Shade-Tolerant Herbs

Herb Corn Salad Seeds (Valerianella locusta)

Also known as Lamb’s Lettuce or Mâche, Corn Salad is a fast-growing leafy green with soft, nutty-flavored leaves. Popular in European cuisine, it’s perfect for salads, sandwiches, and as a tender garnish. Hardy and cold-tolerant, it thrives in cooler months, making it an excellent choice for autumn and winter harvests. Easy to grow and highly nutritious, it’s a must-have for year-round salads.

How to Grow

• Sow directly outdoors from March to May, and again from August to October.

• Prefers fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade.

• Sow thinly, 1 cm deep, in rows 20 cm apart.

• Thin seedlings to 10 cm spacing for healthy plants.

• Harvest young leaves as needed for cut-and-come-again cropping.

Key Features

• Tender, nutty-flavored leaves

• Hardy and cold-tolerant, ideal for winter salads

• Quick and easy to grow

• Perfect for cut-and-come-again harvesting

• Highly nutritious and versatile in the kitchen

Ideal For

• Autumn and winter vegetable gardens

• Fresh salads and sandwich fillings

• Containers, raised beds, and small gardens

• Gardeners seeking a reliable cool-season green

Sowing

• Best time: March–May, August–October

• Depth: 1 cm

• Spacing: 10 cm between plants, 20 cm between rows

• Position: Full sun or partial shade

• Harvest: October to March

Quick Tip

• Succession sow every few weeks for a continuous supply of fresh leaves throughout the cooler seasons.

Garlic Chives – Seeds (Allium tuberosum)

Garlic Chives are a hardy perennial herb prized for their mild garlic flavor and tender, flat green leaves. Perfect for enhancing salads, soups, stir-fries, and garnishes, these chives bring a fresh, aromatic touch to any dish.

Easy to grow and low maintenance, Garlic Chives thrive in garden beds, containers, or raised planters. They are also tolerant of colder climates and will return year after year with minimal care.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: February – April

• Sow outdoors: March – May

• Plant spacing: 20–25 cm between plants

• Position: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost

• Care: Keep soil consistently moist; trim regularly to encourage fresh growth

Key Features

• Hardy perennial with tender, flat green leaves

• Mild garlic flavor ideal for salads, soups, stir-fries, and garnishes

• Easy to grow and low maintenance

• Suitable for garden beds, containers, or raised planters

• Returns year after year with minimal care

Harvest

• Harvesting period: 60–90 days after sowing

• Snip leaves as needed; regular harvesting promotes continuous growth.

Short Tip

Trim regularly to prevent flowering and maintain tender, flavorful leaves throughout the season.

English Plantain – Seeds (Plantago lanceolata)

English Plantain is a hardy perennial herb valued for its medicinal properties and ecological benefits. Known for its narrow, lance-shaped leaves, it is often used in herbal remedies, teas, and natural skincare preparations. English Plantain is also a beneficial plant for pollinators and soil health, making it perfect for ecological or medicinal gardens.

This low-maintenance plant thrives in a variety of soils and conditions, returning year after year with minimal care.

How to Grow

• Sow outdoors: March – May

• Plant spacing: 20–25 cm between plants

• Position: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil

• Care: Minimal maintenance; water during dry periods; remove weeds to prevent competition

Key Features

• Hardy perennial with lance-shaped leaves

• Medicinal uses for teas, herbal remedies, and skincare

• Low-maintenance and drought-tolerant

• Supports pollinators and improves soil health

• Suitable for ecological, medicinal, or wildflower gardens

Harvest

• Harvesting period: 60–90 days after sowing

• Leaves can be harvested as needed; best used when young and tender.

Short Tip

Sow in well-drained soil and allow natural self-seeding to create a sustainable, low-maintenance plant patch.

Balkan Mint – 200 Seeds (Micromeria thymifolia)

Balkan Mint is a hardy, aromatic perennial herb with small, fragrant leaves and delicate flowers. Known for its refreshing minty aroma, it is perfect for teas, culinary use, garnishes, and herbal remedies. Its compact growth habit makes it an excellent addition to herb gardens, rockeries, or containers.

Thrives in well-drained soils and sunny locations, Balkan Mint is drought-tolerant and easy to maintain, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced gardeners.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: February – April

• Sow outdoors: After last frost

• Plant spacing: 20–25 cm apart

• Position: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil

• Care: Water moderately; trim leaves regularly to encourage bushy growth

Key Features

• Hardy perennial with small, fragrant leaves

• Refreshing minty aroma for teas, cooking, and garnishes

• Drought-tolerant and low-maintenance

• Compact growth ideal for gardens, rockeries, or containers

• Produces delicate flowers adding ornamental value

Harvest

• Harvesting period: 60–90 days after sowing

• Pick leaves as needed; regular harvesting promotes continuous growth.

Short Tip

Grow in full sun and well-drained soil for the best aroma and compact growth.