Crowned the ‘Queen of Herbs’ by Jamie Oliver and renowned in gardening circles as the Britain’s foremost authority on the subject, Jekka McVicar is a wonderful inspiration for green-fingered types, having successfully turned her passion into a flourishing career.
Her love of herbs dates back to making fresh mint sauce with her mother as a child and, although today Jekka’s Herb Farm is a thriving business with an impressive tally of awards from RHS flower shows, it grew from humble beginnings over 30 years ago when she first planted a few organic herbs in her small back garden in Bristol.
Photo: Jekka McVicar
When her passion outgrew the garden, a couple of years later, she moved with her family to Alveston in south Gloucestershire, where they were able to grow herbs on a larger scale. The 26 varieties they cultivated then have now increased to over 650!
In 1991, she exhibited for the very first time at Bath Flower Show, winning a silver medal for her herbal display, and since then Jekka has gone from strength to strength, achieving an incredible 62 RHS Gold Medals since 1993 at flower shows around the country, 14 of which were won at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show (above).
Jekka’s most recent project has been the creation of a beautiful Herbetum (below) – a living encyclopedia of herbs – in the grounds of her herb farm to ensure that the history, culinary and medicinal usage of herbs are not lost for future generations. Over 300 herbs are planted in raised beds so visitors can enjoy a unique interactive experience, walking among native British and more unusual tropical varieties – an inspiring and evocative feast for the senses.
Photo: Jekka McVicar
The herbs are all propagated and trialled at Jekka’s Herb Farm and grown for British gardens, with many varieties for sale, along with seeds, teas and other herb-related items at the open days and Jekka’s popular masterclasses held throughout the year.
Aside from the day-to-day running of her business, Jekka also manages to find the time to make appearances on television and radio on gardening and cookery programmes and is an enthusiastic writer on herbs, regularly contributing to a number of national publications and producing five authoritative books on the subject.
President of the Herb Society and a member of several RHS boards and committees, Jekka was awarded the Garden Media Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 ‘for services to horticulture, design, education and communication and excellence in the field of organic herb growing’.
Photo: Jekka McVicar
Meet Jekka McVicar at the Country Living Spring Fair
Don’t miss the chance to benefit from her expertise on Friday 20 March at our Spring Fair in London, when she will be on the panel of a lively lunchtime Q&A session – Growing the Good Life: Gardening for Wellbeing – along with CL garden editor Stephanie Donaldson and garden writer and designer Lucy Summers, creator of the glorious spring garden at this year’s fair.
Order your tickets for the Country Living Spring Fair now for a wonderful and inspiring day out!
The post Jekka McVicar at the Country Living Spring Fair appeared first on Country Living Magazine UK.
