My pots of tender salvias and succulents are tucked firmly away under cover and I’ve replaced them on the terrace table with a collection of my favourite culinary herbs. Perfect to grow in winter time – and a great addition to hearty home-cooked meals.

I’ve also just bought a nice set of wirework shelves from antique shop Branching Out that I’ll stock with potted herbs, so I don’t spend the cold evenings playing hide and seek in the garden.

We all know and love trusty herbs such as bay, rosemary, thyme and sage – but there are others that will sit out the winter’s cold and bring cheer and flavour. With myrtle, hyssop and winter savoury, there’s a whole world of hearty flavours in the herb garden. We just need the time and confidence to try them.

If this sounds like something you’d like to get cracking on during these colder months, pay attention to below and grow your garden full of herbs that you can add to your cooking.

Best herbs to grow in winter

Myrtle

With warmer winters, myrtle (Myrtus communis) should be planted more frequently. Its small baylike leaves smell lovely, so pot it in well-drained gritty compost, and place by the front door to enjoy each time you pass. With small fragrant cream flowers full of furry golden stamens, pinkish stems and pretty blue/black berries, it’s a plant for all seasons.

Herb expert Jekka McVicar tells me it’s one of her favourite herbs: “I harvest myrtle berries in November to make myrtle, rather than sloe gin. It has a warm spicy flavour, ideal for Christmas. The leaves can be used in stews and soups, are especially good with pork and game, and would be excellent in pork sausages,” she says.

Keep myrtle cosy under the eaves of your house, wrapped in fleece if the temperatures really plummet and away from bitter wind and wet. The variety ‘Tarentina’ is more compact, and ‘Variegata’ has silvery leaves that look good with the pink-tinged creamy flowers.

Hyssop

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is a dense hardy perennial and member of the mint family, native of the sunny Mediterranean. In tiny quantities it’s delicious with fish, meat and vegetables.

A holy herb, traditionally it was hung in homes to protect from the evil eye, and was used to flavour absinthe. Tisanes made with the leaves and sweetened with honey will soothe a seasonal sore throat. With bright blue flower spikes, it looks good edging the beds of the herb garden.