Autumnal August

It's one of those typically British summer days which make August feel more like October. The grey cloud of a rainy morning has failed to lift and we're left with a cool and overcast afternoon. Never mind - I've got fresh peppermint tea in my mug and lush, leafy basil growing on my windowsill, both happy reminders that there are some good growing days left before the evenings start coming early and frosts threaten.

Out in the little yard behind the flat the tomato plants I'm growing in compost bags seem intent on sprawling way beyond the boundaries I've tried to set for them with canes and string. Even my efforts to restrict their growth by pinching out tips and side-shoots don't seem to have reigned in their exuberance. They're bearing plenty of fruit too, so I'll keep up the twice-weekly liquid feeds with Maxicrop and hope we get some sun soon to speed up ripening.

The gently trailing stems of winter savory (Satureja montana), happy in its little pot, sparkle with tubular white-pink flowers, bright against the pungent green foliage. They are a delicious treat when I go out to water the containers, sweetly fragrant with a peppery finish - I keep meaning to scatter them over a salad, but can't resist eating each one I pick. A bunch of its annual cousin, summer savory (Satureja hortensis), came in the veg box last week and I used it yesterday with Adzuki beans, parsley, onions and tomatoes to make a summer bean stew. Another astonishingly good food and herb combination which works well in both the eating and the digesting of the dish.

Winter savory is a perennial herb found in the Mediterranean region (although possibly originating from central Asia), happiest in a sunny spot with good drainage. Its taste and aroma are often compared to that of thyme, with a pungency when fresh which disappears on cooking. Like summer savory it is fantastic cooked with beans and pulses, but it's also a good match for meats and fish. A versatile herb which deserves to be much more widely known and used, it is definitely one of my favourites. Bees also love it and it yields an antiseptic essential oil used in aromatherapy.