IT’S HERBOUT TIME

Perennial: This plant will survive winters in our zone (5/6), and come back year after year. Please research best practices for each plant in terms of planting and pruning.

Tender Perennial: This plant will survive winters if brought indoors or appropriately sheltered from the weather. Please research best practices for specific herbs.

Annual: This plant will grow, flower, and set seed in one season. It will need to be planted each year.

Quick Annual: This plant will grow, flower, and set seed in a short amount of time. Be prepared to plant or seed 3-5 times throughout the season for a consistent supply.

Biennial: This plant will overwinter and grow back the spring in its second year. In its second year it will flower quickly but the flavor will be much more intense! You can leave it to re-seed itself and/or plant yearly for a constant supply.

WINTER THYME

Perennial

Days to maturity: 95

Plant Spacing: 6-8”

Notes: Divide every 3-4 years or the plant will become woody.

SUMMER SAVORY

Annual

Days to maturity: 50-60

Plant spacing: 8”

Notes: Harvest for fresh use only once the plants have become established. Entire plants can be harvested when flowers are in the bud stage. To dry, hang the plant in a warm, dark, well-ventilated location.

CHAMOMILE (Roman)

Perennial

Days to maturity: 60-65

Plant spacing: 8-12”

Notes: this creeping chamomile produces fragrant blossoms for tea and medicinal applications. It also doubles as ground cover, creating a lush carpet that will tolerate light foot traffic.

BASIL (Italian)

Quick Annual

Days to maturity: 50-55

Plant spacing: 4-8”

Notes: While true Genovese Basil is “DOP” (of protected origin), you can enjoy sweet Italian basil at home thanks to the excellent strains found here in the U.S.. The large cupped leaves can be added to all your favorite summer dishes, turned into sauces (like pesto), and preserved in olive oil and frozen for a wintertime treat.

DILL

Quick Annual

Days to maturity: 55

Spacing: 4-6”

Notes: Dill is a quick and easy to grow herb which prefers cooler weather. Harvest close to the base, full stem.

You can let it go to flower and use the large flowers for dill pickles.

PEPPERMINT

Perennial

Days to maturity: 40

Spacing: 6-12”

Notes: Peppermint is quick to overtake your garden! If a lush carpet is not what you’re after then please keep it in a pot so its runners can’t take root. Pinch off top 4-6 leaves routinely to keep it from flowering too early.

GREEK OREGANO

Perennial

Days to maturity: 80

Plant Spacing: 12”

Notes: harvest entire stems just as plants are coming into bloom. Hang upside down to dry in a well-ventilated location and use year-round in your kitchen. Store in glass jar or airtight container.

Established plants can be harvested 2-3 times during the growing season. Always leave 2-3” of plant after harvest.

CHIVES

Perennial

Days to maturity: 90

Plant spacing: 6-8”

Notes: Harvest sparingly the first year. During the second and third year harvest bunches as needed. Flowers are edible and make an excellent garnish. Divide chive clumps every 3-4 years.

ROSEMARY

Tender Perennial

Days to maturity: 80-95 day for tips, 120-180 days for bunches.

Plant spacing: 12-24”

Notes: Rosemary will thrive grown in a large pot. Keep it outdoors Mid-April through October and then place it near a window (where it can get cold but not too cold) November - March. Always keep it from temps below 34F and water sparingly during the winter months, usually once every 10-14 days will suffice. *Rosemary requires more water than you think! It will drink heavily from March through September.

TARRAGON (French)

Perennial

Days to maturity: 50-55

Plant spacing: 4-8”

Notes: A very fine and sought after culinary herb! Highly aromatic with faint notes of licorice, citrus, and spice!

CILANTRO

Quick Annual

Days to maturity: 50-55

Spacing: 4-6”

Notes: Cilantro is quick and easy to grow. Harvest close to the base, picking off individual leaves does not encourage growth. Let flower and go to seed; the seeds are culinarily known as coriander and have a fresh grapefruit-like aroma to them. Cilantro does not like it too hot and will bolt quickly if stressed from temperature and/or drought.

SPEARMINT (Kentucky Colonel)

Perennial

Days to maturity: 40

Spacing: 6-12”

Notes: Spearmint is sweeter and has a lower menthol concentration than peppermint. Excellent for mint tea! It has an upright habit and is a quickly spreading plant. Please keep in a pot if you do not wish for it to take over your garden.

SAGE

Perennial

Days to maturity: 80-90

Plant Spacing: 12”

Notes: Harvest individual leaves during the first year. In the second and following years, cut stems to within 6" of the base of the plant just as flowers are starting to open.

Hang small bunches of sage upside down to dry in a well-ventilated location and out of direct sunlight. Plants should be replaced every 3-4 years.

PARSLEY

Biennial

Days to maturity: 75

Plant spacing: 4-6”

Notes: this is a prolific plant, harvest bunches once it is established. 2-3 harvest can be expected each year.

BASIL (Thai)

Quick Annual

Days to maturity: 64 days

Plant spacing: 4-8”

Notes: sweet anise flavor, excellent for all your Southeast Asian dishes. Mid-sized compact plant with small 1-2” leaves. Harvest leaves or full branches.

LAVENDER (Folgate)

Perennial

Days to maturity: Blooms late May

Plant spacing: 24”-36”

Notes: This can grow into a beautiful large bush, about 36” tall by 36” wide. Trim back to encourage new growth.

LEMON BALM

Perennial

Days to maturity: 70

Spacing: 8-12”

Notes: Lemon Balm is quick and easy to grow - it requires medium to rich soil with balanced fertility. Pinch off buds and flowers for a longer harvest or let is self seed to grow your patch! Enjoy as syrup (hello popsicles?!), in cocktails, lemonades, and many other applications.

THYME (Lemon)

Perennial

Days to maturity: 65

Spacing: 6-8”

Notes: A perennial thyme with a nice citrusy finish. Use as you would any other thyme, grown in pots or in the ground!

Mulch if winter temps go below 10F and trim in the spring before they grow back.

If growing in pots, keep in a sheltered area and mulch during winter.