Herbs

Warmer days.

Back in September I built a stone raised planter to grow herbs in.

The stone was recovered from all over the garden. There are bits of rock everywhere, the same material that was used to build all the houses here at Le Banquet and indeed all over this part of the Dordogne.

The 'thing' you can see in the centre is in fact a clay pineapple which has been 'antiqued' if you follow. Sounds strange I know but it looks well and adds that finishing touch. I picked it up in the little shop within the ticket office at Les Jardins du Manoir d'Eyrignac, a beautiful formal garden here in the Dordogne.

I have planted trailing rosemary, thyme, tarragon, mint and so on but not all the herbs have huge culinary significance. For instance there's santolina purely for decoration. Another one I've only discovered recently is Melisse (Melissa) which is added to drinks and can be made into an infusion. Whether I ever use it remains to be seen, however it has good looking foliage and therefore qualifies for a spot!

Come spring, I'll sow some basil and coriander dotted between the hardy stuff.