Jekka's guide to being a sustainable herb gardener

There is no better time to transition to or take up sustainable gardening techniques, not only for your health and well-being but also for the environment.

Sustainable herb gardening at Jekka's

Read Jekka's blog

1. Herb garden sustainably

Buy our herb calendar

2. Attract pollinators to your herb garden

A major part of our natural ecosystem at Jekka’s Herb Farm is the biodiversity of pollinators. Pollinators are amazing to watch and help make happy, tasty and strong organic herbs. In the network of your herb garden everything is connected; the soil feeds the plants, the plants feed the wildlife and this then feeds us.

Insect pollinators include bees, pollen wasps, ants, flies, beetles hoover flies, mosquitoes, butterflies and moths. Jekka’s is home to a diverse range of pollinators and in particular, bees. We have honey bees (Apis mellifera), miner bees (Andrena spp), leaf cutter bees (Megachile spp), hairy footed flower bees (Anthophora plumipes) and many of the main bumblebee species, including Bombus pascourum, Bombus lucorum agg. Bombus terrestris, Bombus lapidarius, Bombus pratorum, plus many more! Come to one our Herb Experiences to see them.

However, worryingly, pollinators are considered to be in decline and therefore, the delicate balance of our ecosystem is at risk. It is thought that this decline is due to the lack of flowering plants, loss of nesting sites and other habitats as well as climate change, pests and diseases. You can make a difference to help reverse this trend because, as we mention in our blog on our sustainable approach, through gardening sustainably we can all promote pollinators.

Jekka’s top 5 ways to attract pollinators to your garden are:

1. Plant nectar or pollen rich plants (Read Jekka’s guide to pollinators for her top 10 herbs or get growing with Jekka’s seed collections).
2. Rewild part (or all) of your garden by allowing plants to flower (read about rewilding in Jekka’s blog).
3. Provide safe sources water for bees and other pollinators.
4. Garden sustainably and avoid using pesticides.
5. Provide nest sites for wild bees which includes tuffs of ground or mounds of soil. We now stock Wildlife World’s beautiful bee homes so you can give solitary bees and other pollinators a place to nest.

Want to know more? Read Jekka’s guide to pollinators and our blog on planting for bees and pollinators.

In addition to pollinators, to make a sustainable, natural ecosystem you should also look after your birds. Birds are not only beautiful to watch, they will control your garden pests. Therefore, you should feed them throughout the year but especially during the winter. We are fans of the Cotswold Granaries bird food which the birds at Jekka's love. It is a high quality bird feed mix that has no artificial colours or added sugar. Furthermore, their packaging is fully home, compostable and is made from starch and plant fibres. 

To further support our pollinators at Jekka’s Herb Farm, we are excited to be creating Jekka’s Herb Garden. Jekka’s design contains two large flowers with 16 petals. Each petal will illustrate a different herb garden design, for example herbs for dry conditions, herbs for the damp and one showing herbs for pollinators. The herb beds will be of a size for people to recreate at home and thereby create their own space for nature.

Want to know more? Read about Jekka’s Herb Garden.

3. Support local nurseries and businesses

Read jekka's Blog

4. Improve your health and well-being

Read Jekka's blog

5. Live and think sustainably

Browse Jekka's gifts

Browse Jekka's Online Herb Shop