Hamnet
The historical drama Hamnet, directed by Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao and adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, brings Shakespeare’s family vividly to life, exploring love, loss and personal tragedy.
The film presents a largely fictionalised narrative of the marriage between Agnes Hathaway and William Shakespeare, focusing on how the tragic death of their eleven-year-old son, Hamnet, strains their relationship and ultimately inspires Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Hamnet is set to be released by Universal Pictures in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2026.
Herbs in Shakespeare's Elizabethan England
In Elizabethan England, herbs weren’t just flavourings, they were the medicine cabinet, the perfumery, and the household cleaning system all in one. Every kitchen garden had its physic bed. Knowing your herbs was as essential then as knowing your medicines is today. Therefore, throughout the film, herbalism features prominently. Agnes is frequently rumoured to be the daughter of a forest witch, and before her death her mother teaches her extensive knowledge of herbs. Agnes later draws on this knowledge to heal a cut on William’s forehead. In addition, the film incorporates repeated quotations from the Old English Nine Herbs Charm.
What makes this film even more special to us is that we both advised on and supplied many of the herbs featured in the film. This included strewing herbs that were Elizabethan air-fresheners. When Shakespeare describes scented floors, he’s talking about herbs like Lavender, Mint, and Meadowsweet that were the domestic perfumes of the age. Meadowsweet was considered a courtly scent; Elizabeth I herself was said to favour it on her floors. Furthermore, Wormwood, Angelica and Horehound weren’t exotic, and instead were everyday medicines, as normal to an Elizabethan housewife as aspirin is to us. Another important use of herbs, was for dying: woad for blue, weld for yellow, and madder for those deep, earthy reds. Finally herbs were used for medicines, such as Valerian as a key sedative herb and Comfrey was known as ‘knitbone’ as they genuinely believed it helped bones set (which we now believe they weren't entirely wrong!). Herbs connect the story of Shakespeare’s family to the centuries-old tradition of gardening and herbal medicine.
Want to know more? Read the corresponding article in the Financial Times: The ‘Hamnet’ guide to growing medicinal herbs.
Jekka's Herbs for the film Hamnet
Here’s a closer look at the herbs we advised and provided:
- Alecost (Tanacetum balsamita)
- Broad Leaved Thyme (Thymus pulegioides)
- Catnep (Nepeta cataria)
- Celery Leaf (Apium graveolens)
- Chamomile, Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
- Clove Pink Whatfield Cancan, (Dianthus ‘Whatfield Cancan’)
- Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
- Comfrey bocking 14 (Symphytum x uplandicum bocking 14)
- Compact Thyme (Thymus vulgaris 'Compactus')
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Dill (Anethum graveolens)
- Dyers chamomile (Cota tinctoria)
- English mace (Achillea ageratum)
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- French Marjoram (Origanum 'French')
- French Parsley (Petroselinum crispum 'French')
- Fullers Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
- Harts Pennyroyal (Mentha cervina)
- Heartsease (Viola tricolor)
- Jekka's Purple Haze Thyme (Thymus 'Jekka's Purple Haze')
- Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
- Lavender Ashdown Forest (Lavandula angustifolia 'Ashdown Forest')
- Lavender Lullingstone Castle (Lavandula x intermedia 'Lullingstone Castle')
- Lavender Melissa (Lavandula angustifolia 'Melissa')
- Lavender Miss Muffett (Lavandula angustifolia 'Miss Muffett')
- Lesser Calamint (Calamintha nepeta)
- Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
- Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
- Meadowsweet, (Filipendula ulmaria)
- Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
- Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
- Rosemary Jekka's Green Dragon (Salvia rosmarinus 'Jekka's Green Dragon')
- Rue (Ruta graveolens)
- Sage, Common Sage (Salvia officinalis)
- Salad Burnet, Pimpernel (Sanguisorba minor)
- Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)
- Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
- St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
- Sweet Woodruff (Gallium odoratum)
- Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
- Wood Sage (Teucrium scorodonia)
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
- Valerian (Valerian officinalis)
Our herbs are grown by seeds and cuttings at our herb farm. Where seeds are available a link is provided, otherwise plants are available and you can organise a farm gate collection from our herb farm in South Gloucestershire or collect during one of our Herb or Open Days.
Alecost, Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)
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Clusters of small daisy like white flowers. Large rosettes of oval, soft, aromatic, silvery grey green leaves. Rub a fresh leaf on a bee sting or horse fly bite to relieve pain. Culinary; traditionally used to make Ale.
• Historical use: Called costmary or alecost, this aromatic herb flavoured ales, scented linens and appeared in potpourris. Used in remedies for digestion, bruises and cuts in Tudor kitchens and stillrooms.
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Broad Leaved Thyme (Thymus pulegioides) - Buy some seeds
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Terminal clusters of small pink/purple flowers. Small, oval, dark green leaves that are easy to remove from the stems. Culinary; edible flowers and leaves. Excellent culinary flavour, great with all forms of food.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, do not cover. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Wild thyme has ancient associations with courage and healing. Used by Romans and medieval herbalists for respiratory ailments, cleansing rituals and culinary seasoning. In Shakespeare's play, Thyme is an emotional shorthand for harmony.
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Catnep, Catnip (Nepeta cataria) - Buy some seeds
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Clusters of small pale pinkish white tubular flowers. Pungent, aromatic grey green, toothed oval leaves. Culinary; the leaves and flowers are edible. The leaves are good in stuffings and marinades.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover the seeds with perlite. • Historical use: Catnip was grown for its calming qualities. Infusions soothed nerves, aided sleep and fever; leaves were chewed for minor ailments in Elizabethan households alongside other kitchen-garden herbs.
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Celery Leaf, Wild Celery (Apium graveolens) - Buy some seeds
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Clusters of green white flowers in second year followed by aromatic seeds. The mid green cut leaves have a strong celery flavour. Culinary; use young leaves and seeds in salads, soups, sauces and in baking.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring in prepared plug trays or pots, cover seeds with perlite. Bottom heat, 15°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Known in Tudor gardens, celery leaf leaves and seeds were used in stews and broths; they also believed it aided digestion and appetite in Elizabethan kitchens.
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Chamomile, Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) - Buy some seeds
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White petals with a yellow centre, daisy-like flowers in summer. Sweet smelling finely divided green leaves. Medicinal; use flowers to make chamomile tea. An infusion can also be used as a hair rinse, known to lighten fair hair.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring, in prepared plug trays or pots, cover seeds with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Used since Roman times for calming, healing and scenting spaces. Valued in medieval herbals for fevers, digestion and soothing sleep.
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Chicory, Succory (Cichorium intybus) - Buy some seeds
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Clear blue flowers in the second year. Oval mid green coarsely toothed leaves, with tiny hairs on the underside. Culinary; use young leaves and flowers in salads. The root is used to make a form of coffee.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: late summer, into prepared plug trays or pots. Winter young plants in a cold frame. • Historical use: Wild chicory was recognised for its cleansing properties and added to pottages. Later used in sweets and confections; flowers symbolised pleasant taste in courtly gardens.
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Clove Pink Whatfield Cancan (Dianthus 'Whatfield Cancan')
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Pretty, clove scented, pink frilled double flowers. Narrow blue-green leaves. Culinary; flower petals can be eaten in salads and used to flavour vinegars.
• Historical use: Pinks were strewing and scented herbs in Tudor homes; their spicy, clove-like scent masked odours on rush-strewn floors and in flowering knot gardens.
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Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
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Clusters of white, purple or pink tubular flowers. Green, lance shaped, hairy leaves. Medicinal; roots and leaves. Leaves can be used to make a liquid feed.
• Historical use: Called knitbone, comfrey was prized by Elizabethan healers to poultice injuries, sprains and wounds, cultivated in physic gardens for its reputed healing power.
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Compact Thyme (Thymus vulgaris 'Compactus')
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Terminal clusters of small pale pink flowers. Small, oval, narrow pointed, dark green aromatic leaves. Culinary; edible flowers and leaves. Good culinary flavour, use with vegetables, meat, cheese and egg dishes.
• Historical use: Descended from Mediterranean thyme used by Egyptians and Romans, valued for antiseptic properties, incense and flavouring, later central to medieval monastery gardens.
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Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) - Buy some seeds
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White flowers are followed by round seeds. The first and lower mid green leaves are broad and scalloped and have the best flavour. The upper leaves are finely cut. Culinary; the whole plant is edible, leaves, seeds and roots.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring and early autumn, into prepared plug trays or pots. Cover with perlite. • Historical use: Grown since antiquity, coriander seeds and leaves flavoured Elizabethan cookery and were used in remedies for digestion and breath freshening in Tudor households.
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Dill (Anethum graveolens) - Buy some seeds
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Umbels of small yellow/green flowers followed by aromatic seeds. Fine, feathery, aromatic, mid green leaves. Culinary; leaves, flowers and seeds are edible. Use in pickles, salads and with potatoes and cucumbers.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring in prepared plug trays or pots, cover seeds with perlite. • Historical use: Dill featured in Elizabethan stews and breads and was valued in kitchens and apothecary gardens for flavour and digestive tonics.
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Dyers Chamomile, Golden Marguerite (Cota tinctoria) - Buy some seeds
 
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Yellow daisy flowers in summer. Serrated dark green aromatic foliage. Traditional dye plant.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring in prepared plug trays or pots, cover seeds with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Chamomile was strewn in houses and used as a calming tea; Dyer’s Chamomile added yellow colour to textiles and was known to Elizabethan dyers.
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English Mace (Achillea ageratum)
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English Mace is a culinary herb that has clusters of small creamy daisy-flowers with aromatic, mid-green, pinnately divide toothed leaves. As a culinary herb its mild flavoured leaves can be used in soups, stews, vegetables, chicken and egg dishes.
• Historical use: English Mace appeared in physic beds; its aromatic foliage was used for wound care and minor ailments by country herbalists.
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Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - Buy some seeds
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Large flat umbels of small yellow flowers, followed by aromatic seeds. Soft green feathery foliage. Culinary; the flower, seed and leaf are edible. Use with fish, pork and all forms of salad.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover seeds with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Cultivated since antiquity, fennel was used by Romans for digestion and eyesight, later valued in medieval fasting diets and herbal medicine.
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French Marjoram (Origanum 'French')
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Clusters of tiny tubular pale pink flowers. The aromatic, oval, hairy leaves, which form a mat, are green in winter and gold in summer. Culinary; the leaves have a light spicy flavour, very good with vegetable dishes.
• Historical use: Associated with love and happiness in ancient Greece, marjoram was widely used in medieval kitchens and physic gardens for digestion and flavour.
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French Parsley (Petroselinum crispum 'French') - Buy some seeds
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Small creamy white flowers in flat umbels in the summer of the second season. Flat, dark green, divided leaves with serrated edges. Culinary; the leaves have a good strong flavour, and are a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Cultivated since ancient Greece, parsley symbolised death and rebirth. Widely used in medieval cookery and medicine for digestion and vitality.
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Fullers Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) - Buy some seeds
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Large globular flower heads in summer. The tiny pink/purple flowers open in bands. Bright green, prickly oval leaves.The plant remains intact throughout winter, the seedheads are attractive to birds, especially finches.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In autumn, into prepared pots cover with perlite. Winter in a cold frame. • Historical use: While not medicinal, teasel heads were vital for fulling cloth and cultivating quality textiles in Elizabethan towns and gardens
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Harts Pennyroyal (Mentha cervina)
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Small mauve flowers in tight whorls around the stem. Narrow, mid green, peppermint scented leaves. Rub crushed leaves onto mosquito bites to remove the swelling and irritation. Culinary; the flowers are edible.
• Historical use: Used since Roman times as a medicinal mint. Grown in monastic gardens for digestive and aromatic purposes, though later recognised as potent.
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Heartsease, Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor) - Buy some seeds
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Small tri-coloured pansy like flowers in hues of blue, yellow, white, purple and black petals in various combinations. Oval or heart shaped toothed green leaves. Culinary; edible flowers.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring, into prepared plug trays or pots. Do not cover the seeds. • Historical use: Known as wild pansy, Heartsease brightened gardens and was used in salves for skin and eye ailments; its cheerful blooms adorned Elizabethan beds.
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Jekka's Purple Haze Thyme (Thymus 'Jekka's Purple Haze')
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Jekka's Purple Haze Thyme is a new Jekka's variety of Thyme that is a lovely spreading perennial evergreen Thyme. It first appeared in the gravel by our lower tunnels and Jekka has been able to propagate off it. It has clusters of small dark purple/crimson flowers that appear in early summer. The small dark green leaves grow in a tight mat which means it provides good ground cover or can be used as rockery Thyme. As with all Thymes, it is culinary and has edible flowers.
• Historical use: A contemporary cultivar continuing thyme’s ancient legacy as a symbol of bravery, purification and healing, long used in cooking, medicine and ceremonial burning.
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Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
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Hardy perennial. Tiny greenish yellow flowers in summer. Large, pale green rounded leaves with crinkled edges. Traditional medicinal herb.
• Historical use: Used in medieval Europe for women’s health and wound healing. Alchemists prized its dew, believing it held mystical and medicinal properties.
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Lavender Ashdown Forest (Lavandula angustifolia 'Ashdown Forest')
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Short spikes of pale blue flowers. Narrow, grey green, aromatic foliage. Compact habit. Culinary; add flowers and leaves sparingly to stews and to flavour sugar for use in puddings and baking.
• Historical use: English lavender reflects centuries of cultivation for fragrance, healing and household use, prized in Tudor and monastic gardens for calming and cleansing.
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Lavender Lullingstone Castle (Lavandula x intermedia 'Lullingstone Castle')
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Long spikes of mauve flowers. Excellent for cutting and drying. Long narrow, silver grey, aromatic foliage. Culinary; add flowers and leaves sparingly to stews and to flavour sugar for use in puddings and baking.
• Historical use: Lavender has been cultivated since Roman Britain for bathing and scent. This cultivar continues traditions of herbal medicine, perfume and domestic use. An important Elizabethan strewing herb, like all Lavenders, the Elizabethan air-fresheners.
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Lavender Melissa (Lavandula angustifolia 'Melissa')
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Medium spikes of mid purple flowers. Narrow, grey green, aromatic foliage. Culinary; add flowers and leaves sparingly to stews, soups and salads.
• Historical use: Lavender’s history spans Roman medicine to medieval monasteries. In Elizabethan times it was valued for soothing nerves, scenting linens and warding illness and insects.
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Lavender Miss Muffett (Lavandula angustifolia 'Miss Muffett')
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Short spikes of mauve flowers. Narrow, grey green, aromatic foliage. Culinary; add flowers and leaves sparingly to stews and to flavour sugar for use in puddings and baking.
• Historical use: Rooted in ancient Mediterranean lavender traditions, long associated with purification, healing and comfort, widely grown in historic English herb gardens.
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Lesser Calamint (Calamintha nepeta) - Buy some seeds
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Small purple/white flowers. Small grey green oval leaves covered in fine hairs. Whole plants is aromatic. Culinary; the flowers and leaves are edible. The leaves are great with mushrooms.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In autumn or early spring, into prepared seed trays or pots, cover the seeds with perlite. • Historical use: Used since classical times for digestion and respiratory ailments, cultivated in medieval physic gardens for its minty aroma and medicinal value.
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Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
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Pale blue/violet pea-like flowers. The large green leaves are divided into oval leaflets. Culinary; the root is used to flavour drinks, sauces and soups. It is also an important Chinese medicinal herb.
• Historical use: Used in ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman medicine. Grown in medieval England for soothing coughs, digestive ailments and sweetening remedies.
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Lovage (Levisticum officinale) - Buy some seeds
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Flat clusters of tiny pale, greenish yellow flowers, followed by brown seeds. Deeply divided toothed green leaves, celery scented when crushed. Culinary; flowers, seeds and leaves are all edible. They taste of meaty celery.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Lovage grew in Tudor physic gardens; stems, roots and leaves flavoured soups and stews and were believed to settle colic and support digestion.
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Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) - Buy some seeds
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Clusters of frothy, almond scented, creamy white flowers. Aromatic, pinnate, serrated, deeply veined mid-green leaves. Culinary; the flowers are used to flavour drinks and vinegars.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In autumn, into prepared plug trays or pots. Sow thinly, cover with compost. Winter trays or pots in cold frame or cold greenhouse. • Historical use: A favoured strewing herb, meadowsweet scented floors of Elizabethan homes and was used in remedies for fevers and aches, prized at court.
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Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) - Buy some seeds
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Small pale blue flowers. Short needle shaped, dark green, highly aromatic leaves. Essential culinary herb; both flowers and leaves can be used. Good with vegetables, tomatoes, meat, fish and pasta dishes.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Used since classical antiquity for memory, healing and ritual. Revered in medieval Europe, rosemary symbolised remembrance, fidelity and protection, appearing in medicine, kitchens and funerary rites. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, when Ophelia hands out rosemary, she’s giving a message as clearly as if she’d spoken it aloud.
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Rosemary Jekka's Green Dragon (Salvia rosmarinus 'Jekka's Green Dragon')
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Small dark blue flowers. Short, dark green, needle shaped, aromatic leaves. Upright bushy habit. Culinary; good with vegetables, tomatoes, meat, fish and pasta dishes.
• Historical use: A modern cultivar rooted in ancient rosemary tradition, continuing centuries of medicinal, culinary and symbolic use, celebrated today through organic cultivation and heritage herb conservation.
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Rue (Ruta graveolens) - Buy some seeds
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Small, yellow waxy flowers with 4 or 5 petals. Green/blue leaves that are very prettily divided into small rounded oval lobes and have an odd scent. Culinary; the leaves have a very bitter taste, use with discretion.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Known since ancient Greece and Rome, rue was valued as a powerful medicinal and protective herb, used against plague, poisons and evil spirits throughout medieval Europe. In Elizabethan language, Rue stood for repentance.
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Sage, Common Sage (Salvia officinalis) - Buy some seeds
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Mauve/ blue flowers. Highly aromatic, finely veined, oval, greeny/grey, textured leaves. Culinary; flowers and leaves are edible. Use leaves with rice, vegetables and meat dishes.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Revered since Roman times as a healing herb. Medieval proverb claimed, “Why should a man die who has sage in his garden?”
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Salad Burnet, Pimpernel (Sanguisorba minor) - Buy some seeds
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Tiny magenta flowers are borne in compact thimble shaped heads on flowering stalks that stand a foot or so above the leaves. Soft grey/green leaves are divided into neat ovals with toothed edges. Culinary; the leaves are lovely in winter salads.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring or autumn. Autumn sowing, cover with glass and winter under cover. • Historical use: A medieval salad herb valued for cucumber flavour and medicinal use. Believed to staunch bleeding and lift spirits, common in monastery gardens.
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Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria ) - Buy some seeds
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Attractive blue, lilac flowers in summer. The mid green lower leaves are oval, the upper leaves are finely dissected. Attracts bees and butterflies. Traditional medicinal herb.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In autumn, into prepared pots. Place in a cold frame or cover with glass for the winter. • Historical use: Traditionally used for skin complaints, its name reflects medieval belief in curing scabies, commonly grown in physic and cottage gardens.
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Spearmint, Garden Mint (Mentha spicata)
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Small purple/mauve flowers in terminal, cylindrical spikes. Mid green, lance oval shaped, wrinkled, spearmint scented and flavoured leaves. Culinary; good for sauces and with vegetables. The leaves make a good summer cold mint tea.
• Historical use: Spearmint was strewn to freshen rooms and brewed to soothe stomachs; it was common in Tudor gardens.
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St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) - Buy some seeds
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Lightly scented yellow flowers with tiny black gland dots. Small stalkless, oval, green leaves covered with tiny translucent resin glads that look like small spots. Important medicinal herb.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In late spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, do not cover. Put in a cold frame. • Historical use: Named for midsummer rituals, used since antiquity for wounds and melancholy. Associated with protection against evil in medieval folklore.
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Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
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Clusters of small star shaped white flowers. The aromatic leaves are narrow and lance shaped, 6-8 leaves grow around each stem in a complete circle. Culinary; young leaves can be used in salads and drinks.
• Historical use: Dried sweet woodruff scented linens and wardrobes, repelled insects and appeared in Elizabethan potpourris alongside lavender and pennyroyal.
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Sweet Violet (Viola odorata )
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White or dark purple, or occasionally cream, sweetly scented flowers. Broad pointed heart shaped green leaves. Culinary; the flowers can be used to flavour oils and vinegars, add to cakes or salads.
• Historical use: Loved for fragrance and beauty, violets scented homes, were used in courty cuisines and symbolised modesty in Elizabethan flower lore.
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Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare ) - Buy some seeds
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Clusters of yellow, button like, flowers. Aromatic, dark green, feathery looking leaves which are very divided with toothed edges. Dried bunches of tansy flowers and leaves make a good fly repellent. Culinary; traditionally used in Lent.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, cover with perlite. • Historical use: An ancient medicinal herb used by Greeks and medieval Europeans for parasites, preservation and ritual, often linked with Easter and funerary customs.
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Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - Buy some seeds
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Small white flowers followed by small, edible sweet red fruit. Trifoliate, mid green, toothed leaves. Culinary; very young leaves can be used in salads, the fruit is delicious in salads, puddings and drinks.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In summer to early spring, onto watered compost, do NOT cover. Bottom heat, 15°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Wild strawberries were gathered for fresh desserts and jams; their sweet fruits and leaves appeared in Tudor household gardens.
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Wood Sage (Teucrium scorodonia)
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Pale greenish white flowers in summer. Soft, green, heart shaped leaves with finely toothed edges. Traditional culinary herb; the bitter tasting leaves can be used to flavour ales and beers.
• Historical use: Wood sage grew on woodland edges; Elizabethan herbalists used it symbolically and medicinally for minor ailments and aromatic smokes.
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Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) - Buy some seeds
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Tiny yellow flowers. Silver/green, divided, aromatic foliage. The leaves and flowers are very bitter. Culinary; very bitter flavoured leaves, good with cheese. Used in many drinks such as Absinthe and Vermouth.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring in prepared plug trays or pots, cover seeds with perlite. Bottom heat, 18°C, aids germination. • Historical use: Elizabethan households used bitter wormwood to flavour wines and ales and in tonics to aid digestion and intestinal complaints.
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Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) - Buy some seeds
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Clusters of small, sweetly scented white flowers that are often tinged with pink. Mid green leaves, deeply divided and toothed around the edges. In spring the new growth has an attractive bronze tinge. Cats think the root of this herb is elixir. Medicinal Herb.
• Grown from seed:
• Indoor Sowing: In early spring, into prepared plug trays or pots, do NOT cover. • Historical use: Valerian was a key sedative herb in Elizabethan medicine, used in tinctures to calm nerves, aid sleep and ease aches.
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Shakespeare’s plays are full of herbal details that his audience would have instantly recognised, such as marigolds opening with the sun and lavender scenting the linens. In Elizabethan times, knowing your herbs was as essential then as knowing your medicines is today. When Perdita, from Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale, lists her herbs (lavender, mint, savory) she’s speaking the language of the herb garden, the stillroom, the Elizabethan home. Furthermore, the line ‘Not poppy, nor mandragora’ in Othello only works because the audience knew how potent those herbs were. Therefore, herbs were vitally important and common knowledge in Elizabethan times, a lot of which has been lost today.
We are proud that our herbs played a part in bringing Hamnet to life, connecting modern viewers to the smells, tastes, and textures of a 16th-century herbal garden and centuries of culinary, medicinal, and cultural tradition. By cultivating these herbs, you’re not just growing plants, you’re experiencing a living link to history, much like the one portrayed on screen in Hamnet.
Want to know more?
You can find more about herbs in Jekka’s blog, our past newsletters and videos as well as Jekka's new book '100 Herbs to Grow' and Jekka's existing books, namely 'A Pocketful of Herbs' or Jekka's Complete Herb Book, and also by browsing Jekkapedia and exploring our herb based recipes.
Alternatively, come and visit the herb farm in South Gloucestershire at one of our Open Days, Master Classes or Herb Experiences.
Please also see Jekka's herbs of the month blogs: Bay (January), Rosemary (February), Salad Burnet (March), French Tarragon (April), Angelica (May), Alliums (June), Lavender (July), Basil (August), Mint (September), Szechuan Pepper (October), Thyme (November) and Curry Tree (December)
Herb plants are available and you can organise a collection from our herb farm in South Gloucestershire or at one of our Open Days. Please see our 'Looking Good List' for availability and use our webform or email your list directly to us (sales@jekkas.com). We no longer offer a general mail order service for our plants