Skye Gingell's herb garden.

After reading Skye Gingell's cook book A Year in my Kitchen I was inspired to create a herb garden based on her notion of base-note and top-note herbs. I utilised my raised brick garden beds that were already divided into two. I cultivated the beds with organic compost and manure from my chickens. I let the beds sit for two weeks, then planted my herbs and mulched using newspaper and sugar cane to help keep weeds to a minimum.

Skye writes "Base-note herbs are the ones that help lay the foundation of any dish. They endure the burden of long, slow cooking, continuing to add their flavour as long as they are cooking".   

~ My base-note bed: sage, thyme, oregano and rosemary.

Skye writes "Top-note herbs are like the icing on the cake - they complete the dish. These herbs don't tend to hold their flavour through vigorous cooking but must be added very close to the end of the recipe, even if only as a garnish, to maintain their clarity and vibrancy".

~ My top-note bed: parsley, dill, basil and chives ~ 

You can do something like this even if you don't have a backyard. Simply plant herbs in pots on your balcony, or in pots on your kitchen windowsill. Nothing beats the taste of fresh herbs in your cooking.

Sam xox