Joie de la Nature at Bellanger

Grow your Own - Thyme & Lavender

Join us as we celebrate la Joie de la Nature this summer. Our terrace pays homage to all things home-grown with abundant edible planting, plus a refreshing limited-edition cocktail list profiling garden flavours in collaboration with Seed Folk.

‘Thyme’

Inspiring our ‘Thyme’ cocktail, which pairs the savoury flavour of the herb with Monkey 47 gin, lemon juice, lavender syrup, egg white & fever-tree soda water.

This hardy herb produces aromatic leaves and delicate pink flowers, perfect for pots, borders or windowsills, thyme brings a savoury herbal kick.

What you’ll need

• Seeds, soil/ Seed Folk compost mix, 1x 8 litre pot or garden bed.

Step 1 – sow the seeds (March – June)

• Fill your pot with Seed Folk compost or any well-draining mix with grit or perlite.
• Lightly water the compost so it feels damp but not soggy.
• Sprinkle seeds thinly across the surface, spacing them 1–2cm apart. Don’t bury them, they need light to germinate.
• Press seeds gently into the surface, then top with a light dusting of compost or vermiculite.
• Place somewhere bright and warm (a sunny windowsill is ideal).

Step 2 – watch them grow

• Mist regularly to keep the soil moist but not wet.
• Be patient, germination takes 10–21 days.
• Once seedlings are 2–3cm tall, thin them out, keeping the strongest ones and leaving 15cm between each.

Step 3 – moving out

• From late May onwards, start hardening off your thyme by placing it outside during the day and bringing it back in at night for 7 days.
• Plant into a sunny, well-draining garden bed or keep in pots.
• Space garden plants 20–30cm apart.
• No garden? No problem. Thyme also grows happily indoors on a bright, sunny windowsill.

Step 4 – keep them growing

• Light: Full sun is best indoors or out. South facing windowsills are thyme’s happy place.
• Watering: Let soil dry slightly between waterings.
• Feeding: Mix 1 tbsp of Seed Folk fertiliser into compost every 6–8 weeks, or use a liquid feed monthly during the growing season.

Step 5 – harvest time

• Start harvesting once your plant is well established (after 2–3 months).
• Snip stems just above a set of leaves. Harvest little and often to keep the plant tidy and productive.

‘Lavender’

Inspiring our ‘Lavender’ cocktail, which pairs the sweet, floral flavour of the plant with monkey 47 gin, lemon juice, lavender syrup, egg white & fever-tree soda water.

This classic aromatic hardy perennial is perfect for borders, pots or drying for an intense flavour burst.

What you’ll need

• Seeds, soil / Seed Folk compost mix, 8cm starter pots, 1x 12 litre pot or a larger garden bed.

Step 1 – sow the seeds

• First, pop your seeds in the fridge for 7 days.
• This mimics winter and boosts germination.
• Fill 8cm pots with Seed Folk compost or another free-draining mix. Water gently, then sprinkle the seeds thinly across the surface.
• Lavender seeds need light to germinate, so don’t bury them. Just press gently into the surface and cover with a dusting of compost or vermiculite.
• Cover with cling film or a clear lid and place somewhere bright but cool, a windowsill works well.

Step 2 – watch them grow

• Keep compost lightly moist (never soggy!).
• Germination can take 2–6 weeks, sometimes longer, so be patient and don’t give up!
• Once seedlings have two sets of leaves, thin them out by carefully removing the weaker plants, leaving just 1 of the strongest to continue growing in each pot.

Step 3 – moving out

• From mid-May, start hardening off your plants by placing them outdoors during the day and bringing them in at night for 7 days.
• Then plant into their final home: a large pot (at least 12 litres) or a sunny garden bed.
• Use well-draining soil or compost.

Step 4 – keep them growing

• Water only when the compost feels completely dry. Once established, lavender is drought tolerant.
• No need to feed unless growth looks weak, it prefers poor soil.
• After flowering, give it a light trim to keep it compact. Avoid cutting into woody stems.

Step 5 – harvest time

• Harvest flower heads as they begin to open for peak fragrance.
• Tie into small bundles and hang upside down in a dry, airy space to dry.

Join us on our summer terrace to explore our ‘Joie de la Nature’ cocktail menu.