It may be possible to have a small herb patch in the town garden. In general, those herbs with smooth but moderately tough leaves, which would not get as choked with grime as very fluffy or felted leaves, should do best. The chief problems that beset plants in towns and cities are the acid-content of the grime deposits; the same effect to make the soil sour; and in many cases poor overworked soils and lack of sun.

Such soils would be benefited by a dressing of lime at 2 lb. to r lb. per square yard, preferably a few days before planting; and by the addition of some compost or available organic compound. One realizes that one of the great problems in towns is the difficulty of carting bulky products. `Bac-peat’ or hop manure are both quite useful; leaf mould not to be despised. On clay soils raised beds might be made, brick-contained; or a square yard of clay removed and good compost substituted.

Since foliage-clogging is a great problem, it would help the herb plants if the leaves were powerfully syringed when grimed.

Herbal BeautySunny corners could be planted with marjoram, savory, common and lemon thymes (not too greatly in love with urban conditions but worth trying), sage, tarragon, tree onions and borage (the latter an annual, from seed). For shady spots, mints, fennel, sage (though it does prefer the sun), lemon balm, angelica, also chervil and parsley (the two latter from seed) could be tried, and there is always the sweet bay.

In addition to culinary herbs, such favourites as rosemary, southernwood, lavender and bergamots are well worth trying. As physical conditions and soil vary so much from district to district, it is often wise to plant specimens of each incipient favourite, and more plants can be obtained of those which take kindly to the conditions.

Tubs and Troughs. In paved courtyards and on balconies and roofs, containers such as tubs, large stone jars, and wooden and stone troughs may be used to grow herbs. Some drainage outlet is advisable, an annual change of soil helpful if no actual outlet can be provided. Some rough draining material such as broken clinker, brick or rubble, is best at the bottom, then a layer of rough stuff such as peat. This both helps to conserve moisture at the root and prevents the soil from being washed right down to clog the drainage material.

The ideal soil mixture for filling tubs, troughs and window-boxes is the John Innes potting compost. The basic ingredients are seven parts of loam, three of peat and two of sand, with a fertilizer-blend of hoof-and-horn, sulphate of potash and superphosphate added ‘at the stated dose’—which is not a large one It should he possible to get this whole compost ready mixed from a good sundriesman, and it is good, as it has the right balance of ingredients.

The soil should be firmed and is then ready for planting, which may be done in spring or autumn. The tubs or troughs should, as far as possible, be stood away from all-embracing and repellent draughts, and in as sunny a position as possible away from prevailing winds.

Sweet bay, rosemary and myrtle shrubs could be grown, amongst others, with smaller herbs around their foot; or the receptacles could be devoted entirely to a selection as mentioned in general for town gardens.

Window-boxes. These gallant cameos of country life can well be used for herbs. The sunniest ledges are the best. The boxes should if at all possible be at least 10 inches to i foot deep, and filled as outlined for the troughs and tubs. Needless to say, the boxes should be securely fixed on the window-sills and may need an iron bracket to keep them level. They should not be creosoted inside because of the danger of fumes to plant-roots. In a window-box 4 feet long and 9 inches wide the following could be grown—three clumps of chives; one sage; two marjoram; one savory; one tarragon; and, at the further end, a plant of mint This could be planted in a pot plunged, to keep the soil reasonably moist, in the compost of the window-box, if preferred; it would keep the runners from being de trop. The tarragon, which normally grows to some 2 feet (if the true French kind) would need to have its terminal shoots picked at intervals to keep it compact; and the same would be necessary if a fennel, for fish sauce, were to be grown.

When the clumps grew large, pieces could be potted up and presented to cooperative neighbours (including those ‘good neighbours’ in the flat below who are not allergic to drips when the window-box is watered).

Many will now be asking mentally—parsley, chervil, basil and oregano (knotted annual marjoram)? You have a sporting chance of being able to raise your own seedlings of the two latter, which are half-hardy, sown on the surface of pots filled with a sandy mixture, the seed just covered and kept inside on the kitchen windowledge. Or you might try a control experiment, sowing two pots of each, and having one inside, one out. Why this is suggested is because no two kitchens are the same for airiness, dryness, heat or fumes; nor have any two people quite the same ideas as to watering. To say ‘water when necessary’ is, practically, about as helpful as saying ‘feed dog when necessary’. But watering pot-plants, seeds and window-box has to be learnt by experience, giving much more in warm, sunny growing weather and being least liberal with water during the dead months— autumn till the New Year, and in very cold weather. The soil then needs to feel just moist, but not sodden.

Parsley, dill and chervil seed could either be sown also in pots or attempted in a corner of the window-box, and just covered with fine soil made damp before sowing.

The question is often asked ‘Is it better to grow the plants in pots or directly in the window-box soil?’ The latter gives a larger root-run and pots are so apt to dry out quickly. At the same time, half-hardy plants such as scented ‘geraniums’ (so- called oak-leaf pelargoniums, whose leaves can be used to flavour sponge-cakes, the lemon-scented crispum kind, also possible for flavouring), lemon verbena and pineapple sage can be kept indoors on a sunny window-sill for the winter, and plunged out in a window-box or put in the paved yard in tubs or just in their pots for the summer.

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