Sage is a popular culinary herb, used in soups, stews and stuffing's. Sage is also an important medicinal herb, with anti-septic properties. Very easy to grow, and very attractive in a garden or in a pot. Can grow into a bush 60cm high, and 1m spread. Perennial.

Pineapple Sage - Salvia elegans 'Scarlet Pineapple'

This has to be a favorite. Grows extremely fast to about 1.5m and is perfect to tuck in next to another tall plant. I read about it being frost teneder but ours has survived about 5 years of frosts. It flowers whne everything else seems to have given up, and the taste of the teas is so refreshing from summer to mid autumn. Can be cut back hard.

Sage has the same uses and growing habits as common sage. It's popularity comes from its distinctly purple colored leaves which make it a great contrasting  plant in the garden. Really nice planted in a pot. Perennial. 60cm.

Red Sage - Salvia miltorrhiza

Coming soon!! We have been asked about this sage as it is very medicinial. We have just imported seeds and are researching. So more information & plants to come.

Variegated sage has the same uses and growing habits as common sage. The plant is very attractive in the garden with its variegated leaves. Perennial. 60cm.

Cotton Lavender also known simply as santolina is a great herb for knot gardens. Its grey-green foliage and neat texture also makes it good for hedging. Produces bright yellow flowers from summer to autumn. Can be used to deter moths and insects. Perennial. 50cm.

Good medicinal herb as the name suggests. Low growing ground cover and distinctive by its bright purple flowers in summer. I have been using the flowerrs of this plant as a tonic tea and find it is quite tasty. Best grown in full sun so it stays small and close to the ground. If planted in shade it has a tendency to grow taller and quite week & straggly. up to 30cm. Frost hardy. Perennial.

Skullcap - Scutellaria lateriflora

Has been used as an effective nervine, and can be very calming if used in small doses. I have been advised that too much can initially calm and then produce a spike of hyper activity. Giddyness and twitching. 1 or 2 leaves is all that is required for a small dose. Likes to grow in a moist place and have shade. Is a ground cover, growing to about 30cm.

Soapwort is best known for the shampoo that can be made out of the leaves. Grows really easily in the garden although it does have a tendency to spread. Soapwort produces attractive pink flowers during spring and summer. To make soapwort shampoo soak the leaves and stems in water overnight. This can be used for household cleaning. Perennial. 40cm.

Sorrel is a popular herb for in salads and soups. The leaves have a tangy lemony taste and are fantastic chopped finely and put in a summer salad. Sorrel soup is also quite well known in France. The leaves can also be steamed like a vegetable. Sorrel grows very easily, and can be a very attractive plant, especially if the inconsequential flower heads are cut off, leaving the bushy green leaves. Perennial. 50cm.

Used for treating nervous problems. This herb is used for treating a wide range of disorders. Bright yellow flowers make a stunning display on a plant that creep out to cover the ground in a colorful mound. Grows to 80cm in summer.

Sweet woodruff is a really cute little plant which is fantastic in the garden. The star shaped leaves are a very attractive bright green and it produces small white flowers in early summer. The flowers and leaves have a very nice fragrance. Sweet woodruff is reputed to have a healing effect on cuts and bruises. Prefers a shady moist spot. Perennial. 30cm.

Tansy - Tanacetum vulgare

THE BUGS HATE THIS ONE!!!
Can sometimes look a little scruffy and untidy, but the appearance is just the way it is. The other benefits more than make up for it. It grows well with tomatoes and it seems to keep the biting and eating critters off most plants. Said to be an ant repellant, so I will try drying some leaves and use around our new concrete at the nursery ......results to follow....

IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED YOU CAN SMOKE IT!
Beautiful plant, grows to 2m tall with stunning pink flower. Leaves are slightly sticky and are very large. This is the real McCoy for those who want to cure their own tobacco. Or just grow for a stunning feature in the garden.

MAKES YOUR MOUTH GO NUMB
Small annual with unusual looking, but attractive yellow flowers. The leaves contain spilantholare, a chemical with local anesthetic action which works remarkably fast. Yes we have tried it! Chew a leaf or rub a little on your gums for toothache relief. The leaf has antiseptic properties as well assisting in combating bacteria. Intriguing Annual. 40cm.

Twopence Herb - Lysimachia nummularia

Ideal Groundcover
Creeping groundcover plant that likes damp soil or to be beside a pond. Has a pretty yellow flower. Can be used fresh or dried, internally and externally. Is a good herb for treating wounds.

A MEDICINAL ROOT WORTH GROWING
A hardy perennial growing to 1.5 meters tall. Has an attractive clump of feathery foliage, hollow flower stems with a clusters of tiny pale pink fragrant flowers with a scent similar to heliotrope all summer. The strong smelling root when disturbed is attractive to cats, like Catnip. Medicinally Valerian is grown for its roots, which are dried and used for teas and tonics, and was popular in Victorian times as a sleeping draught. I used Valerian tablets last time I had to take a long flight and found I could finally sleep undisturbed. I arrived in San Francisco fresh and ready to go. Tablets are available from Health 2000 Dinsdale (07) 847-2373

MANY MEDICINAL USES
Vervain is very popular with herbalists and has many medicinal uses. It is also a very attractive garden plant, easy to grow, a short lived perennial and quite hardy. It readily self seeds. Vervain grows in most soils, but prefers full sun. Produces small pretty lilac flowers in late summer. Vervain tea made from the leaves is quite nice to drink with a little honey. According to the druids, Vervain should be harvested when neither the sun nor the moon are in the sky. Perennial. 50cm.

SILVER BEAUTY
It's not hard to grow Wormwood, and it makes a delightful difference in the garden. Silvery foliage, grows to 75cm. Is frost hardy and looks good all year around. Was used by the French to make absinthe. And as it's name suggests was used to expel intestinal worms. Is dangerous to use internally. Can be used as a compress for sprains and bruises. Oils is antibacterial and anti fungal and is used in some antiseptic lotions.
Is an effective insect repellant. Dry and place in the linen cupboard to keep moths away. Also distasteful to slugs.

SUPER-NUTRITIOUS YACON
Comes from Peru and known for it's fresh crispy tubers. Grown like a potato but tastes much like an apple. The tuber contain insulin which is not digested. Thus you get the taste of "sweet" without the disadvantages. Plant hibernates in winter and grow to about 40cm with big bush leaves in summer. Worth having in the vege garden. Potted tubers available through winter

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL YARROW
This one had delightful lemon flowers. Use in teas the same as Yarrow Cerise Queen. Use the flowers and foliage for a tea. Drink a cup of the tea to assist with reducing fevers and pain. A cloth soaked in the infusion can be applied to external swelling and inflammation. Lady bugs and predatory wasps will swarm to yarrow.

GROW YARROW TO STAUNCH THE BLEEDING
A highly used medicinal herb. The flowers and leaves can be used to make a nice tea. When planted in your garden it will repel flies, ants and beetles. Also called nosebleed for it's ability to stop bleeding. Used today to help fight off colds and flu.
Also helps break down the compost heap. This variety of yarrow produces stunning cerise flowers. Easy plant to grow. Frost hardy. Perennial. 60cm.

EXOTIC FEATURE PLANT.
Yucca is a very popular pot plant or feature plant. Its green spear like foliage makes it very dramatic in the garden or in the corner of a room. Great for growing in pots because it needs very little water to survive, and it thrives on neglect. Can grow to over 1.5m, but will grow to suit the size of the pot. North American Indians used the root of this plant to make soap and shampoo. The fruit is said to be edible. These plants are about 20cm tall