Apothecary Garden Healing Herb Seed Kit

Apothecary Garden Healing Herb Seed Kit

Apothecary Garden Healing Herb Seed Kit

£27.67

The Apothecary Garden Healing Herb Seed Kit brings together 10 time-honoured herbs that once filled the gardens of apothecaries and herbalists. It's a unique Christmas gift for anyone fascinated by plant lore: open it in December, sow it in spring, and grow a garden full of history.

Product Highlights

✔ 10 classic apothecary herbs in one beautiful gift box
✔ Striking flowers including Echinacea, Bergamot and Mullein
✔ Mostly perennial, so your garden returns year after year
✔ Excellent for bees and butterflies
✔ Illustrated seed-to-harvest e-guidebook included
✔ Packed with care in Sussex, UK

What's in the Kit

Beautiful Giftable Box: ready to wrap or give straight away.
10 Premium Packs of Apothecary Garden Seeds: selected for their history and traditional uses (enough for multiple plantings).
Beautiful Illustrated Seed-to-Harvest E-Guidebook: easy-to-follow instructions from sowing to harvest.
10 Seed Label Sticks: so you always know what is growing where.

The 10 Varieties Inside

St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): Bright yellow star-shaped flowers in midsummer.
Bergamot (Monarda spp.): Shaggy, fragrant flowers adored by bees; also called bee balm.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis): Tall, sweetly scented pale pink flower heads.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis): Aromatic blue spikes, excellent for bees.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale): Nodding bell flowers; leaves make a superb plant feed.
Nettle (Urtica dioica): A wildlife powerhouse; best grown in a contained corner.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea): Purple coneflowers with copper centres.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): Woolly silver rosettes then towering yellow spires.
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): Tiered whorls of soft pink flowers.
Horehound (Marrubium vulgare): Wrinkled, woolly leaves; an old cottage-garden herb.

Why You'll Love It

A gift with real character for the curious gardener
Big, dramatic plants that make a statement in the border
A haven for pollinators all summer long
Comfrey leaves make free liquid plant feed for the rest of the garden

Folklore & Fascinating Facts

St John's Wort flowers around St John's Day (24 June), and sprigs were once hung over doorways to ward off evil spirits.
Comfrey's old country name is 'knitbone'.
Mullein stalks were dipped in tallow and burned as torches, earning it the name 'hag's taper'.
Bergamot (Monarda) was brewed as 'Oswego tea' by American colonists after the Boston Tea Party.
Motherwort's Latin name, Leonurus cardiaca, means 'lion's tail' and 'of the heart'.
Horehound was once a favourite boiled sweet in Victorian Britain.

Give It at Christmas, Sow It in Spring

For the person who loves old herbals and plant lore. Wrap it for Christmas, sow from late winter into spring, and watch an apothecary garden take shape by summer.

We’re currently updating our labels, so you may receive your order in either our original or new packaging. Rest assured, the inside is exactly the same!

For growing and interest only. The traditional uses described are historical and are not medical advice. Seek professional advice before using any herb medicinally, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.

St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): perennial, 60–90 cm. Bright yellow star-shaped flowers in midsummer.
Bergamot (Monarda spp.): perennial, 90 cm. Shaggy, fragrant flowers adored by bees; also called bee balm.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis): perennial, 100–150 cm. Tall, sweetly scented pale pink flower heads.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis): semi-evergreen perennial, 45–60 cm. Aromatic blue spikes, excellent for bees.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale): perennial, 100–120 cm. Nodding bell flowers; leaves make a superb plant feed.
Nettle (Urtica dioica): perennial, 100 cm. A wildlife powerhouse; best grown in a contained corner.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea): perennial, 90–120 cm. Purple coneflowers with copper centres.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): biennial, up to 200 cm. Woolly silver rosettes then towering yellow spires.
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): perennial, 60–120 cm. Tiered whorls of soft pink flowers.
Horehound (Marrubium vulgare): perennial, 45–60 cm. Wrinkled, woolly leaves; an old cottage-garden herb.

When to sow

Indoors: February to April in a greenhouse or on a bright windowsill.

Outdoors: April to June once the soil has warmed.

How to sow

Fill pots or trays with seed compost and water well.
St John's Wort, Valerian and Mullein need light to germinate: press onto the surface and do not cover.
Cover larger seeds such as Comfrey and Echinacea lightly with compost.
Keep moist. Germination takes 10–30 days. Echinacea and Comfrey germinate faster after 2–4 weeks in the fridge in a sealed bag of damp compost.

Planting out

Harden off and plant out after the last frost (usually mid-May) in a sunny, well-drained spot. Grow Nettle and Comfrey in a contained area as they spread.

Aftercare

Most of these are perennials and will flower more strongly from their second year. Mullein forms a rosette in year one and flowers in year two.

Full step-by-step instructions are in your illustrated e-guidebook.

A dramatic, long-flowering border that is a magnet for bees and butterflies.
Comfrey and Nettle leaves can be steeped to make a nutrient-rich liquid feed for tomatoes and other plants.
Flowers such as Echinacea and Mullein dry well for arrangements.
A fascinating way to learn about the history of herbal medicine.
Traditionally, these herbs were used in teas, salves and tinctures. For growing and interest only. The traditional uses described are historical and are not medical advice. Seek professional advice before using any herb medicinally, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.

Packed by hand with care in Sussex, UK.

UK delivery: orders are usually dispatched within [1–2] working days. [Add your courier, delivery times and prices here.]

Christmas delivery: order by [DATE] for UK delivery in time for Christmas.

Sending as a gift? Simply enter the recipient's address at checkout. We never include prices in the parcel.

Seeds are posted in their gift box, ready to wrap or give straight away. Store the kit somewhere cool, dry and dark until you are ready to sow in spring.

What is an apothecary garden?

An apothecary garden is a collection of herbs once grown by apothecaries, the forerunners of pharmacists, to make traditional remedies, teas and salves.

When should I sow these herb seeds in the UK?

Sow indoors from February to April, or outdoors from April to June. Plant seedlings out after the last frost, usually mid-May.

Why are my Echinacea seeds not germinating?

Echinacea germinates best after a cold period. Place the seeds in damp compost in a sealed bag in the fridge for 2–4 weeks before sowing.

Will these herbs come back every year?

Yes, most are perennials. Mullein is a biennial: it forms leaves in its first year and flowers in its second, then self-seeds.

Is St John's Wort safe to use?

St John's Wort interacts with many medicines, including the contraceptive pill and antidepressants. This kit is for growing and interest only; always seek professional advice before using any herb medicinally.

Is a seed kit a good Christmas gift?

Yes. Seed kits are one of the most popular gifts for gardeners because they last far longer than flowers: the box is lovely to open at Christmas, and the seeds give months of growing from spring onwards. The seeds keep happily until spring if stored somewhere cool and dry.

How long do the seeds last?

Stored cool, dry and dark, the seeds are best sown by the date on the box (Dec 2027), so a kit given at Christmas is perfect for sowing in spring 2027, with seed left for a second sowing.

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