Man has been using herbs, in the kitchen and for health-related reasons, for as long as history has been recorded. The Victorians in particular, loved to use herbs and flowers in their everyday lives – and no Victorian home was complete, without its own herb garden.
Herbs such as Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme were the staple herbs of any Victorian kitchen, as is the case for many homes of today. The Victorians also used herbs to help combat any ailments (Feverfew is great for combating headaches), scenting their hanging and folded clothes (using sprigs of Lavender and Rosemary), moth repellent and even created potpourri for almost every room in the house – each adorned with pressed flowers and fresh sprigs of herbs.
Victorian ladies used herbs and flowers to create their own cosmetics, including essential oils, and it was often the norm for them to buy unscented products, such as soap, and melting it down, in order to add their own favourite scents to them.
The Victorians loved to use flowers and herbs in their kitchen, both for cooking and cleaning, and an herb garden was therefore an essential part of their ground use. If you want to create your own Victorian-based herb garden, look to incorporate the following herbs:
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Chives
- Mint – spearmint and peppermint
- Parsley
- Bergamot
- Nasturtium
- Calendula (Pot Marigold)
- Lemon Verbena
- Lavender
- Feverfew
- Chamomile
- Lemon Balm
- Geraniums
Herbs love to be in well-drained soil, but some of them also like to go wild – so planting them in pots can be the perfect solution. Make sure you add coarse grit to the pot, in order to improve drainage and choose a sunny, but sheltered spot for your potted herbs.
Herbs are low maintenance on the whole and hardier ones, such as Mint, Rosemary, Thyme and Sage will be quite happy outside all year round, but for others, you may need to bring them in from the cold, during the colder months. All herbs can benefit from a regular trim, to keep them nice and compact, so do as the Victorians did – use them often and take off what you need on a regular basis, to help keep their growth in check!