Herbs and Fruit
The Quirky Bird says:
Herbs are what got me into gardening as a child and I still love them 40 years later. There is nothing better than growing your own to use in the kitchen, for scenting the house or for one of the many other uses they have. Even drawing your hand through scented leaves as you walk past can make you feel better.
The herb garden we built in the nursery is one of my favourite places to work and be, surrounded by the scent of plants and the humming of insects, and of course David and I got married there in 2017.
Below is our current list of herbs and fruit in stock. With nearly 100 new additions across the whole plant list hopefully you will find something for your own garden. There are other pot sizes available for some of them and some plants are not listed as we have limited numbers. If you are looking for something not on the list, please get in touch. There will be variations as plants sell out or propagation is not successful, please use this as a guide and not a definative list. It is imposible to keep it updated all the time through the year along side all the other nursery work that needs done.
Herbs
Achillea
Achillea ageratum
“English Mace” A hardy perennial with clumps of cream flowers which
flower for weeks. Bright light-
Agastache
Agastache foeniculum
Anise Hyssop. An aniseed-
Agastache rugosa ‘Liquorice Blue’
Whorls of blue flowers on long, upright spikes in summer with liquorice-
Agastache rugosa f. albiflora ‘Liquorice White’
Pure-
Allium
Allium cepa 'Purutile'
“Everlasting Onion” A non-
Allium cepa proliferum
“Tree Onion” is a hardy perennial and typical of the Allium family with thick hollow
cylindrical stems. Small green-
Allium fistulosum
"Welsh onion" An edible, bulbous perennial, remaining green virtually all year round
and producing impressive creamy-
Allium schoenoprasum
“Chives” A staple of the kitchen, chives grow well in a pot at the back door or in the herb or vegetable garden. With long flowering purple drumhead flowers, they are worth growing for the flowers alone. In my last garden I used them as a short summer hedge along the edges of one vegetable bed.
H 30cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Allium tuberosum
“Garlic chives” are a clump-
H50cm, S 40cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Althaea
Althaea officinalis
“Marsh Mallow” A native, herbaceous perennial with softly hairy, grey-
H2m, S 1.5m. 2L pot £9.00
Angelica
Angelica archangelica
“Angelica” As well as being useful this plant is also worth growing for its architectural
size and shape. Young shoots can be eaten in salads, and the stems peeled and crystallised
as cake decoration. It also has various medicinal uses. Bees and other beneficial
insects will be attracted by the nectar. Plant in sun and well-
Armoracia
Armoracia rusticana
“Horseraddish” a vigorous rhizomatous perennial with fleshy, pungently aromatic tap-
H 90cm, S 100cm. 2L pot £9.00
Artemisia
Artemisia abrotanum
“Southerwood, “Lad’s love”, “Aipple Ringie” that reviver of childhood memories in Granny’s garden with its slightly odd, pineapple scented leaves. It can be used sparingly in salads or cakes and in potpourri. Makes a rounded bush. H 90cm, S 90cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Artemisia absinthium
An upright deciduous perennial, with finely divided, highly aromatic grey-
H 1m, S 50cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Artemisia dracunculus
“Tarragon” Perennial grown for its aromatic, lance-
Artemisia pontica
This lovely delicate-
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’
A dwarf evergreen shrub with finely cut silver leaves. The dull yellow flowers in late summer are insignificant and can be removed if desired. A great plant for pots, front of the border or in amongst pink, blue and white flowers. H 60cm, S 45cm. 9cm pot £4.00
Asperula
Asperula tinctoria
“Dyers Woodruff”. This gorgeous perennial covers itself in tiny white flowers from June onwards. Its spreads out forming a mounded plant of dark green leaves. It is happy in sun or partial shade and will grow in most soils. H 30cm, S 45cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Chamaemelum
Chamaemelum nobile 'Treneague'
Also called Roman Chamomile, this is a lovely plant when grown as an ornamental edging
or groundcover for hot, dry sunny sites. This special non-
Chenopodium
Chenopodium bonus-
"Good King Henry" Used as a vegetable for centuries it was once a common sight in every garden. This reliable kitchen garden staple has fallen by the wayside in recent years and is now a rarity today, but this unique herb still has much to offer as a perennial. The succulent young leaves and flowering stems can be either eaten in salads or cooked like spinach, amongst many other uses. H 75cm, S 60cm. 2L pot £9.00
Foeniculum
Foeniculum vulgare
“Fennel” An outstanding architectural herb with green, feathery foliage and masses
of small, muted-
Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’
“Bronze Fennel” An outstanding plant with bronzy, aniseed-
H 2m, S 60cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Galium
Galium odorata
“Sweet Woodruff”. This plant makes great ground cover in shade under trees and shrubs.
Whorls of bright green leaves appear in spring and are topped with tiny, white scented,
star-
Hyssopus
Hyssopus officinalis
"Hyssop" A semi woody plant from the mediteranean which prefers a warm sunny spot in the garden. Lovely vivid blue flowers appear in summer and are excellent for bees and insects. Hyssop grows to 60 cm and doesn't mind being trimmed, and is better for a hair cut every so often. Use the leaves sparingly in salads or in meat dishes and bean soups. 9cm pot £3.50
Isatis
Isatis tinctoria
An upright herb with basal rosettes of leaves, stems with arrow-
Lavandula
Lavandula angustifolia
A compact, bushy Lavander, more wide than tall, with narrow, aromatic, grey-
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Pale Pretender’
Long spikes of pale-
Levisticum
Ligusticum scoticum
"Scots Lovage" (Luffage, Shemis – Scots native) A compact, clump-
Melissa
Melissa officinalis
“Lemon Balm” is a bushy perennial with broadly ovate with scalloped edges. Spikes
of creamy-
Melissa officinalis 'All Gold'
“Golden Lemon Balm” is a yellow leaved cultivar with very pale almost cream young
leaves fading to dark golden through summer. Spikes of creamy-
Mentha
Mentha arvensis 'Banana'
A low-
Mentha citrata
“Lemon Mint” A small mint with lemon scented leaves. Light green foliage and small flowers. Ideal for a pot near a seating area or at the back door.
H 30cm. S 45cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Mentha longifolia Silver leaved
The silvery-
Mentha pulegium
“Pennyroyal” A great wee plant for ground cover with its semi-
H 25cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Mentha spicata
“Spearmint” The traditional garden mint and one of the best for cooking with. It
has light purple flowers through summer over mid-
Mentha suaveolens
“Apple Mint” This is the one I use for cooking, it sits in a big bucket at the back
door where I can easily snip off a few sprigs. It goes particularly well with strawberries
and in homemade lemonade or a jug of water. With its woolly-
Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’
“Variegated Apple Mint” or “Pineapple Mint” This attractive mint has a lax habit
but will still take over the garden if not contained. The leaves have creamy-
Mentha x gracilis ‘Variegata’
“Variegated Ginger Mint” This is a lovely shorter mint with golden flecked leaves and a lovely scent. Be warned, it may short, but it will spread, so as with most mints, keep its roots contained. Small pale purple flowers appear in July, again a lovely mint to grow in a pot next to a garden bench or pathway.
H 40cm, S 90cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Mentha x piperita
“Peppermint” The pure black variety with strong scent and flavour. Contains antiseptic properties, excellent fresh or dried as a refreshing morning tea and for indigestion. It is a natural cross between spearmint and water mint. H 60cm, S 90cm. 1L pot £5.50
Mentha x piperata f citrata
“Eau de Cologne Mint” With its rounded green and bronze-
Mentha x piperita f.citrata 'Chocolate'
A vigorous, spreading mint (aren’t they all) with minty-
Mentha x smithiana
Tight clusters of small mauve flowers in summer. Oval pointed, mid green leaves that have a purple red hue especially at the tips. The stem is red. Culinary; good mint flavour, ideal for use in sauces and preserves. H60cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Mentha × villosa var. alopecuroides
Small pale mauve flowers in terminal cylindrical spikes. Large, round, hairy, soft green leaves,which have a unique flavour, a mixture of peppermint and spearmint. The leaves make an excellent mint sauce. H 90cm.
Origanum
Origanum majorana
“Marjoram” is an aromatic which originated in Egypt and Arabia. Today, it is commonly found in the Mediterranean region or grown in gardens around the world. In its varied forms it has many uses. As a culinary additive, it is commonly used to flavor soups, sauces, salads, and meat dishes. Cosmetically in skin cream, body lotion, shaving gel, and bath soaps. H 45cm, S 30cm. 1L pot £6.00
Origanum onites
“Pot marjoram” A lovely low-
H 45cm, S 30cm. 1L pot £6.00
Origanum ‘Rosenkuppel’ AGM
Terrific dark-
Origano vulgare
“Oregano” This small white-
H 30cm, S 30cm. 1L pot £6.00
Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum
“Golden oregano” A robust creeper with tiny, rounded leaves. Small, pink or lavender to purple flowers stand out above the foliage in early to late summer.
H 45cm, S 45cm. 1L pot £6.00
Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum Crispum’
This crinkle-
H 20cm, S 25cm. 1L pot £6.00
Origano vulgare 'Country Cream'
Bushy perennial oregano with attractive cream and green leaves and pale pink flowers in summer. Sprigs of leaves can be used for garnishing or finely chopped in salads and sauces. Good fresh or dried in Italian dishes. H 30cm, S 45cm. 1L pot £6.00
Rosmarinus
Rosmarinus officinalis – "Rosemary". A stalwart of the kitchen herb shelf this woody Mediterranean perennial herb can be border line in our colder more exposed gardens here. Covered in needle like aromatic leaves and lovely blue flowers in summer it is deal for a sunny area where it can bask in the sunshine. Leaves are great in stews, savoury dishes or in Rosemary loaf cake which is a favourite of mine. H 100cm, S 100cm. 9cm pot £4.00
Rosmarinus officinalis (Prostratus Group) 'Rampant Boule'
This rosemary has a prostrate habit meaning it will spread and stay low. To prevent the plant getting too woody always cut back by one third in the Autumn. If grown in a pot the prostrate stems will grow down the side of the pot. H 30cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £4.00
Ruta
Ruta graveolens
“Common Rue” A great foliage plant with its deeply divided aromatic foliage. Bright
yellow flowers appear in upright clusters through summer. Evergreen in sheltered
areas or semi-
Salvia
Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’ AGM
“Purple Sage” An excellent plant with matt purple leaves that come to life when touched
by early morning dew. Spikes of pale-
H 60cm, S 90cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Santolina
Santolina chamaecyparissus
A compact rounded shrub with woolly young shoots and (when crushed) aromatic, grey-
Santolina rosmarinifolia
A Santolina that forms a compact, regular cushion which, over the years with careful
pruning, can look like a bonsai with a thick, knotty trunk. The foliage is aromatic
and glaucous green. Creamy yellow flowers 1 cm in diameter appear in June-
H 30 cm, S 30cm. 1L pot £6.00
Satura
Satura montana
“Winter Savoury” a white flowered perennial herb with strong flavoured leaves and can be used fresh or dried. Let it flower for the small, attractive white blooms that appear through summer. H 30cm, S 20cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Symphytum
Symphytum officinale
A robust, rather invasive perennial forming a clump of erect stems bearing large
rough leaves and terminal clusters of nodding, tubular bell-
H 1.5m, S 1.5m. 3L pot £10.00
Tanacetum
Tanacetum balsamita ssp balsamita
“Costmary” or “Alecost” Mint-
H 90cn, S 45cm. 2L pot £9.00
Tanacetum parthenium
"Feverfew" A pretty plant with strongly smelling foliage which has a huge range of
uses from relieving pain and migraines to easing sleeplessness and hay fever. The
white daisy flowers appear from July. Plant in sun and well-
Tanacetum vulgare
"Common Tansy". An erect perennial with pretty ferny, aromatic green leaves. Stems
of button-
Thymus
Thymus 'Bressingham'
A creeping that forms a low evergreen carpet of grey-
H 5cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Thymus citriodorus
“Lemon Thyme” Similar in growth habit to Thymus vulgaris but the foliage has a pleasant
lemon scent. Lavender-
H 20cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Thymus 'Fragrantissimus' Fragrant Orange
A wonderful variety with grey-
Thymus herba barona
“Caraway Thyme” This thyme has wiry stems of tiny dark green leaves heavily scented
of caraway seed. The stems form a mat of foliage topped with pink and mauve flowers
in summer. Plant in full sun and well-
Thymus serpyllum ‘Albus’
A mat forming, very flat thyme with lighter green, rounded leaves and white flowers. A pretty addition to path edging or for growing between paving slabs.
H 7cm, S 45cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Thymus vulgaris
"Common Thyme" An ancient herb that loves sun and well-
H 30cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Thymus vulgaris 'English Winter'
The hardiest of culinary thymes, this onehas dark green leaves with a semi-
Thymus vulgaris 'Thyme de Provence'
Related to the ordinary thyme, this variety is preferred by the French, seen as a
most flavoursome thyme you can grow with a stronger and sweeter taste. With narrow
and delicate greyish-
H 45cm, S 30cm. 9cm pot £3.50
Fruit
Rootstock -
Apples MM106 = Semi-
M25= Very vigorous – height to 4m. Ideal for half and full standard
Damsons & Plums St Julien A = Semi-
Pears & Quince Quince A = Semi dwarf, the ideal rootstock for bush trees
Flowering/Pollination Group
All fruits are divided into 5 flowering periods from early (group 1) to late (group 5). This drives pollination. Each period overlaps with the one before and the one after. For example, a variety in flowering/pollination group 3 will cross pollinate with groups 2, 3 and 4. Crab Apples are excellent pollinators for any of the Apple trees.
Pruning
By cutting a Maiden tree to a measured point above the ground level, several training techniques can be employed. These include Fan trained, Espalier, Cordon and Stepover. To form a simple Bush or Half Standard, prune off all lower branches (feathers) and leave the main leader of the tree undisturbed to ‘run on’. When the tree has reached approx. 2m, a further cleaning up of the stem to 1.5m can take place. The tree will form a natural head over time – Alternatively, simply plant in the ground and enjoy the fruits of your labour!
Malus
The fruit trees we sell are on semi-
Apple
All apples are in 10 litre pots and are £48.00
Malus domestica ‘Braeburn’
A well known variety with lovely bright red and yellow colouring and a sweet and sharp flavour with a lovely crisp, juicy bite. Harvest in late October and stored to ripen in a cool, dry place until March. Despite being a low maintenance, heavy cropping tree, Braeburns are not widely grown in Britain despite being common in supermarket. Plant in sheltered sites with full sun. MM106.
Malus domestica ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ AGM
Surely the best known culinary variety for with late autumn picking and storing through until the end of February. Greenish yellow fruits and creamy white flesh that is simply superb for cooking with firm acidic greenish white flesh that remains intact during the cooking process. The tree is big and robust.
Malus domestica 'Cox's Orange Pippin’
A desert cultivar in pollination group 3. It needs favourable soil and weather conditions
to crop well. Fruit is medium-
Malus domestica 'Cox's Self Fertile'
This variety reliably producing a generous crop of orange flushed fruit (particularly
when teamed with a pollination partner) and is often said to be one of the best British
eating apples. With their rich and aromatic flavour, they are certainly long-
Malus domestica 'Discovery'
A dessert apple that has a fairly compact habit. It can grow to 2.5-
Malus domestica ‘Greensleeves’
Bearing medium sized, round fruit with pale green skin ripening to bright yellow.
The flesh is creamy white, crisp, juicy flesh with a pleasant refreshing flavour.
Sweet but with some balancing acidity. Should be eaten fairly soon after picking
as it tends to go soft and lose its flavour in storage. A small compact tree ideal
for smaller gardens. It is partially self-
Malus domestica ‘James Grieve’ AGM
The best known Scottish apple variety originated on the site of Thomas Blaikie’s
nursery -
Malus domestica ‘Katja’ syn. ‘Katy’
An early eating variety with a lot going for it. Flowers abundantly making it a good pollinator, has high yields and good disease resistance. The fruit are bright red, sweet, juicy and with a hint of strawberry. Highly suited to growing in Scotland, it will ripen well even in a poor summer. Good for juicing and makes a palatable cider. MM106, Group 3. (Sweden 1947)
Malus domestica ‘Laxton Superb’
A heavy-
Malus domestica ‘Worcester Pearmain’
A dessert cultivar in pollination group 3, and a tip bearer. The fruit has an intense
strawberry flavour when well-
Crab Apples
As well as being highly decorative with an extremely long season of interest (flower, foliage & fruit) these are ideal pollinators for Apple trees – plant one to ensure you have good and reliable crops in your orchard. Well known for making Apple Jelly, they contain high levels of both vitamin C and pectin.
Malus ‘Evereste’ AGM
A conical tree with dark green, lobed leaves and large, soft pink to white flowers in spring with small red and yellow fruits that hold well into winter and an excellent pollinator for apples. H 3m. 15L £59.00
Malus 'Golden Hornet'
A small deciduous tree bearing white flowers in late spring followed by a profuse
crop of bright, deep yellow fruits 2.5cm in length, which persist well into winter.
Excellent all year interest and good for the birds. H 8-
Malus ‘John Downie’
A vigorous small deciduous tree with profuse white flowers opening from pink buds.
Fruits abundant, bright red and orange-
H 10m, S 5m. 15L £59.00
Malus ‘Red Sentinel’
This is a medium-
Malus crab apple 'Royalty'
A spreading deciduous tree with ovate deep purple leaves reddening in autumn, and
clusters of purplish-
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant 'Ben Hope'
Bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Ben Hope is a vigorous and upright-
H150cm, S 150cm. 2L pot £13.95
Blueberry
Blueberry 'Belle Blue'
My favourite fruit and a great all year interest plant with lovely coloured spring
foliage, white bell-
Cherry
Cherry ‘Morello’
A dark red, acid cherry that is excellent for preserves, tarts, etc. Regular, good
crops and very attractive in blossom. Also self-
Cherry ‘Stella’
A black cherry with large, rich, high quality fruits. Heavy, regular crops and self-
Damson
Prunus insititia 'Merryweather Damson'
A vigorous, spreading tree with relatively large, blue-
Fig
Ficus ‘Brown Turkey’
Deciduous and worth growing for the large leaves even if you don’t get any fruit. I grow mine in a large terracotta pot which goes in the unheated greenhouse for winter due to our hillside aspect. The flowers are insignificant, but if planted on a sunny warm wall or grown in a greenhouse you will hopefully get lovely fresh figs. H 3m. 2L pot £15.95
Fragaria
Fragaria vesca
“Wild or alpine Strawberry” Often seen growing under hedgerows or in woodland, these native plants produce tiny, tart strawberries that are full of flavour. The smaller leaves also provide good ground cover. Runners are easily removed if they become too many. It makes an ideal candidate for a pot or trough or under hedging. H 10cm, S 1m. 9cm pot £3.50
Pear
Pyrus communis 'Doyenne de Comice'
A dessert pear with a very rich flavour; very juicy, buttery, perfumed. Excellent quality, but moderate crops, although older trees crop more reliably; season of use from November to December. A vigorous tree in pollination group 4 15L £59.00
Pyrus communis ‘Williams Bon Crichton’
A dessert pear with white flowers and yellow-
Season of use: mid-
Plums
Prunus domestica ‘Czar’
'Czar' is a compact, reliably fruiting, self-
Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’ AGM
Perhaps the most popular plum to this day and deservedly so, they are Sweet & juicy
with bright, pinkish red, oval fruit in late August -
St Julien A, Group 3. 15L £59.00
Redcurrant
Ribes rubrum ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ AGM
An early variety, cropping heavily at the beginning of July. Well known for its
juicy, red, jewel-
H 2m. 2L pot £13.95
Ribes rubrum 'Red Lake'
This is an excellent cariety which bears an abundance of large, well flavoured berries on long trusses between July and August. Plant is sun or partial shade.H 2m. 2L pot £13.95
Rhubarb
Rhubarb ‘Victoria’
A popular old variety with late, cardinal red stalks with flecking at the top. The red flesh is tinged green in very thick stalks.
H 75cm. 2L pot £12.95
Whitecurrent
Whitecurrent 'White Versailles'
One of the few varieties of white currant available. The fruit is large, light yellow and sweet, ready for harvesting early July. It makes a strong, vigorous, upright bush, cropping heavily. H 1.5m. 2L pot £13.95