Green-fingered Sarah Parker has used her business sense to make money out of her hobby - growing herbs for use in interior decorating and in cooking.

The 30-year-old has just launched her own company, Herbedaceous.

It a timely venture as herbs are enjoying a revival, both as cooking ingredients and as decorative house plants.

There has never been a more innovative time in interior design or a greater desire to do away with packet meals and cook your own, using herbs.

While everyone else packs their hanging baskets and terracotta tubs with annual blooms, Sarah fills them with herbs and edible flowers.

Although business is booming, - blooming in fact - the whole idea came about by chance.

It wasn't until a friend gently suggested that instead of giving her plants away she should sell them, that the company was born.

"I am amazed so many people are interested. I have always had green fingers and am very lucky. I love gardening and gave the herbs to people as presents," said Sarah, who lives in Cherwell Bank, Lower Heyford with her husband, Andrew, and two-year-old son, Sam.

"I had no idea the concept would be so popular," she said.

And the job is ideal because she can still spend most of her time with her son - something which is important to Sarah.

"While I'm busy in the garden, I can watch him playing. He loves it and already has his own little herb garden." She left the frantic world of television research to have Sam and vows that since then her quality of life has improved 100 per cent.

"My only worries now are if the basil wilts and the slugs appear," she said. "I don't want to conquer the world or make a million, but being able to look after Sam and pursue my passion, is a dream come true."

Whether it's her reasonable prices, her imagination and zest or the wonderful variety of organic herbs available, the venture is already very successful.

The wonderful colours and pungent smells filling her house are proof enough.

Earthenware pots with baby tomatoes, oregano and marjoram - all ideal for an Italian feast - entwined with colourful yellow marigolds and nasturtiums for salads, are priced at £12.

And bay trees are surrounded by rosemary and thyme, while coriander, dill, parsley and fennel sit in hanging baskets for £10.

There is something to suit every palette and purse and they can be individually designed.

And for those who don't have a garden - fear not. At least five kinds of basil thrive on window sills, lavender defies the harshest glare and mint flourishes in damp conditions such as shower-rooms. All they need are light and water. And she is starting a new line in windowboxes.

But a word of warning: "I always say to people that if you are going to have a herb garden you must use it, because they get out of control and you miss the fresh shoots."

Future projects include garlic wreaths, chilli coils and herb infused oil and Sarah delivers free locally. Sarah can be reached on 01869 347283. HERB HINTS BASIL: Never grow outside, best on window sills, use top leaves. Annual

MINT: Grows fast and takes over, plant on own in large pot. Thrives in wet conditions. For great perfume, nurture the Eau De Cologne variety

CHIVES: Great value, seeds itself, great outside and in, beautiful purple flowers. Great to plant between other herbs because slugs and snails hate it

DILL: Do not let it grow out of control. Annual, not great in gardens

THYME: Cut right back to maintain

CORIANDER: Do not let it flower as it drains the energy

PARSLEY: Remove yellow leaves, flat leaf variety is best. TO COOK BASIL: Pasta, salads, ideal with tomatoes

MINT: Summer drinks, folded into cream with strawberries, fruit salad

CORIANDER: Mexican, curry, Thai, salsa

OREGANO: Pizza

SAGE: Deep-fried with sauce, garnish

BORAGE: Frozen in ice cubes for drinks

SIMPLE SALAD: Chive, parsley, marjoram, basil, endive, rocket, tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar. For anyone interested in homeopathy, growing your own herbs can save many a trip to the doctor.

Here are just a few herbal remedies used to cure many of the ailments suffered by women.

MIGRAINE - Oregano - dried and powdered can be used as a snuff to clear blocked sinuses. The fresh leaf simmered in oil is an old recipe for a headache ointment.

INDIGESTION - Bay leaf - Boil 2 bayleaves and the peel of half an orange in quarter of a pint of water for 10 minutes. Strain and drink warm.

CYSTITIS- Chervil - Make into tea.

VARICOSE VEINS- Rosemary- tea with honey to aid circulation

DEPRESSION - Rosemary or Sage - use plenty of both in cooking or drink as tea

BLACKHEADS - Comfrey or Thyme - Add to boiling water and use as facial steamer which softens and expands pores for easy expulsion of blackheads with cotton wool

PERIOD PAIN - Fennel - as tea, eases pain, tension and digestive problems - Parsley and Tarragon - eaten or as tea

MENOPAUSE - Sage - 100g of fresh leaves, leave to stand in good bottle of white wine for two weeks. Sweeten with honey and leave for another day. Press and strain, Bottle and take one sherry glass before lunch and dinner.

For further ideas, Jill Nice's new book Herbal Remedies For Healing, published by Piatkus Books and priced £9.99, is ideal.

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