 cm in flower.

2′Marshwood’L. stoechas hybridP HL4
Spectacular in flower, and still one of the best available. Extra long, sterile bracts are very striking, taking on a ‘translucent’ appearance on a dull day. Very quick growing, to make an impressive display. Over 1 m. in flower. Needs pruning to maintain shape.

L. ‘Pukehou Form’L. stoechas hybridP
This Zealand-bred lavender has sterile, purple, almost curling, bracts above, contrasting with red-tinged, fertile bracts below. Looks striking in evening light! From Pukehou Nursery up North. Suitable for hedging. 60 cm.

Stoechas whitestoechas ssp
‘Alba’P White flowers.
Grows vigorously and enjoys compost. Makes a nice potted plant. 60 cm

Toothed LavenderL. dentata var. candicans P
Attractive lavender, with beautiful mauve flower spikes, produced prolifically throughout most of the year (including Winter!). Distinguished by fine-toothed (dentate), grey-green leaves. Easily reaches 1 metre in warmer climates if unpruned. Requires shelter in colder climates. . An excellent Winter-flowering hedge vigorous.

Canary Island LavenderL. Canariensis.TP
Outstanding lavender for Winter flowering in warmer climates! Rich, deep lavender blue flowers are borne through Winter in the form of winged spikes, from mid-Autumn. Attractive ‘fern-like’ long, dark green, bipinnate leaves, combine to make this a most handsome plant. Upright to about 1 m. Frost tender

Of the spica group. This group contains the most sweetly-scented lavenders. They have grey foliage, and flowers arranged in a ‘spike’ (hence the term spica). They are distinguished from L. intermedia types as they have non-branching flower stalks, sweet-scented foliage, and are generally smaller and earlier (Summer) flowering. They are also slower growing and take longer to establish than the stoechas and L. intermedia groups. Oils are distilled from the flowers, which are generally produced once a year. NOTE: To avoid confusion, the outdated name L. spica is not used.

English Lavender, WhiteL. angustifolia ‘Alba’P
Much of what is sold as white English Lavender is a L. intermedia cross, so we are pleased to be able to offer this true form . Typically, sweetly-scented with soft, grey-green foliage and delicate, white, scented flowers. Lower growing than L. x intermedia ‘Alba’.

‘Munstead’ L. angustifolia ‘Munstead’(syn. Munstead Dwarf,Munstead Blue).P
A dwarf, low-growing, compact bush. Early, lovely, lavender-purple flowers on short stems, with the true old English scent. Bush can reach 45 cm at maturity, Good for edging and borders.

L. ‘Lady’L. angustifolia ‘Lady’syn. ‘Lavender Lady’P
A quick growing lavender, which has good potential for bedding displays, as it is uniform from seed. Quite dwarf.

Pink Lavender L. angustifolia rosea P
Very attractive with silver-grey foliage and pale pink flowers, on long stems. 60 cm.
agrant lavender-blue flowers, and quite green foliage. Flowers in the first year from seed. 25 cm tall x 25 cm wide.

GraceleighL. angustifolia
Graceful ,feminine and fragrant. A striking specimen. 60cm’

Thumbelina LeighL angustifolia
A miniature English lavender born of hidcote and munstead parentage. Neat and compact foliage with intensely bright and beautiful lavender-blue flowers in compact ball- shaped heads

‘Grosso’ LavendinL. x intermedia ‘Grosso’ P
This is the lavender which leads the world for oil production, and is now being planted by oil growers in Zealand. Originally bred in France in 1972, it was trialed for oil production in Zealand by the DSIR. Also a very attractive plant, and suitable for dried flower production. A well-pruned plant produces masses of compact, quite dark flower spikes from late December through to Autumn.

Used by the Greeks medicinally over 2000 years ago, and praised by herbal writers for its’ virtue of ‘dispelling melancholy’. Infuse fresh leaves for a soothing tea, or try chopped in salads, white sauces, fruit drinks, fruit salad and wine cups. Grows in any moist soil, and spreads rapidly by rhizomes. WD.

The most fragrant variety, with high oil content, up to 0.4%. Plants are compact, erect (25 – 30 cm), and mildew resistant. Suitable for home gardens and field production.

Suitable for bulk herb field production, this variety is taller, up to 50 – 60 cm. Good oil content at about 0.2%

Variegated with lemon-scented leaves. Grow in light shade, as hot sun scorches the leaves, creating pale spots.

Not positively identgified yet, but thought to be a type of Turkish balm, the essential oil of which much sought after in the perfumery trade. Discovered growing wild in Thames, it is more vigorous than Lemon Balm and has a different scent. WD