Fennel is a native herb plant of the Mediterranean and has been used as a herb and vegetable since the time of Charlemagne (724-814) when it was grown on the imperial read more...

Thyme is a native herb plant of the western Mediterranean and southern Italy where its natural habitat is rocky hillsides and dry, chalky slopes.   It was a popular herb with both the Greeks and the Romans.  The Greeks used it as a fumigator and burnt it like incense read more...

The genus name Agastache is derived from the Greek words agan, meaning “very much”, and stachys, meaning “spike”, and refers to this herb's proliferation of flower spikes read more...

Sage grows naturally in hot, dry conditions and so in the garden environment it is essential that they have good drainage to survive wet winters read more...

Borage originated in the Mediterranean where it was commonly found on wasteland.  This herb plant has a reputation for raising the spirits.  In The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597), John Gerard, among other things, said that read more...

The medicinal properties of this herb have long been listed in old herbals, since the Roman Pliny’s time and it is because of the useful medicinal properties of the flowers that primroses are classified as a herb read more...

Chervil is a native herb of south-eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East.  As with many herbs it has a long history.  Thought to symbolise new life it was linked read more...

The name petroselinum comes from the Greek name petros selinon which over many years of use has now become parsley. Superstitions abound about parsley.  The Greeks read more...

The name dracunculus comes from the Latin meaning “a little dragon”, named so because it was alleged that the bites of snakes and mad dogs could be cured by it.  It was first introduced from southern Europe in Tudor times and was a herb which found particular favour with read more...

Chamomile is one of the oldest garden herbs, revered by the ancient Egyptians for its restorative powers.  The  Latin name Chamaemelum comes from the Greek; khami meaning “on the ground” and melon meaning “apple”.  read more...