Other services and information
Wild Flowers
We grow an interesting range of wild flowers to add colour to your garden and to encourage visits from bees and other beneficial insects. On our herb plant list you will find mints, marjoram, borage and fennel - all plants that attracted honey bees and helped us with many years of successful bee keeping at Blackbrook. Angelica, feverfew and meadowsweet are notable for their nectar and pollen rich flowers. Chives, catmint, hyssop, sage and lavender are particularly attractive to butterflies.
In addition to the wild flowers found on our herb list we also grow and offer:-
- Red Campion, an easy to grow perennial with deep pink flowers.
- Forget-me-knot, colourful pink and blue flowers in spring.
- Foxgloves, Classic bell shaped flowers in soft colours, loved by bees.
- Honesty, a biennial mauve flowering favourite with interesting seed heads.
- Motherwort, silvery green leaves, and pale pink flowers.
Cottage Garden Plants
Many herbs make excellent plants for the perennial border. We grow other plants that fill some of the colourful borders in our own garden (many of these are also medicinal herbs). These include anemone, astrantia (masterwort), erigeron, golden rod, lysimachia (yellow loosestrife), mallow, trifolium (black 4 leaf clover) and other seasonal flowers.
Garden Design & Landscaping
We can happily offer advice on planning and designing your herb garden and achieving the best growing conditions for your plants. Alternatively you may prefer us to undertake the work - we are able to prepare, layout and plant small herb gardens, and we will work with you to suggest the most suitable plants for your space and interest.
Pots, Planters & Containers
We have a small range of attractive clay pots and tubs planted up with varieties of decorative and / or culinary herbs at a variety of prices ranging from around £7.50. We are also able to plant up customers' own planters and hanging baskets with our herbs for a minimal charge.
Talks, Group Visits & Workshops
We will happily provide group talks by prior arrangement. Topics covered include culinary, medicinal and traditional uses of herbs, and also propagation and growing advice. We can bring plants and cuttings to show and a selection of herbs to sell - by mutual agreement we may also be able to donate a small proportion of the sale to the organising group or charity. Please call us to discuss content and available dates.
Quality Control & Safety
All our plants are carefully grown. If you should find a problem please return the plant for replacement. All our composts and materials are chosen to produce healthy naturally grown plants. We have hens and keep use of any chemicals to a minimum. We are currently trialling new alternatives to peat based composts. We also try to recycle pots, trays and labels whenever possible.
Please remember that although all herbs have a use they are not all edible. Treat all herbs with caution and always seek advice for any medicinal uses. Please be warned that although access to the nursery is on the flat, there are a number of gravel areas, steps, and level changes - the garden is a working area and therefore various tools and pots can be a hazard. Access to the greenhouse needs care during the busy growing season.