Lemon Balm
Introduction
Lemon balm is a type of mint. It can be used to make a lemon flavoured tea, as a flavour when baking fish, or in salads. It is very easy to care for, and it is a pleasure to have a plant in the garden simply to pick a few leaves to rub between fingers to release the scent.
Planting
- Sow seeds indoors in late winter or early spring (relatively slow germination time of up to a month)
- Alternatively, buy plants in the summer from garden centres
Harvesting
- Pick leaves from late May onwards
- The plant dies back in winter
(inside)
(outside)
(fresh)
(stored)
= jar, 
= freeze, 
= store
Varieties
Personally, I prefer the scent and taste of lemon balm to ordinary mint. Lemon balm varieties range from gold to green leaves. There is also a lemon balm variety with an orange flavour.
The easy way for a gardener to organise their growing and discover gardening ideas.
Growing
The plant can be started from seed in the spring, or is widely available from garden retailers throughout the summer. If starting from seed, germination is relatively slow and needs a warm environment like a sunny windowsill or heated propagator.
The leaves will taste better (less chewy) if the soil is kept moist during the summer months. Like other mints, lemon balm is extremely hardy, but if growing in pots the roots may need protecting with bubble wrap in freezing weather.