My sister Glenda gave my father a bay tree before she died, and my father gave a cutting to my sister Pamela, who gave a cutting to us when we moved to France. Our tree is now flourishing in the walled garden. It loves well-drained soil in the sun or part shade. Leaves are best picked in the summer for drying. It thrives in well-drained soil in sun or part shade, and summer is the perfect time to pick leaves for drying.

Wonderfully forgiving and happy in almost any soil, chives are a joy to grow. Simply cut them back after flowering and they’ll reward you with fresh new growth.

I had always failed to keep supermarket parsley alive, so when I first met Angela, I could not believe the pots on her windowsill. The answer: completely over water them! It worked, although I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I use the parsley technique to re-plant the basil pots and, even though I was always taught not to water basil in the evening as ‘it doesn’t like going to bed with its feet wet’, I allow Angela to water it at will.

An essential in our kitchen, especially with mushrooms, butter, garlic and crème fraîche. Trim after flowering to keep it compact and bushy

Fragrant year-round and adored by bees in spring, rosemary is both beautiful and useful. We grow hedges of it to snip branches for the barbecue - perfect for smoking meat - and it’s wonderfully easy to propagate from cuttings.

Slow to germinate but utterly indispensable. We often soak supermarket pots and gently separate the seedlings before replanting them into larger containers. With care, one pot quickly becomes many. And though flat-leaf has its fans, we still have a soft spot for curly parsley.

Sown little and often through the warmer months, coriander keeps us supplied from mid-summer into autumn. As an annual, it rushes to set seed, and we happily collect those seeds for cooking and for next year’s crop.

A magnet for bees, butterflies and beneficial insects, mint is as good for the garden as it is for the kitchen. As it loves to spread, we plant it in large pots with the bottoms removed - allowing roots to grow downwards but not take over sideways. Divide regularly to keep it healthy.

Growing herbs doesn’t require acres of land, just a sunny windowsill, a few pots, and the pleasure of stepping outside to snip something fresh for supper. And once you begin, you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without them.

Growing herbs doesn’t require acres of land, just a sunny windowsill, a few pots, and the pleasure of stepping outside to snip something fresh for supper. And once you begin, you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without them.