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THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE


MEET THE ‘QUEEN OF HERBS’ This month Camilla Bassett-Smith invites you to a socially distanced meeting with a stalwart of sage and salad burnet.


Let me introduce you to the ‘Queen of Herbs’, so named by Jamie Oliver, and living on our doorstep in South


Gloucestershire where she runs her family herb farm ‘Jekka’s’.


I first met Jekka McVicar many years ago, I believe at The Malvern Flower Show, but since then have had the pleasure of working with her both at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and most recently on ‘Love Your Weekend’ for ITV with Alan Titchmarsh.


What Shakespeare was to words, Jekka is to herbs, with over 30 years’ experience in growing and using medical and culinary herb plants and seeds, she is internationally known and admired by all. (Plus, her countrified chic collection of herbal green tailored tweed coats has not gone un-noticed!)


Jekka’s Herbetum is a living encyclopedia of over 400 culinary herbs which are displayed in raised beds. I visited a few years ago and was astonished at just how many different herbs there are! It’s not just about plants looking good, the farm ensures that visitors are armed with a wealth of information on the history as well as medical and culinary uses of the herbs.


Herbs (or ‘erbs’ as the Americans say) are such a valuable part of a garden, suitable for any size plot or pot. The classics such as rosemary, thyme and sage appear in many a planter – happy like us bathed in sunshine whiling the hours away, but there really are so many different herbs on offer and at Jekka’s you’re spoilt for choice!


I have a particular penchant for mint, this indestructible garden dweller brings a breath of fresh air wherever it lands. Whether with potatoes or in a mug steeped in boiling water to accompany a shortbread biscuit, you can’t go wrong with this one. By nature, I’m a collector and this is one herb that can really ignite a desire for more. Ginger mint, sweet pear mint, lavender mint, strawberry mint, lime mint, chocolate mint, pineapple mint, apple mint, banana mint, grapefruit mint……I could go on! Right, that’s it, I’m creating a mint garden this year! Bear in mind this plant spreads rapidly and so if you wish to keep it contained, best kept in pots!


For something a little different, why not try the mushroom plant – Rungia klossii. It has thick dark glossy edible leaves which are higher in protein than mushrooms, containing a super healthy


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THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE CAMI L LA BAS S E T T - SMI TH


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