The Herb Garden was the second garden created way back in 1989 and at present apart from sporting a rather lovely willow fence, is little changed.   The tree in the centre is a Crab Apple – ‘John Downie’ and there are eight shaped beds with a wide variety of herbs – medicinal, dye-plants and culinary. Note that the species present in the Herb Garden do change from year to year as weather and soil exert their influence!

 

Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria
Native to Britain. The specific name eupatoria refers to Mithradates Eupator (c. 113–63 bc), King of Pontus (Turkey), who was renowned as a herbalist. (Eupatorium, the scientific name of Hemp Agrimony, has the same root.) Agrimony was a ‘cure all’ for the Ancient Greeks but it’s use by modern herbalists is restricted to digestive problems and gum infections. 
Garden Angelica Angelica archangelica
A member of the carrot family from northern and eastern Europe. Its fragrant stems and roots have been used since the 10th century, and are now best known candied for decorative confectionery and as a flavouring for liqueurs (e.g., Chartreuse, Bénédictine, Vermouth and Dubonnet). Named for Archangel Michael, who was believed to have told of its use as medicine, and reputed to give protection against evil and the plague.
Anise Hyssop Agastache  foeniculum
From North America. Known to American Indians for its medicinal properties, in Britain the anise-flavoured leaves were added to salads. A popular cottage garden plant with flowers that are loved by bees. 
Apothecary’s Rose / Red Rose of Lancaster Rosa gallica var. officinalis
An ancient introduction from southern Europe and one of the ancestors of many garden roses. The most widely-grown rose for herbal use, its edible petals are used in potpourri and to make rose water and rose oil.
Bay Tree Laurus nobilis
Native to Europe and Asia, and also widely planted. An aromatic plant once dedicated to Apollo (god of poetry, prophecy and healing), used to crown poets, bards and athletes, and long a symbol of wisdom and glory. Still indispensable in soup, stews and bread sauce and a key ingredient of bouquet garni. 
Baptisia (Blue False Indigo) Baptisia australis
A North American plant, toxic, but used to disinfect wounds by native Americans. The leaves were used to produce a blue dye as a substitute for Indigo.
Catmint or Catnep Nepeta cataria
Introduced to Britain long ago. The rather disagreeable mint-like aroma is loved by cats who either eat it or/and roll and lay down in it. It’s use as a herbal tea (before real tea became commonplace), has declined.   
Chicory Cichorium intybus
An ancient introduction from Europe, found on roadsides and waste ground. It’s tall spikes of blue flowers are conspicuous and visited by many insects. The blanched leaves are used in salads today as they were in ancient Egypt and Arabia, while the roots are baked and used as a substitute for coffee. Often called Endive in Europe.
Clove Pink or Gillyflower Dianthus caryophyllus
Probably native to the Mediterranean region, and in cultivation for 2,000 years. This is the old English pink. The petals are strongly clove-scented and were used in cordials, vinegars and syrups, and are now also candied, used as a garnish in salads and to flavour fruit and fruit salads; dried petals are added to potpourris. 
Comfrey Symphytum spp.
There are many species, varieties and hybrids of comfrey, some native to Britain, all interesting and worth growing – this is White Comfrey S. orientale. Comfrey contains many nutrients and trace elements and can be used as tonic for other plants: add its leaves to the compost heap or steep them in water to produce a liquid plant food. Russian Comfrey in particular is very large and provides copious foliage. The alternative name ‘Knitbone’ refers to its former use for all manner of injuries and accidents including broken bones, and it had a reputation for helping with external wounds that were reluctant to heal.
Costmary Tanacetum balsamita
Introduced from the Caucasus sometime before ad 1000. Has a pleasant balsam-like scent and known in several languages as the Balsam Herb (also known as Alecost or Bible-leaf Mace). Used in the Middle Ages for flavouring and preparing ale. A diuretic, but very bitter and has fallen out of favour for culinary use.
Cotton Lavender Santolina chamaecyparissus
A small evergreen shrub, originally from the Mediterranean region. Introduced to British gardens by the mid 16th century, often to form short hedges in a knot garden. Valued as a moth repellent and used in scented sachets and as a strewing herb. Often known as Lavender Cotton
Cowslip Primula veris
A much loved native wild flower, declining in many parts of Britain. Once made into a syrup to administer for coughs and bronchitis, while the flowers are used to make wine and candied as cake decorations. 
Curry Plant Helichrysum italicum
Originally from the Mediterranean region, this plant is not found in historical herbals. Although smelling like curry powder, it has nothing to do with that mixture of spices. But, as a component of more modern herb gardens it has a resinous, somewhat bitter aroma reminiscent of sage or Artemisia and young shoots and leaves can be stewed in Mediterranean meat, fish or vegetable dishes. With an intense fragrance, it is also used in some perfumes.
Dyer’s Chamomile Anthemis tinctoria
From Europe, the Mediterranean and SW Asia, and first recorded in British gardens in1561. Good yellow and golden-orange dyes can be extracted from the flowers. 
Dyer’s Greenweed Genista tinctoria
Native to most of Europe including Britain and a good garden plant.  Genistas belong to the pea family and were the badge of the Plantagenet kings (plantagenista). An important dye plant, used with Woad to produce a green wool dye and still used today by home dyers.

Elecampane Inula helenium
Originating from Asia, but cultivated since ancient times and widely naturalised in temperate Europe and elsewhere. The root was used medicinally; by the Ancient Greeks and Romans as a cure-all for a broad range of ailments and later to treat worms and respiratory conditions, especially to ease the coughs produced by bronchitis and tuberculosis. The roots were also used as a condiment – in France and Switzerland it is used in the manufacture of absinthe. The taste is sharp and bitter to modern palates, however, and it has dropped out of use. Helenium (of Helen) derives from Helen of Troy. One legend says that she was carrying a bunch of Elecampane flowers when Paris captured her, another that the flowers sprang from her tears.
English Mace Achillea ageratum 
This pretty relative of our native Yarrow originates from southern Europe. Cultivated for its pleasant fragrance and used as a strewing herb in the Middle Ages. The aromatic leaves have a mild flavour and are good with salads, rice, chicken and fish.
Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis
An import from America, where it was mainly used as a vegetable. The seeds contain large quantities of fatty acids and it is widely believed that evening primrose is effective in treating a wide range of problems, including PMT, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, high blood pressure and alcoholic poisoning. Scientific evidence for its effectiveness is, however, lacking. A great garden plant; the flowers visibly ‘pop’ open in the evening to attract moths as pollinators.
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare
Originally from the Mediterranean region, but cultivated for over 2,000 years for its strongly flavored leaves and fruits and widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea. Florence Fennel is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable. An easily grown garden plant.
Feverfew Tanecetum parthenium
A strongly smelling perennial herb, originally from SE Europe, but grown in Britain as a medicinal herb by 995 ad. In the first century ad it was recommended as an anti-inflammatory by the Greek herbalist Dioscorides, and has been used to reduce fever and to treat arthritis and digestive problems, but is best-known for treating migraine headaches. Chewing  a leaf was recommended for some forms of migraine but often resulted in moth ulcers in exchange. An infusion or tea is now the preferred method. Feverfew is also hung up as a moth repellent
Garlic Chives Allium tuberosum
Originating from China, with a milder garlic flavour than Chives. The leaves are flat, not round and the flowers are white and appear as late as September.
Ginkgo or Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba
Native to China and first seen in England in 1754, Ginkgo is regarded as a living fossil– it is the sole survivor of a family of plants that flourished 270 million years ago. Regarded as a sacred tree in the East, Ginkgo is used widely in traditional medicine to improve circulation and for other conditions, and as a dietary supplement to improve cognitive function, but there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness.
Goldenrod Solidago virgaurea
Native to Britain, once widely used to produce a yellow dye. In the 15th and 16th centuries used to heal wounds and claimed to have astringent, diuretic, antiseptic and other properties, and used to make a blood-purifying tea. 
Good King Henry Chenopodium bonus-henricus
Introduced as a pot herb from the mountains of central Europe and present in Britain since at least the Roman period, but has fallen out of use and now scarce and declining as a relic of cultivation. The leaves are rich in iron and vitamins; young leaves can be eaten in salads or stir-fries while the blanched shoots can be eaten like spinach. 
Wild Pansy or Heartsease Viola tricolor
Native to Britain. With 3-coloured petals (white, yellow and purple) this became the Herba Trinitatis of the Middle Ages and was cultivated for medicinal purposes. In the ‘Language of Flowers’ purple was for memories, white for loving thoughts and yellow for souvenirs, and a posy of Heartsease the ideal gift to ease the heartbreak of separation.
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis
Originally from southern Europe, and used in traditional medicine as an antiseptic and expectorant. Also used in Middle Eastern cookery, but strongly flavoured and best used sparingly, and one of the ingredients of Chartreuse. Other uses include in potpourri and as a strewing herb. A decorative plant, it can form a low hedge around a herb bed. The flowers are nectar-rich and attract bees and other pollinators. 
Lady’s Mantle Alchemilla mollis
Unknown to the ancient herbalists, but gained a reputation as a magical plant on the discovery that dew collected in the funnel-shaped folds of its partly closed 9-lobed leaves. To the alchemically-minded 16th century ‘scientist’ dew was powerfully magical and so in turn was lady’s mantle. Alchemilla means ‘little magical one’ (from the same root as ‘alchemy’). In herbal medicine used, as the name implies, mostly for ladies’ problems. Native British lady’s mantles are a complex of very similar microspecies, but this garden variety was introduced from SW Europe.
Lavender Lavandula angustifolia
All lavenders originate from countries around the Mediterranean and no other herb is as well-know for its scent as Lavender. It is unclear when it first arrived in Britain – likely with the Romans or early monastic orders. The flowers and leaves are used as a herbal medicine, either in the form of lavender oil for burns and stings, as an antiseptic, or as a herbal tea. Lavender oil is commonly used as a relaxant with massage therapy and in bath oils, and Lavender is added to potpourri and herb sachets, while both petals and the oil are popular in handmade soap. The flowers are also used as a culinary herb, in the traditional French herb blend Herbes de Provence and increasingly popular in breads, cakes, ice-creams, etc.

Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis
Native to the Mediterranean region and SW Asia, Lemon Balm was in cultivation in Britain by 995 ad. Its lemon-scented volatile oils were known as both a relaxant and invigorator and believed to dispel melancholy, and are still used in perfumes and aromatherapy, and to flavour Benedictine and tea – add a sprig to tea for a ‘Lady Grey’. It is also used as seasoning in mayonnaise, salads and sauces, and mixed with beeswax to make a natural furniture polish.
Mint Mentha species
There is a wide variety of mints, some native, with many cultivated varieties arising from hybrids between Water Mint Mentha aquatica and Spearmint M. spicata. The origins of others is unknown. Most mints spread vigorously and are best contained in pots. In herbal medicine some mints are used to treat digestive issues but mints are mostly used nowadays to flavour drinks and sauces.
Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria
Native to Britain. Prefers damp ground and thrives in our wet meadows. The whole plant has a pleasant scent and flavour and was once used as a strewing herb and to flavour beer, wine and mead (meadwort or meadowsweet). Long-used medicinally for pain and fever. In 1897, Felix Hoffmann created a synthetically altered version of salicin, derived from Meadowsweet, which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug was named ‘aspirin’ by Hoffmann’s employer Bayer AG after the old botanical name for meadowsweet, Spiraea ulmaria.
Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca
A member of the mint family from Central Asia and SE Europe. Motherwort was used by the ancient Greeks to treat pregnant women for anxiety during the later stages of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. It has also been used for heart conditions, to regulate menstruation and as a diuretic. Cultivated as a medicinal herb during the Middle Ages, naturalised populations are now found scattered throughout Europe, but it is now rarely cultivated.
Myrtle Myrtus communis
From the Mediterranean, Western Asia and Indian Subcontinent, Myrtle is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, the writings of ancient poets and the works of the Greeks and Romans. Dedicated to Venus, it was considered an aphrodisiac and carried by brides at weddings. The whole plant is strongly scented and used in cosmetics.

Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
Originally from North America, and one of the most important medicinal herbs for Native Americans. It was used as a painkiller and for coughs, stomach-cramps and snake-bites. Taken in tablet form, Echinacea is popular in alternative medicine and it is claimed that all parts of the plants stimulate the immune system, but scientific evidence for this is somewhat limited.
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Native to the Mediterranean region. With strongly aromatic volatile oils in the leaves, Rosemary has been used since ancient times for medicines, perfumes and cooking. It also attracted much folklore: associated in the Middle Ages with weddings, it became known as a love-charm and Victorian ladies passed it secretly to a man they fancied in the hope that he would propose. It was also used as a symbol for remembrance, while plants were to be given to new households to bring good luck. An excellent bee plant.
Saffron Crocus sativus
Unknown in the wild, but cultivated for more than 3,500 years across many different cultures, Saffron was an important trade item from the earliest times. Saffron is considered to be the most valuable spice by weight, used for seasoning, fragrance, dye, and medicine. Once cultivated in Britain (at Saffron Walden and other parts of East Anglia), Saffron is now grown commercially again in Norfolk, just along the coast at Burnham Norton, where the fiddly job of harvesting the flowers for their orange feathered stigmas occurs each autumn. They are sold whole and are also used to flavour vodka and a liqueur. 
Sage Salvia officinalis
Originally from the Mediterranean, with a long history of medicinal and culinary use. It is said that planting Sage in a garden will grant the gardener a long life, and it has long been associated with old age to ward off loss of memory.  Also used as an ornamental, it has nectar-rich flowers. 
Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor ssp minor
Native to Britain and cultivated since the 15th Century. Young leaves have a cucumber flavour and are added to salads, fruit salads, herb butter and soft cheeses. High in vitamin C, Salad Burnet was carried to New England by the Pilgrim Fathers.
Saw-wort Serratula tinctoria
Related to thistles and knapweeds, and native to Britain and Europe, although uncommon. Grown until the 19th century to produce a fine yellow dye for wool and other textiles from the leaves – tinctoria in the scientific name refers to its history as a dye plant.
Soapwort Saponaria officinalis
Probably originating from Europe and introduced to Britain long ago. The scientific name Saponaria is derived from the Latin sapo, meaning ‘soap’ and the leaves and roots contain saponins and can be used to produce a natural soap – boil the leaves or roots in water to produce a lathery liquid that dissolves fats and grease. Still used today to clean old and delicate tapestries and other fabrics.

Southernwood Artemisia abrotanum
Artemisias are plants of ancient myth, magic and medicine, Southernwood was particularly valued for posies and as a strewing herb to keep bad smells and infection away. Still known as a good all-round insect repellant. Small birds (starlings and sparrows) have been known to add it to their nests to rid them of fleas and lice. A bunch hung in the wardrobe will deter clothes moths and organic gardeners use it to keep carrot fly and cabbage moth at bay. Others hang a bunch in the chicken coup to prevent lice. Of high regard in folk medicine it could ‘protect from the plague, increase potency (hence the old name of ‘Lad’s Love’) and put hair back on a bald head. A native of Southern Europe, and makes a good garden plant.
Spignel Meum athamanticum
Native to montane grasslands in northern Britain and Europe. The leaves, which are spicy and scented, were once used as a condiment and also medicinally for a variety of complaints. The roots can be cooked as a vegetable. 
St John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum
Native to Britain. A whole host of magical properties were attributed to this herb, which had a smell strong enough to drive away evil spirits. When crushed the yellow flowers release a red, florescent pigment, an important factor in the development of this folklore, and it became known as Herbal Sancti Ioannis. St John was beheaded on the 24th June when it is in full flower, hence it is the herb of St John. It’s anti-depressant properties have received some scientific support, but it can interact adversely with some prescription medicines (including oral contraceptives). Used as a dye plant for a variety of yellows and orange colours.
Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata
Originating from the mountains of central and southern Europe and much-cultivated as a pot herb throughout Europe, including Britain. It has a mild aniseed flavour, particularly the unripened seed pods which can be eaten like sweets or chopped into salads. The plant has found favour as a sweetener for rhubarb dishes in recent times. 
Tansy Tanecetum vulgare
Native to Europe, and probably introduced to Britain in the Middle Ages as a medicinal and culinary herb. Used in puddings and cakes, and as Tansy Tea, but take care: With it’s unpleasant smell it is still used to repel fleas on animal bedding and the shoots can be rubbed over dogs and cats for this purpose (probably only if you like the smell yourself).  More popularly grown as a dye plant for colouring wool green or brown. 
Garden Thyme Thymus vulgaris
Introduced to Britain from the Mediterranean by the Romans. One of the best-known and most widely used culinary herbs and in general use by the 16th Century. Makes a powerful tea for coughs, sweetened with honey. The extracted oil has long been used as an antiseptic and preservative – it was an ingredient in ancient Egyptian embalming fluid! There are many varieties and several closely related species.

Vervain Verbena officinalis
Native to Britain. Held in high esteem since classical antiquity, Vervain has a long association with magic throughout Europe and an equally long-standing use as a medicinal plant – it was said to have been used to staunch the wounds of Christ on the cross at cavalry and this is where its healing powers come from. Used to help numerous complaints and still occasionally used in herbal medicine.
Hedge Germander Teucrium  x lucidrys
Once used in popular medicine for digestive complaints but now known as a horticultural edging plant, used for Elizabethan Knot Gardens and becoming popular as the box blight fungus decimates many established Box hedges. 
Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia ‘Crispum’
Native to Britain. Once used as a substitute for Hops in flavouring beer but too bitter for most modern tastes. Medicinally it is reputed to have a variety of uses. This is a curly-leaved variety, and Wood Sage was favoured by Gertrude Jekyll in her planting schemes. 
Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare 
One of the most important culinary herbs – in the kitchen it is known as oregano. Common in Britain, on dry, lime-rich soils over chalk and limestone, and a magnet for bees and butterflies. Cultivars from Southern Europe have the best flavour and are often grown as ‘Greek Oregano’. There are several forms including this variegated or golden form. 
Winter Savoury Satureja montana A perennial member of the mint family originating from the Mediterranean region. Introduced by the Romans and long-used as a culinary herb to flavour poultry, meats, soups and beans. Medicinally it was attributed with a wide variety of benefits. (Summer Savoury S. hortensis is similar but is an annual with a milder and superior flavour.)
Woad Isatis tinctoria
Cultivated in Europe as a source of blue dye for over 2,000 years and used by ancient Britons to paint their bodies (either to scare off their enemies or to heal the wounds of battle). Superseded by Indigo (Indigofera sp.) but still grown and used by home dyers. The dye is made from the fermented leaves in a rather complex process that produces an unpleasant smell – it’s use was banned within 5 miles of Queen Elizabeth I’s palaces. 
Woodruff Galium odoratum
Native to Britain. The dried leaves smell of new-mown hay and were widely used as a strewing herb for the home and church floor, to stuff pillows and mattresses, and to fill pomanders.  The roots produce a red dye. 
Yarrow Achillea millefolium 
Native to Britain. Used historically to stop the flow of blood and reputed to be the herb Achilles used to heal his warriors – hence the scientific name. Yarrow is popular today with organic gardeners: the leaves make a good compost accelerator and are also harvested and steeped in water to make a copper-rich infusion used to prevent downy mildews.