Cool Season Herbs to Plant Now
February 4, 2010
Whilecity life may not always afford the space to grow all of our own goodies,there’s usually room for at least a few herbs in containers. Now is a greattime to plant cool-season herbs for spring harvest. Here are a few of myfavorite must-haves for the fall garden:Dill: One of the easiestherbs to grow from seed, this feathery beauty has many culinary uses. Dill isfantastic added to salads, cream cheese, and much more. Dill prefers a sunnyspot but can tolerate some afternoon shade. Swallowtail butterflies will laytheir eggs on dill plants, so be prepared to plant a few extra for them!
Cilantro(Coriander):I wish I could grow cilantro year-round, as it’s probably my favorite freshherb. But, it prefers the cooler temperatures of fall and spring. Plants can beeasily grown from seed or planted from transplants. Keep plants harvestedregularly to postpone flowering. Pinch off flower buds as they emerge. Theyyoung leaves tend to have the best flavor. Full sun or a bit of afternoon shadeis best.Parsley: If you’re lookingfor a way to brighten up your winter landscape, parsley makes a beautiful emeraldgreen companion to your pansies. Parsley is a frost tolerant biennial and willgrow from fall through spring. You’ll typically find flat leaf and curled leaf(French) parsley in the garden center. Both types are full of vitamins andminerals. Curled parsley is a prettier ornamental and can be used much likecabbage and kale in the winter garden. Full sun is best.
