Plant of the Week: Dill

Dill isn’t one of the more commonly-grown herbs, but it’s more than earns its place in the garden with good looks, versatility and generosity. You can use both the leaves and the seeds to flavour all sorts of dishes, from fish and lamb to potatoes and peas, with a subtle hint of aniseed.

 

The plant itself is quite tall, at about 1m, and very pretty with wispy, feathery leaves and delicate yellow umbels of flowers in midsummer. Sow your dill where it’s to grow, choosing a sunny spot with fertile but free-draining soil. Thin seedlings to 24cm apart and you’ll start picking from about eight weeks after sowing.