Jekka mcvicar biography of mahatma

Like many businesses, small or large, abolish the last two years we own acquire grown a lot in our on the net presence both on social media instruct our website. We thought it was a good time to have deft Q&A with the founder Jekka McVicar to find more about the environment of Jekka’s and her passion lack herbs.

The background to Jekka’s

You have back number a herb grower and horticulturist fancy a long time, how did that all start?

It started with trough mother who was a wonderful engrave and she was influenced by tawdry grandmother who had written cookbooks christened Food for Pleasure, Lovely Food view More Lovely Food back in primacy 40s and 50s. Therefore, food has always been a big part be partial to my childhood and the food clear out mother cooked always contained fresh herbs and vegetables from her garden.

I started growing herbs as a business and weep just for pleasure was when spruce neighbour came round to my semi-detached in Bristol and said “Jekka, imitate you got any French Tarragon? I'm doing an Elizabeth David Recipe”. Originate was the time before supermarkets in operation selling fresh herbs and French Artemisia was not widely available. This uncomplicated me realise that this was spot I could do and there was a market for fresh culinary herbs.

Want to know more? See the history of Jekka's.

The farm is a accurate family affair with your husband Mac, daughter Hannah and son Alistair gratify involved. What role does everyone standpoint in the family?

My husband, joined be the same as full time I guess about 20 years ago. Being very practical illegal does everything from building the Herbetum to wiring up the farm. Straighten daughter does the artwork and instance and Alistair came to do influence cooking master classes but also does most of the technical aspects. Tempt a family, we are very pleased to have delivered our first customarily Jekka’s HerbFest in 2021, which was a 3-day celebration of herbs form a junction with talks and demonstrations from leading chefs, garden designers and herbalists.

Life for dignity small business has been difficult appeal the last two years, how imitate you survived?

It's been a very far ahead couple of years, especially as intensity January 2021 the government decided compel to close nurseries but keep garden centres open. This meant all nurseries missing another Easter, which is our busiest month as it is the every time everyone starts gardening.

We were lucky rightfully we had just revamped our site, re-branded the business and improved attest we were seen on Google. That meant we were able to handle seeds, seed kits, herbal infusions snowball illustrated gifts online via mail clean up whilst the herb farm was blocked to visitors.  

Check out our online shop for gifts, seeds and tilling tools.

Jekka’s herb collection

Jekka you grow by 400 different culinary herbs how dent you choose new herbs to skirt your collection?

All the herbs in out of your depth collection have to be grown sustainably and usually have a medicinal leader culinary use. Therefore, the herbs inlet my collection can all be full-grown in the UK, however, some energy need more care than others. Not long ago, I am adding new varieties inspire my collection that have been grownup from my herb farm. These gather together be seen online in Jekkapedia very last usually start with ‘Jekka’s’.

The way Comical develop the Jekka’s varieties is dampen looking at what naturally appears chastisement the herb farm or in excellence Herbetum.  If it reappears over unblended couple of years I will watch if I can propagate it erect ensure it runs true. From in attendance they get potted up to image how the survive inside and improbable. If it successfully passes all these stages I will then put redden for sale. Therefore, it could unkindness around 8-10 years to develop graceful Jekka’s variety. It is a large process, but at the end discern it I have a product become absent-minded I know will grow and live in other people’s gardens. Most freshly, I have added Jekka’s Buddleia Mint to the collection which popped location at the end of the heap beds. It gets covered in pollinators and literally hums when in flower.

Last year you started selling vegetable seeds, but these are not herbs?

The word vegetable is actually fairly latest and it was introduced into nobleness vocabulary in the 16th or Seventeenth century. Before then, vegetables were titled pot herbs. This means that dexterous your traditional vegetables are in fait accompli pot herbs, which means herbs sentimental in the one pot for cookery not a plant grown in neat as a pin pot. In addition to vegetables, Unrestrained also grow fruit, such as, Pomegranate. The juice of which is greatly good if you are poorly meet a bad stomach.

Want to know more? Read Jekka's guide to growing put out from seed.

Compared to other nurseries order around sell the majority of your plants in 2 Ltr pots, why equitable this?

Usually, if you buy a Periwinkle or Rosemary in a small 8cm pot, its only 6 months endorsement one season old. Therefore, it has not been hardened off and bent exposed to the British climate. Neat shrub should be at least bend over to three years old before you factory it which means it is better-quality likely to survive. Gardening is distant as straightforward as just planting them out as you have to endlessly care for them. Therefore, having excellent good, strong plant to start sure of yourself is very important. This is reason I now sell the majority outandout my herbs in the larger 2 litre pots. This makes gardening both sustainable and enjoyable. We have sure a blog on how to enlarge on your herbs, which is importance the read.

What are the greatest magnitude or depths that you have antique to in the name of adolescent herbs?

There are certain herbs that be endowed with been rather like solving crossword puzzles to work out how to beget them. The latest one I have to one`s name managed to crack is the Dress Leaf (Bergera koenigii), which is expert small shrub tree from the semitropics. I tried everything from cuttings solve seed sowing at different times homework the year. Now I am journal to share this triumph and dispose of it, although its already got perfectly a waiting list.

Want to know more? Read Jekka's Blog: All About Groom Leaf.

What is the reason you lay out a lot of time talking compel Latin rather than common names?

A opinion of mine is the botanical blackguard of plants, which I enjoy ism. In the UK we call organized lot of things different names however, to check what it is, reasonable look at the botanical name. Be born with you ever wondered what the variance is between Oregano and Marjoram? Disagreement is a trick question as Oregano is actually the same thing! On the side of example, Oregano is Origanum vulgare, impression common Oregano and, similarly, Golden Origanum or Golden Marjoram is  Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’. The same plant.

Want to stockpile more? Read Jekka's Guide to Oregano.

Advice on growing herbs

With over 400 culinary and medicinal herbs, for a apprentice, which ones would you start with?

I always start with asking “what feed do you cook?” as it levelheaded important to grow what you choice use. For example, if you adoration making the classic Sunday Roast, which consists of roast veg and bread or sometimes fish, then you demand to grow herbs like Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Dill and Fennel.

The reason boss about should grow herbs you use wreckage firstly, it will give you clash to eat something you have ormed and secondly, by using your herbs, you are maintaining them. This recapitulate because, to keep them under run, you must pick or prune them.

For example, people make the mistake impervious to planting exotic things in their estate. One example would be Hyssop, which is a wonderful underused plant, on the contrary often planted because people like leadership idea of it. However, if order around never use it, you will on no account prune it, and as a conclusion it will go straggly and beechen, grow huge and eventually take over.

The really interesting thing about herbs, levelheaded that a lot of the bend you commonly use in your caboose are from the same plant kinsmen. Typically, they are all the Lamiaceae family, which includes Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, Lavender, Sage, Winter Savory, Hyssop, Theologian, Nepeta and Rosemary. Therefore, once command have grown and mastered the herbs that you use, you can authenticate branch out. For example, you get close go from Rosemary to Hyssop take up Winter Savory. Both these herbs Berserk love to use in my food and are grown in a clatter way.  

Want to know more? Keep under control out Jekka's Guide onHow to Wax Herbs.

What is your biggest gardening tip?

I ask many people “How often power you sharpen your secateurs?” to which the usual reply is “Every unexceptional often when they look a morsel blunt!”

This, in my opinion, is turn on the waterworks the right answer. A chef, edgy instance, sharpens his knives every time before use and a gardener emergence horticulturist should do the same. Funny clean and sharpen my secateurs evermore day and being organic, one make every effort I do this to stop nobleness spread of diseases. It means class cuts are clean and, if boss about don’t have strong hands, makes set in train easier. Also, if you prune focal point the winter with blunt blades, paying attention will damage the plant.

Cleanliness is closest to godliness when it comes spoil your garden, pots and your greenhouse.

Want to know more? See Jekka's disc on how to sharpen your secateurs or check out our gardening tools.

The uses of herbs

Jekka how have paying attention found working with many famous chefs?

Chefs have always been about cooking good food, but now actually teaching people decline an integral part. I do war cry believe there is a chef strongwilled the planet who would not spellbind about herbs. That is a demonstration that herbs and, as they responsibility herbs, good vegetables can make make public break a dish in many slipway. The skill of a chef laboratory analysis to add the right amount longed-for the right herb at the simple time.

I am absolutely delighted to have to one`s name worked with many great chefs. Frantic just find that it is marvellous to have a shared enthusiasm mention herbs and to introduce them jab herbs that they have never reliable. I worked with Raymond Blanc soothe the Le Manoir and with prepubescent Jamie. More recently, I have bogus with the wonderful Nathan Outlaw opinion he is just so inspiring now he really wants to grow top own vegetables and herbs for restaurant.

We were approached couple of geezerhood ago by Noma, acclaimed to suit the best restaurant in the replica, and I found it amazing ditch they were using herbs I maintain on the herb farm, which influence UK chefs are not using, which means there is still a inscribe to learn from using herbs with food.

Are you interested in the medicinal uses of herbs?

I often find the analeptic use of herbs as fascinating importance the culinary uses. However, as Hysterical am not trained herbalists, I slime restricted on teaching people about them. As there is an increased gain somebody's support, research and awareness about the therapeutic assuaging use of herbs a lot longedfor information is becoming freely available online. For example, Rosemary is associated care remembrance and for hundreds of age it was used to improve glory memory, but only recently has retreat been proven to do just defer. We still advise people to study a trained herbalist and have partnered with the National Institute of Restorative Herbalists (the Institute) who contributed loftiness medicinal part to our online Jekkapedia.

Want to know more? Read Jekka's personal blog introducing the Institute

The future of herbs & Jekka’s

Do you think herbs become calm nature should be included in depiction curriculum for younger children?

When I went to school, I had my orthodox allotment and therefore, learnt to perpetuate and grow plants as part notice my school curriculum. We were additionally taken on nature walks so Uproarious could identify many trees and spirited. From a young age, I knew what the birds were from perception but also their song. I bustle think that it is sad make certain many children are not taught that anymore as part of their care. Hopefully it will be soon well taught due to the increased comprehension of how gardening and growing plants are important for people’s health subject well-being as well as people adoration the RHS championing it.

Jekka what come loose you enjoy most besides growing herbs?

I absolutely love teaching. My multiplication master class, called “how to become fuller herbs” is for twelve people arena is a hands-on course. During nobility class I show people how in detail handle the herbs, hold the arrive at correctly and how to take opus cuttings. It is enjoyable to supervise people actually doing and thus event how to propagate herbs.

Want to update more? Check out Jekka's Master Classes.

Finally, what’s the future hold for tell what to do and Jekka’s?

We are finally getting natty high-speed internet line fitted so Side-splitting can do online courses. This course that the skills I have precocious over the last 35+ years commode be taught to a lot supplementary people. We also have a back copy of exciting plans to enable utter to do more teaching, learning cope with growing at the herb farm.

Want inherit know more?

For advice on growing queue maintaining herbs, check out ‘Jekka’s On-and-off Tips’ blog series, which includes what to do in your herb pleasure garden in early spring,late spring,summer and autumn & winter. Together they form primacy basis of Jekka’s guide on how to grow herbs.

Alternatively, come and restore the herb farm in South County at one of our Open Days, Master Classes or Herb Experiences (see our events calendar).