Gourmet Salts & Garden Herbs — How to Pair Homegrown Flavours with Artisan Seasoning
There's a particular pleasure in cooking with ingredients you've grown yourself. A handful of fresh rosemary snipped from the garden, a sprig of thyme, a bunch of chives — homegrown herbs transform everyday cooking into something special.
Pair those homegrown flavours with an artisan gourmet salt, and you have a garden-to-kitchen experience that no supermarket ingredient can replicate.
Here's how to grow your own herbs this spring — and how to pair them with our Diamond Field Blooms gourmet salt range for the most flavourful results.
Why Grow Your Own Herbs?
Fresh herbs are one of the most practical and rewarding things you can grow. They:
- Are ready to harvest within 6–8 weeks of sowing
- Thrive in small spaces — a windowsill, a pot, a small garden bed
- Cost a fraction of supermarket herbs over a season
- Taste dramatically better fresh than dried or packaged
- Attract pollinators when they flower
Spring is the ideal time to sow herbs in South Africa. Soil temperatures are rising, days are lengthening, and most herbs establish quickly in the warm spring conditions.
For a full guide to starting an edible garden, read: Grow Your Own Food from Seed: A South African Edible Garden Guide.
Our Mixed Herb Seeds
Our Mixed Herb Seeds include a selection of culinary herbs suited to the South African climate. Sow in a sunny spot or in pots from September, and you'll have fresh herbs to harvest within weeks.
Herbs to expect in the mix include basil, parsley, chives, and coriander — all kitchen staples that pair beautifully with our gourmet salt range.
The Diamond Field Blooms Gourmet Salt Range
Our artisan gourmet salts are crafted to complement fresh, homegrown flavours. Here's how to pair them with your garden herbs:
Rosemary Gourmet Salt
The most natural pairing: rosemary and salt. Our Rosemary Gourmet Salt is exceptional with roasted vegetables — especially butternut squash (which you can grow from our Butternut Squash Seeds), potatoes, and root vegetables. Also wonderful rubbed onto lamb or chicken before roasting.
Pair with: Fresh rosemary, thyme, sage
Garlic & Herb Sea Salt
A versatile everyday salt that elevates almost anything. Our Garlic & Herb Sea Salt is particularly good with fresh garden peas (try our Garden Pea Seeds), steamed green beans, and simple pasta dishes. Finish a salad with a pinch for instant depth.
Pair with: Fresh parsley, chives, basil
Peppadew, Garlic & Onion Gourmet Salt
Bold and distinctly South African. Our Peppadew, Garlic & Onion Gourmet Salt pairs beautifully with braai meats, grilled corn, and roasted peppers. If you're growing your own Peppadew Seeds, this salt is the perfect companion to your harvest.
Pair with: Fresh coriander, flat-leaf parsley
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Bright, citrusy, and versatile. Our Lemon Pepper Seasoning is wonderful with grilled fish, chicken, and fresh salads. It pairs particularly well with fresh herbs like basil, dill, and chives — all easy to grow from seed in spring.
Pair with: Fresh basil, dill, chives
The Gourmet Salt Gift Box
Can't choose? Our Gourmet Salt Gift Box brings the full range together in a beautifully presented gift set. It's the perfect companion to our edible seed range — pair it with our Edible Garden in a Box for a complete garden-to-kitchen gift that any food lover will treasure.
For more edible garden inspiration, read: Grow Your Own Edible Garden: Introducing Our Garden in a Box and Edible Flowers 101: How to Grow, Harvest & Use Them in Your Kitchen.
Simple Spring Recipes to Try
Garden Pea & Herb Salad with Garlic & Herb Salt
Blanch fresh garden peas for 2 minutes, toss with torn mint, flat-leaf parsley, a squeeze of lemon, good olive oil, and a generous pinch of Garlic & Herb Sea Salt. Serve immediately. Simple, seasonal, and extraordinary.
Rosemary Roasted Butternut
Cube butternut squash, toss with olive oil and a generous pinch of Rosemary Gourmet Salt, and roast at 200°C until caramelised. Finish with fresh rosemary leaves. A South African autumn classic — made with ingredients entirely from your own garden.
From Garden to Table
The connection between garden and kitchen is one of the most satisfying things you can cultivate. Start your herb garden this spring, pair your harvest with our artisan gourmet salts, and discover what it means to cook with ingredients you've grown yourself.
Happy growing — and happy cooking. 🌿🧂
Diamond Field Blooms seeds are heirloom, non-GMO, and packaged in biodegradable materials. Find out why that matters to us.