Growing herbs in Perth

Here in Perth most people already know our soils are not easy to grow things in, because it’s not really soil, it’s alkaline sand, at least near the coast. Western Australia also has some of the oldest soil on the planet, and while the native plants are completely adapted, growing food or plants from other places can be challenging. 

However I grow many Mediterranean herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lemon balm, basil, chives, mints, lavender and coriander, in my backyard, in the ground and in pots, and I pick and cook with them daily. We have Mediterranean climate, and these herbs all do well here.

All these plants and many more suitable for local climates are available at the big green shed, but also many  other wonderful nurseries, and I often find them at swap meet too. I often buy several varieties, so I have both curly and flat leaf parsley, several types of mint and sage. 

Here are some tips: 

1. I use Green life potting mix in all pots as it is created locally, and can also be mixed into local soils to improve their quality and water holding capacity. If you live elsewhere, find good quality potting mix for your local conditions. 

2. Sheep manure (weed free) is a great available mulch, and fairly cheap. 2-3x a year I buy 10 large bags delivered, and spread it over the whole garden. I also use eucalyptus mulch over the garden, including the herb gardens and veggie beds. I find that within 6 months of heavy mulching, a bed that was virtually pure sand, will be full of worms and healthy. In the meantime I plant into handfuls of potting mix. 

3. In the middle of summer is when many plants succumb to heat stress. It can be hard for any non-local plants to draw up enough water through their roots to replace the amount that evaporates from their leaves in our hot summer. So semi-shaded positions or shade cloth can be helpful. Having said that, I haven’t found the hardier plants like rosemary, thyme, sage to struggle as long as they are watered. 

4. Rosemary grows really well here- you can find hedges of it throughout Perth. It grows in sand! It will need some extra water in summer though. It will grow even better if some organic matter is added to the soil. 

5. Don’t try and grow coriander in the middle of summer- it bolts straight away! Grow basil instead (but don’t bother growing basil in winter unless you have a greenhouse!). I grow parsley all year round, and most of the other herbs. 

6. Pick your herbs daily. Make a habit of going out and taking snippets of this and that for meals throughout the year. It is this regular use of herbs that gives us all their health and medicinal benefits. When something is growing really well- at the moment I have a lot of rosemary- I will pick lots of it and dry it, and perhaps make a herbal salt. However, there is nothing like eating fresh herbs in salads or sprinkled on top of warm soups and stews. Some also make good herbal teas, and I will often go and pick some thyme or sage, lemon balm or mint, and make a pot of garden herb tea. By having daily interaction with the herbs, I also notice when they need some water, or a haircut.

   Even if you have a balcony, or a sunny window, you can grow herbs, and this can bring much simple joy as well as added nutrition.