OVER in the herb garden this week I am featuring some of the most useful types.

This includes lemon balm, which is an old cottage garden plant which has no special sun or soil requirements.

It is a bushy perennial which grows about one metre high but it can spread quite horrifically, somewhat like mint, and hence you must keep an eye on it.

Ideally keep it in a large bucket.

The small white flowers are not really important as it is the oval-shaped leaves which emit the strong lemon aroma when crushed.

There are a wide variety of uses for lemon balm.

Chopped leaves can be added to salads and fish dishes and stewed fruit or it can be incorporated in a stuffing mix.

An old-fashioned remedy for lemon balm tea was used to treat feverish colds.

Dried lemon balm leaves make a good ingredient for pot-pourri.

Basil – a great flavour in Italian cookery – can be used in many dishes but unfortunately it does not grow easily outdoors in this country.

Indeed, it is much better grown indoors in a sunny location.

Basil is strongly flavoured so use it sparingly.