When we moved last year, I had a wee shopping spree chez Ikea and apart from the bookshelf and dining table and chairs, I dropped a couple of herb kits into the basket too. I discovered the kits sitting sadly in one corner of my kitchen, forgotten, so I guess now is as good a time as ever to rescue them and fulfill their destiny.

Each kit – there are two of them – contains three paper cups, three small discs of dried compost, and three packets of seeds. It is really intelligent for Ikea to provide the compost in this compact form, which makes it light to transport, and easily transformed into planting compost by adding some water to it.

In case you wonder, I’ve planted basil, thyme, coriander, lemon balm, oregano and parsley. Now, you need to know that I don’t have green fingers, so whether these herbs grow and survive, that’s another story altogether. The last time I attempted something similar, it went half well, half disastrous… /whistles

Update 5 April 2015: a fortnight later, five pots have sprouted but no sign of the lemon balm yet, hmmm, why?