Pots of supermarket herbs are so hard to keep healthy when you get them home. With so many little plants crammed together it is no surprise that they quickly succumb to fungal diseases, and if you struggle to keep them alive then you are not alone.  

 

Yet herbs are so easy to grow from seed and once you have a few plants going you can easily and very cheaply propagate more. 

 

Yesterday I planted up some parsley, both curled and flat leaf, that I grew from seed last year. Parsley is definitely worth the effort (although not much effort is required - plant the seeds one year, harvest leaves throughout the growing season which is continuous with a little bit of winter protection. Carry on harvesting into the second year when it will eventually run to seed which you can save for future planting). 

 

You can gain many health benefits from this nutritious herb - if fights inflammation (as it is rich in vitamins A,C & E), strengthens bones (high in vitamin K), settles the stomach and aids digestion, freshens the breath, helps treat bladder infections and wards of heart disease (high in folate which is an important B vitamin). Number one in my book though is that it is so high in vitamin C, which makes collagen, which helps iron out fine lines and wrinkles. Parsley is a herb for the skin par excellence. 

 

So yesterday, with 15 minutes to spare I gathered together some herbs I had in the garden - parsley, chives and rosemary, potted them up and arranged tham around an old chair and a wine box. Much more pleasurable than queuing at the supermarket.