PARSLEY - Petroselinum crispum

One of the most popular herbs in British cooking, parsley is an absolute must to grow in your garden. A hardy biennial, it is sown each year from seed in spring and summer.

It can be used in Middle Eastern salads, combined with basil to make pesto, and used in stews and fishcakes. Curly parsley, with its decorative curled leaves, is often used as a garnish to dishes.

How to grow...

• Although a perennial, it can rot out in wet regions and overly saturated soils, so be careful to plant in drier soils and not over water.
• Plant in fertile soil, where it can receive warmth and a good amount of sunlight, and the herb will provide an abundance of shoots.
• As French tarragon rarely flowers, and thus has limited seed production, it cannot be grown from seed and must instead by raised by root division.
• Divide the plants in spring to retain the health of the plant, and replant the herbs every two to three years.