Chives

Chives are among the most useful herbs that you can plant in your garden. They make attractive border plants, producing clumps of thin leaves with dainty mauve flowers. They also work well as companion plants as their pungent scent repels many garden pests. Chives are rich in vitamins A and C and can help to lower blood pressure.

Planting Tips :

• Chives grow best in full sun, in well-draining soil.
• Feed your chives with liquid fertiliser every 6 weeks and they’ll really flourish.
• They are perennial herbs which flower in spring. The bulbs lie dormant under the soil in the winter months and flower again when the weather warms up.

How to use them :

• Chives make an attractive garnish for fish, potatoes and soup.
• They can also be added to salads and stirfries to get an onion-like taste without the intensity of actual raw onion.
• Plant clumps of chives between your roses to repel aphids and other rose-munching bugs.