🍋 Lemon balm

Lemon balm is a soft, bright green perennial with crinkled, lemon-scented leaves. It is easy, cheerful and vigorous, thriving in sun or shade, and it is a favourite of bees (its name comes from the Greek for honey bee). It makes a refreshing tea and a pretty edge to a border.

It can self-seed freely, so cut off the flowers before the seeds ripen unless you want a lot of plants. The golden-leaved form ‘Aurea’ lights up shade but can scorch in full sun. Like mint, it can be restrained in a pot.

Varieties to try

Common lemon balm (vigorous, strongest scent)Aurea (golden-leaved)Variegata (cream-splashed leaves)Quedlinburger (compact, high-flavour)Lime balm (a lime-scented variety)

Sow seed on the surface of seed compost from March to May at 15–20°C, pressing in lightly, as it needs light to germinate. Germination takes up to 3 weeks. Transplant to pots, then plant outside when large enough. Space plants 45–60 cm apart.

Alternatively, buy a plant or divide an existing clump in spring or autumn. It tolerates most soils, in partial shade or sun, but best leaf flavour comes from moist, fertile soil. A large container controls its spread.

Top tips

• Don’t cover the seed.
• Divide in spring for new plants.
• Use a pot to contain it.
• Tolerates shade well.

Water in dry spells, particularly in pots. Cut the plant back hard to 5 cm in midsummer after flowering for a fresh flush of leaves, and again in late autumn. Remove flowers before they set seed to prevent self-seeding.

Divide clumps every 3 years in spring. Powdery mildew can affect plants in dry weather; cut back affected stems to the base. Cutting back also brings fresh new shoots with the best flavour. Plants die down in winter and regrow in spring.

Top tips

• Cut hard back in midsummer.
• Deadhead to prevent seeding.
• Divide every 3 years.
• Keep roots moist.

Watch out for

Powdery mildewSelf-seedingSlugs on young shootsLeaf spot

Pick young leaves and shoot tips from spring through to autumn, using scissors. The leaves are most aromatic before flowering and in the morning. Cutting the whole plant back to 5 cm in midsummer yields a large harvest for drying, while new leaves grow back.

Harvest regularly, and leave some flowers for pollinators. The leaves darken and lose their scent when dried slowly, so dry quickly in a warm, shady, airy place. Fresh leaves are best.

Top tips

• Pick before flowering.
• Cut hard back for a large harvest.
• Dry quickly, in the shade.
• Use fresh where possible.

Steep fresh leaves in hot water for a calming, lemony tea, or add to iced drinks, cordials and fruit salads. Chop into fish dishes, salads, stuffings, desserts, and custards, or use as a substitute for lemon zest. Add it at the end of cooking, as the flavour is delicate.

Fresh leaves keep a few days in the fridge in water. Freeze leaves in ice cubes for summer drinks, or dry for tea, though flavour is weaker. Lemon balm vinegar and cordial capture the aroma.

Top tips

• Make a fresh tea with hot water.
• Add to ice cubes for drinks.
• Chop into fish dishes at the end.
• Dry quickly for tea.