Parsley is another one of those plants that cheers up the winter garden. With bright green foliage and delicate white flowers, parsley makes for a lovely foliage border plant. It is seemingly indestructible in my garden, with no pest problems, and an ability to put up with whatever level of love and attention (and water) that I happen to give it. I use parsley to separate plantings, and it is a fantastic companion plant as “bad” bugs don’t go near it. Bees love the flowers in summer, and parsley readily self seeds- in fact, I don’t even bother sowing seeds in punnets. I simply transplant the new seedlings from wherever they sprout up to wherever they will be of most benefit in the garden.

I grow both curly leaf and continental (flat leaf) parsley, and seem to have a never-ending supply. It is one of the gift herbs that friends and family take home whenever they come to visit. Parsley is a cut-and-come-again plant, and it is best to take stalks from the outside of the plant. Flavour intensifies if you dry parsley, and fresh chopped parsley is full of flavour and has a pungent aroma. Parsley is used in a huge range of dishes, and is a key ingredient in tabouleh. You can find a delish parsley side-dish recipe here.

Propagation

If you do want to grow new plants in a more formal manner, allow the plants to go to flower in summer, and once they have started to brown, cut the stalk off the plant and hang upside-down in a brown paper bag. The seeds should drop in, or you can give the flower heads a gentle rub to dislodge any remaining seeds. Sow in punnets or into final planting position, keep moist until germination.