All herby

We're at the Pub. Al, our gardener suggests he comes round to tidy up our front garden. "All done," say I, "I did it this morning."

He blinks hard at this. "You got rid of that big sage?"

"Yes," I assure him. "I left the root in, in case it regrew next year." Sages are usually perennials, though I'm not sure about the Clary sage monster we grew this year.

"You harvested the coriander seeds?"

"Did that before we went away. And I cut down the stalks."

"What about the fennel?"

I had to admit I'd left that. I've got plenty of seeds for culinary use this winter already, so I thought I'd leave the seeds on the plants for the birds in the winter months ahead. I'm never a very tidy gardener where I see potential food or building materials for our wildlife.

"Cut that down," Al ordered, "Otherwise the garden will be overrun with fennel next year."

So this morning the fennel's been cut down.

On the whole I think Al was surprised by my competence. It's not that I don't know anything about gardening, or lack the enthusiasm to do it. It's more the physical ability to do it I lack. This herb garden we had built as a raised bed. I planted it for the first time this year. I can reach all parts from a sitting position. I love it. I loved not only the creative element in planting it. I've happily weeded it & kept it tidy. I've also appreciated the food possibilities with the herbs grown there. Today I enjoyed making up my own bouquet garni to put in with the pork that is plopping away at the moment.

Both Al & the Fox thought I was a bit mad wanting a herb garden, especially at the front of the house. Our back garden floods regularly, which makes getting the herbs I had previously been growing there difficult to get to in winter. I was also confident a herb garden could be visually interesting to look out on. And so it's proved. We've had the orange/red/yellow of marigolds & nasturtium, the white of camomile, pink/mauves of lavender, purple & variegated sage, feathery bronze & green fennel, blue/purple of rosemary & Clary sage, pink pompoms on chives. All shades of green from the very dark of rosemary through the variegated lemon balm, to the limey green of the thyme we grow. A delight to behold as well as to eat.