It’s entirely up to you of course, but a mixture of Mediterranean stalwarts makes sense, while aesthetically a single large plant for the centre of the pot always looks great. This could be bay, for example, rosemary, lemon verbena or purple sage. Then arrange the smaller, low-growing herbs around it – here thyme, basil, oregans and parsley work well. A word of warning on mint: don’t mix it in a pot with other herbs as it’s far too invasive and will quickly force the others into submission.

If you like, you can add a mulch of gravel or decorative stones. Yes, they look pretty and set off the plants nicely, but they also serve a practical purpose, keeping out weeds, preserving moisture and making maintenance that little bit easier.

To keep your herb planter looking at its best, water regularly, especially in the summer. We think there’s nothing sadder than a beautifully arranged pot of herbs, or flowers, left to with and die. If you’re going away, stand your pot in a reservoir of water if nobody’s popping round to help. Feed with a liquid feed every fortnight throughout summer, and harvest at first sparingly, as they grow in, then regularly (you’ll encourage them to bush out by picking the leaves).