The 10 essential aromatic plants for your garden

Whether you have a garden or a balcony, if you’re a bit of a cook, you’ll want to grow aromatic plants. But it’s not always easy to make a choice because there are so many varieties. We will therefore see in this article the ones that are really essential.

For this reason I turned to a nurseryman and writer specializing in aromatic plants: Laurent Bourgeois. See the end of the article to find out more.

Cultivation of aromatic plants

Growing aromatic plants is relatively simpleHowever, some fundamental rules must be respected to avoid cruel disappointments. First of all, you need to know separate systems according to their needsso as not to «marry» plants coming from arid lands with others coming from colder lands. This is the mistake commonly observed among novice gardeners who want to create an herb garden and who grow all these plants in the same space without considering their needs.

• Aromatic plants of Mediterranean origin like thyme, savory, sage, rosemary, lavender or oregano, they appreciate light, rather dry soils and grow in full sun.
• Aromatic plants of more northern origins such as sorrel, lemon balm, chives, mint or tarragon require richer, moister soil and can grow in sun or partial shade.
• Plants of more tropical origins like scented verbena, cardamom, stevia, Mexican tarragon or pineapple sage, they fear intense cold and must be protected in our climates.

Finally, some plants have a very short vegetative cycle, they are annual or biennial, that is, they can only live for one year for the first and 2 years for the second. This is the case with dill, basil, chervil, coriander or parsley.

The selection of 10 essential aromatic plants

Here is a selection of about ten aromatic plants that could be considered essential in a garden:

• Mint or rather mint, since their diversity is important, in these plants we find all types of perfume (anise, lemon, banana, orange, chocolate, ginger, strawberry…). These plants are easy to grow, quite invasive, often needing to be contained in small spaces to prevent them from colonizing the entire garden. Prune your mints regularly to encourage the regrowth of new stems. Mint is enjoyed with numerous preparations, both savory and sweet, hot and cold (tabouleh, salads, boiled meats, fresh cheeses, syrups, ice cream, etc.).
• Melissaalso called lemongrassfor its aroma, much appreciated with fish, fruit salads, many desserts, poultry and in infusions. It is grown a bit like mint, with regular pruning to force it to expand and also prevent the plants from going to seed and invading the entire garden. Just like mint, the aerial part of the plants disappears in winter and returns in spring.
• Chives which develops in small dense lumps and which accompanies salads, omelettes, raw vegetables or ricotta. These are the leaves we use in cooking, but we can also use the flowers. During sowing, an addition of organic substance is welcome.
• Tarragon it is very interesting on a culinary level where its fresh leaves flavor salads, fish, omelettes and numerous sauces. Tarragon requires rich, well-drained soil and regular pruning. When purchasing, always choose French tarragon, it is the most fragrant.
• Thymewhich, like mint, is available in many species and varieties with different scents. Thyme is an essential plant in Provençal cuisine where it flavors many meats, particularly grilled ones, but also soups, summer vegetables (courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, etc.), fish and cheeses. Thyme should be stored in dry soil, in full sun. It resists the cold very well in these conditions. Thyme is pruned twice a year, once in early spring, then after flowering.
• Rosemarywhich is a shrub of Mediterranean origin that grows up to 2 meters in height. It allows you to flavor all types of meat, stews, stews, but also fish, gratin vegetables, goat’s cheeses. Like thyme, it appreciates dry soil and full sun. It is pruned less often than thyme.
• Wise it is also an essential plant both in the kitchen where it is appreciated with white meats, sausages, potatoes or tomatoes, but it is also very interesting for its numerous medicinal virtues. Like thyme and rosemary, sage has evergreen leaves and harvests of this plant can be made year-round. It is also a plant of dry and sunny soils.
• Savory it is a small perennial plant very present in Provence, up to the mountains. Its rather spicy aroma harmonizes wonderfully with dried vegetables, tomatoes, courgettes and many meats. Savory can be pruned and planted like thyme or rosemary.
• Basil it is an annual plant, which should only be planted when the risk of frost has passed. Be careful not to choose plants forced into heated greenhouses, recovery in these conditions is very difficult. Basil flavors tomatoes, salads, raw vegetables, pasta and is the essential ingredient for the famous pistou soup. It is necessary to prune the shoots that begin to flower to encourage branching of the plant and delay flowering.
• Coriander it is also an annual plant whose fresh leaf scent may seem unpleasant to some, but which is used with tagines, couscous or North African soups. You can use fresh leaves or seeds. This plant grows in fertile, loose and well-drained soil. Coriander must be pruned and watered regularly throughout its cultivation to delay its appearance in seeds.

Bourgeois Laurent.

This text was written by Laurent Bourgeois, a nurseryman specializing in aromatic plants. Here is his website: www.PlanteAromatique.com. He is also the author of numerous works on the subject: see the books by Laurent Bourgeois.

Photo ©Laurent Bourgeois

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