A scene of mild excitement

Browsing through Nikki Duffy's 'Herbs' book (currently by my bed because I keep picking it up for inspiration) I found a promise that Lemongrass is easy to grow from the stalks you can buy in supermarkets - all you need to do is find one with good bit of the brown heel/base at the bottom of the stalk. I don't use a lot of Lemongrass at the moment but it sounded like a good idea so I duly picked up the last packet on the shelf after work which fortuitously had the required brown bit and carried it home in triumph. I figured that for 79p I wouldn't mind if it didn't work. 

More traditionally spring like image

That was a month ago and the Lemongrass failed to either die or grow which was quietly disconcerting (reading up on it again in 'Herbs' I realise how much it likes the heat - it seems it won't do anything in winter) if it wasn't doing anything I expected it to get slimy and disgusting at least, but it didn't and I kept giving it another chance until finally on Tuesday the sun did it's work and something looked different - inspection has revealed roots coming out (doesn't look very appealing at the moment but I'm sure it'll get better) and I'm really quiet pleased. Watching things grow never fails to feel a bit like magic. It's also very satisfactory to bring a bit of spring inside a garden-less city flat, I miss growing things that I can fuss over daily on a regular basis - long may the Lemongrass thrive.

Herbs - Nikki Duffy

A river cottage handbook. About Herbs. By Nikki Duffy - whose 'Source It' column was my favourite thing about 'The Guardian'. That's the sort of hat trick that makes the pile of other books about herbs I've got quite irrelevant. Happily the River Cottage Handbooks always have something new to add (I've been comparing with  Jekka's Herb Cookbook). I've been a fan from the beginning of this series, it's full of unexpected joys and really excellent writing. The strength of the whole River Cottage thing is in its community approach, because whilst I'm a fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall it's in a mild sort of way and definitely enhanced by his ability to find really good people to collaborate with (John Wright's contributions have been my high points but they're all good).

I made grand plans after reading the veg patch and fruit books (Mark Diacono) but I only have access to my partners garden and I'm not there enough to make large schemes practical (he doesn't like to water, and last year hired a mini digger when my back was turned - both to the detriment of the roses). I might still get my way regarding a Quince tree (or possibly a damson...) but the great thing about herbs is that a) they're growable on my windowsill, b) plenty of them positively like dry and arid conditions, though probably not mini diggers, c) the results are pretty much instant, and d) the plants are generally cheap to buy - roughly the same for a plant or seeds as a packet of cut herbs which is quite satisfactory really. 

I'm a little bit evangelical about fresh herbs, they were my gateway plants into gardening, are my concession to the good life, and are useful, and beautiful, both to me and bees. I bought a myrtle last year which has spent the last few months sitting on a windowsill all but ignored (it seems happy though) reading about it made me go and crush a leaf - the smell was as good as it was unexpected. I could have looked it up elsewhere but the joy of a new book like this is in how it makes familiar and overlooked things suddenly fresh and obvious. I can't tell you how excited I am by this book. 

I can tell you that it's nicely laid out - the information is useful but concise, isn't overly preachy, feels good to hold (Bloomsbury's design team nailed it with these books) and read, and has lots of good advice with regard to both growing and using. The recipes are imaginative (white chocolate and basil truffles) but not to challenging for those who look askance at a few petals scattered in a salad - I plan to insert the thin end of the wedge into that particular prejudice by introducing lamb loin with lavender. This is a really good book.