It’s not every day a legend invites you over for tea. And when they do, it’s best to arrive with cake. Which is just what I did a couple of weeks ago when I visited Jekka McVicar’s herb nursery just outside Bristol.
Jekka has been a pioneer of herb growing since 1984, one of the true greats of the British gardening scene. She has won so many awards for her plants, her show gardens, and her contribution to growing, that she must have multiple mantelpieces. And she even had time to fit in a career in a progressive rock band first (as if the accolade of playing the first ever Glastonbury wasn’t enough in life).
Jekka gave me a tour of the nursery where she and her family grow herb plants and seeds for sale, and host classes and open days. We had her homemade lemongrass tea and cake (the cake, since you ask, was this basic mix laced with blood orange, chopped rhubarb and glazed with marmalade and cooked in a 2lb loaf tin), then headed to the greenhouse where we chatted about life, herbs, and propagation.
Along the way, Jekka talked about the practicalities of how to propagate herbs from softwood cuttings; the challenges of growing sustainably; how to make the perfect compost mix; and, how life can change because Mary Berry needs French tarragon.
We also talk about her latest book, 100 Herbs to Grow, the eighth book she’s written about herbs, which was published last month. It is, unsurprisingly, an absolute stonker of a book. Utterly comprehensive but also accessible, practical but inspiring. So, just like Jekka herself, really.
I hope you enjoy our chat half as much as I did. Do let me know what you think with a comment below.
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