Fennel, as in Foeniculum vulgare, especially the bronze one known as 'purpureum'. Great in things like potato salad or with fish, and I find the ferny leaves attractive - but I don't like the look of it once it flowers! And unlike a lot of herbs, it gets tall... Be aware though, that once planted and established, its next to impossible to dig up and move, or at least that''s been my experience.

Otherwise, we're a bit restricted here in terms of winter hardiness - the basic list of things that will survive is rosemary, chives, thyme (if the soil is free draining in winter) sage (looks terrible by spring) and the tricolor version of that is attractive during summer, fennel (disappears in winter), oregano (spreads widely, needs digging up and splitting biennially) - the yellow leaved version of that makes a good ground cover and is attractive. And I guess parsley, hope I haven't missed one. The others, like Dill, need to be planted annually.

Thanks very much, Bamboo, for your quick reply. I shall visit a nursery tomorrow and see what they have from your list - but possibly rosemary would get too big for our little raised bed?

Yes, it would - that's really a large shrub, I only mentioned it because its hardy - and useful in the kitchen. I do grow it on my balcony in a trough with other herbs - I just replace it about every 3 or 4 years when it starts to get too big.

I think that rosemary is one that I would like to use, and of course could just plant it in a border - thanks again Bamboo :)

rosemary and sage are must haves for me. we also grow chives, parsley, basil and marjoram.

Thanks very much Eileen - that’s useful.

I grew hyssop, just because I saw it in flower and it was pretty and the bees were on it. I recognize the biblical connection but I haven't a clue what to use it for! Anyway, I bought it for the above reasons, and it came through the winter in a tub and bloomed again this year, although not so well.

Basil - love the smell of it, and also Golden Oregano.

Thank you Penny and Hywel - I’m looking forward to seeing what I can find tomorrow.

I like french sorrel. Microwave a few leaves like spinach and mix with yogurt for a lovely sauce for fish.

Thanks Sue - just the sort of advice I need - sounds good :)

Pennyfarthing- the quote is "Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean" so presumably ts used as a laxative.

A lot of plants classed as herbs are not for culinary use, they're medicinal... feverfew being another example.

Yesterday I discovered that there are 50 varieties of oregano, and that marjoram is one of them! I bought French marjoram, Tricolour sage, Thyme 'silver queen', Basil 'magic white' and Mint 'chocolate'. Now just have to look up how to use them . . .

Sheilabub, you've gone to all this trouble to make a lovely raised herb bed and you have some super plants to put in it. BUT please don't put the mint in with the others! Mints are VERY invasive and will soon take over. They're much better kept in a pot.

Sheilabub, you've gone to the trouble of making a lovely raised herb bed and now you have some lovely plants to put in it. But please DON'T plant your mint in it. Mints are very invasive and will soon take over and swamp everything else. Chives and parsley would be much better behaved.
Your basil will be delicious, but is not hardy: the rest should be fine.
By the way I buy pots of annual herbs - especially basil and coriander - from the supermarket. Usually cheaper than the garden centre.

Thanks for your concern Pb - luckily we’ve grown mint before, so the new one is already safely in a pot :)