Thank you for your interest in herb plants from MeadowSweet Herbs & Flowers. I've closed order processing for autumn and winter, and will re-open the plant sales on 12 August 2024. I wish everyone a restful cold season and will see you back here for more herb offerings in spring!
Sweet basil is an ANNUAL growing to around 50cm with oval green leaves and white flowers. It can be grown as a PERENNIAL in warm climates, but dislikes the cold and will succumb to frost. Basil prefers well-drained moist soil in a full sun position away from cold drafts.
Leaves are edible and used fresh or cooked, or dried in various dished, notabley Italian cooking. Pairs well with tomato dishes, garlic, eggplant or peppers. Seeds are edible too.
Thai Basil is an annual plant with bright green leaves that tend to purple at the flower tips, and characteristic purple stems. The flavour of Thai basil is that of basil with a hint of aniseed. It is often used in Thai cuisine.
An ANNUAL growing to 45cm, it is sometimes known as Anise Basil or Liquorice basil because of its spicy anise- and liquorice-like flavour. It has shiny, green, slightly serrated narrow leaves, purple stems, and pink-purple flowers.
An ANNUAL growing to 60cm with several stems from the base lined with pairs of lance-shaped leaves that emit a lemony odour when crushed. The purple flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and bees. Prefers moist soil in a full sun or semi-shaded position.
Leaves are edible and used as a condiment and for brewing a herbal tea.
A PERENNIAL growing to 90cm forming dense clusters with dark green opposite leaves along square stems and ragged tubular flowers borne on showy heads in many shades of scarlet, bright red, pink, salmon and crimson. Very attractive to bees and butterflies. It can grow in heavy clay soil, and prefers a sunny position or semi-shade.
Leaves and shoot tips as well as flowers can be eaten while an excellent aromatic tea is made from fresh or dried leaves and flower heads. Often used in home herbal remedies.
A PERENNIAL growing to 90cm forming dense clusters with dark green opposite leaves along square stems and ragged tubular flowers borne on showy heads of bright scarlet. Very attractive to bees and butterflies. It can grow in heavy clay soil, and prefers a sunny position or semi-shade.
Leaves and shoot tips as well as flowers can be eaten while an excellent aromatic tea is made from fresh or dried leaves and flower heads. Often used in home herbal remedies.
A PERENNIAL growing to 1.5m noted for attracting wildlife like bees and butterflies. Large clumps has erect branches with lance-shaped toothed leaves and solitary compact flower clusters of pink to lavender flowers. It is often used as a honey plant, medicinal plant, and garden ornamental. Grow in any well-drained soil, but can grow in heavy clay soil. It prefers a full sun position. Flowers are edible and aromatic leaves are used raw or cooked. A common North American tribal medicine, it is still used somewhat in modern herbalism.
An ANNUAL growing to 60cm with several stems from the base lined with pairs of lance-shaped leaves that emit a lemony odour when crushed. The purple flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and bees. Prefers moist soil in a full sun or semi-shaded position.
Leaves are edible and used as a condiment and for brewing a herbal tea.
An ANNUAL flowering plant growing to 60cm , well noted for bringing bees to the garden. It is very bristly or hairy all over the stems and the leaves. Large leaves are alternate and simple. Large floral displays with multiple flowers blooming simultaneously. Somewhat tolerant of drought, it can grow in semi shade or full sun.
Leaves have a cucumber flavour and the pretty star-shaped blue flowers are also edible. Medicinally it has a lot of domestic uses.
An ANNUAL flowering plant growing to 60cm , well noted for bringing bees to the garden. It is very bristly or hairy all over the stems and the leaves. Large leaves are alternate and simple. Large floral displays with multiple flowers blooming simultaneously. Somewhat tolerant of drought, it can grow in semi shade or full sun.
Leaves have a cucumber flavour and the pretty star-shaped blue flowers are also edible. Medicinally it has a lot of domestic uses.
An ANNUAL flowering plant growing to 60cm , well noted for bringing bees to the garden. It is very bristly or hairy all over the stems and the leaves. Large leaves are alternate and simple. Large floral displays with multiple flowers blooming simultaneously. Somewhat tolerant of drought, it can grow in semi shade or full sun.
Leaves have a cucumber flavour and the pretty star-shaped blue flowers are also edible. Medicinally it has a lot of domestic uses.
Calendula is a popular flowering ANNUAL that grows to 60cm with oblong-lanceolate leaves and single flowerheads of bright orange or yellow. Flowers are pollinated by bees and it is a well-known companion plant. Calendula prefers any well drained soil but can grow in very poor soils and can tolerate very acidic or very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi shade but grows best in full sun. The plant can flower nearly year-round in favourable conditions, and the flower petals are edible and medicinal.
Calendula is a popular flowering ANNUAL that grows to 60cm with oblong-lanceolate leaves and single flowerheads of bright orange or yellow. Flowers are pollinated by bees and it is a well-known companion plant. Calendula prefers any well drained soil but can grow in very poor soils and can tolerate very acidic or very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi shade but grows best in full sun. The plant can flower nearly year-round in favourable conditions, and the flower petals are edible and medicinal.
A large PERENNIAL growing to 2m with at least a 1m spread. Cardoon is a thistle-like plant in the sunflower family and grows to be a stout plant with large, deeply lobed and heavily spined green to grey-green leaves. Flowers are violet-purple, produced in a large, globose, massively spined flowerhead.
It can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soil although it prefers well-drained soil in full sun. Somewhat drought tolerant it can grow in saline soil.
Flowers, leaves, roots and stems are eaten. Flower buds are eaten as a globe artichoke substitute. Some important medicinal use, and can be used as a dye plant.
Easy to grow PERENNIAL with tall flowering spikes up to 1.2m tall. It has aromatic opposite heart-shaped, green to gray-green leaves and lavender-blue flowers. Related to catnip, but much showier, and very attractive to bees. Most catmints prefer full sun and well-drained, not overly fertile soil. While not as enticing to cats as true catnip, felines may still try to roll on catmints.
A PERENNIAL growing to 1m with heart-shaped grey-green leaves and pretty flowers in pink or white with lilac spots. Known to be attractive to bees, and cats. Prefers well-drained soil in a full sun position. Can grow in very alkaline soils. Leaves and flowers are edible and it has a long history of medicinal use.
A PERENNIAL growing to 1m with heart-shaped grey-green leaves and pretty flowers in pink or white with lilac spots. Known to be attractive to bees, and cats. Prefers well-drained soil in a full sun position. Can grow in very alkaline soils. Leaves and flowers are edible and it has a long history of medicinal use.
This chamomile is an ANNUAL that prefers a full sun position in well-drained soil. With long and narrow leaves that are finely bipinnate or tripinnate and smooth, erect stems growing to 60cm. The flowers are borne on capitulate flower heads and are composed of yellow disc florets and white ray florets with a strong aormatic smell.
Can grow in nutritionaly poor or saline soils.
The flowers are used as a condiment or tea and it is a well known herbal remedy.
An EVERGREEN PERENNIAL growing to 20cm. Similar looking, but lower growing than German chamomile, Roman chamomile has bipinnate, finely dissected fragrant leaves and solitary terminal flowerheads. Prefers growing in well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. It can grow in either full sun or semi-shade and is somewhat drought tolerant when established.
Used similarly to German or annual chamomile, the young sprigs and flowers are edible
A BULB that grows to 30cm, preferring a moist but well-drained soil and full sun or semi shade. Tolerates heavy clay. Chives have hollow stems (or scapes) up to 50cm and tubular leaves that are just slightly shorter than the scapes. The flowers are pale purple, and produced in a dense inflorescence.
Leaves with their mild onion flavour is used in cooking, either fresh, or cooked, or dried. Long history of nutritive healing.
A BULB growing to 30cm. Not frost tender, it prefers well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates alkaline soils and somewhat drought resistant. Garlic chives have strap-shaped leaves and produces many white flowers in a round cluster. Leaves are used fresh or cooked where a mild onion-garlic flavour is needed. Flowers and flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked.
A BULB that grows to 30cm, preferring a moist but well-drained soil and full sun or semi shade. Tolerates heavy clay. Chives have hollow stems (or scapes) up to 50cm and tubular leaves that are just slightly shorter than the scapes. The flowers are pale purple, and produced in a dense inflorescence.
Leaves with their mild onion flavour is used in cooking, either fresh, or cooked, or dried. Long history of nutritive healing.
This is a cultivar that sets sterile seed and is not as invasive as the common comfrey. Comfrey is a hardy PERENNIAL growing to 1.2m. It has large, hairy and broad leaves bearing small bell-shaped flowers and a long black, turnip-like root. Comfrey grows well in almost any moist soil, but can tolerate heavy clay soil. It prefers full sun, but can grow well in partial shade.
Leaves and roots are used mainly as a medicine although young leaves have historically been eaten.