Whether you have a window-box, a small balcony or a large backyard, Brisbane’s fabulous sub-tropical climate is ideal for growing a wide range of herbs. With a little know-how and minimal effort, you can grow these nutritious and healthy plants that will add flavour to just about any meal.
Basil
Probably the easiest of all the herbs to grow, basil is a good plant to start with if you are still finding your botanical feet.
Basil loves warm weather, full sun (but will tolerate shade) and lots of water. Once your basil is about 15-20cm high you can start harvesting, and harvest you must. Take off the tip leaves from your basil plants to encourage growth. ‘Tipping’ will also prevent your basil from going to flower. Once your basil flowers, your plant stops putting energy into leaf production and will eventually die.
You can also grow new basil plants from cuttings by simply pinching off a plant tip, removing the lower leaves and planting the tip in a moist pot in a shady area. Once the plant establishes some new growth, you can move the pot or transplant your new plant into the garden.
Cooking tip – place freshly picked basil leaves on a home-cooked pesto, tomato and bocconcini pizza for the final two minutes of cooking time.
Chives
Another easy-to-grow herb, chives will happily grow in pots, window boxes and even inside on a sunny window sill. Given their aesthetic quality, they also make an excellent edging plant around the garden.
Chives are a bulb plant that grows in clumps. They can be easily divided out and replanted. This is perhaps best done in the winter months, when the plants go through a fairly dormant period.
Cooking tip – chives are best used fresh. Add freshly chopped chives to scrambled eggs or an omelette for your Sunday brekkie.
Coriander
You can use every part of the coriander plant (leaves, seeds and roots) in the kitchen. Coriander will cope with a Brisbane winter, but it’s probably best to plant this herb during any other season. Keep water up to the seedlings, but once established coriander will cope with dry conditions (particularly if you have a well mulched garden – and you should).
If you just want leaves you can harvest the plant once it reaches about 15cms tall. A great addition to most Asian dishes.
Cooking tip – add freshly chopped coriander to a Thai curry just before serving.
Parsley
Like the afore-mentioned herbs, parsley loves a rich, well drained soil. A sunny position is ideal, but parsley will tolerate some shade throughout the day.
If you share your garden with possums you will find that they happily munch any fresh growth, particularly when other food sources are limited. You could try covering your parsley with chicken wire, or keeping your parsley in pots or a planter box and bringing them inside every night.
Cooking tip – add freshly chopped parsley and a nob of butter to a bowl of baked baby potatoes. A timeless classic.
Rosemary and Thyme
Both are ideal herbs for growing in a large well-drained pot on a sunny balcony. Rosemary and thyme are flower-producing (thyme – small lilac flowers, rosemary – small blue or white flowers) and make for quite attractive feature plants.
Both plants thrive on neglect, so do not fertilise and avoid watering unless absolutely needed.
Cooking tip – add a couple of fresh sprigs (of both) to your slow-cooked lamb shanks.
Add your growing or cooking suggestions below.
I've had great success with first stage Basil but it never thrives after that like my sister's does up north. Thanks for the tip on tipping. I'll replant and give that a go. The first crop is always outstanding but, as your comment said, after that it seeds and then dies off.