As the long, hot summer days come to an end and we start preparing for the cooler weather, it’s now time to begin thinking about the fall gardening season. And what better way to kickstart your kitchen garden than with some late summer herbs?!
Herb gardens are a low-effort project that provides a supply of herbs that will enhance the flavor of your homemade recipes. They also don’t take up too much space, making growing them easy.
Whether you have an extensive kitchen garden in your backyard or a small one on your apartment’s balcony, the following plants are some of the best herbs to grow in late summer, indoors or outdoors.
Take a look!
1. Basil
Basil is a staple in any fall garden. Its distinctive flavor and scent make it a favorite herb among many cooks and one of the delights of the summer season.
Basil loves hot weather, with six to eight hours of sun being perfect for the herb. However, regular watering is a must since it’s still the hottest time of the year!
Pick the herb’s leaves regularly to encourage the plant’s growth throughout summer. If you want to store fresh-cut basil, put about an inch of water in a jar, place the stems, then loosely cover with a plastic bag. Basil is an excellent companion for tomatoes since it repels pests and improves their flavor.
2. Chives
Chives are versatile, low-maintenance, high-yield plants with a mild onion or garlic flavor—they’re actually a member of the onion family. They love full sun but will still grow anywhere you plant them. Mature plants grow 8 – 12 inches.
Chives are a natural deterrent to pests, including carrot rust flies, Japanese beetles, and aphids. Their vibrant purple flowers also attract pollinators.
3. Cilantro
Cilantro is the perfect herb for cool weather. It prefers moist soil and partial shade. A fully mature plant takes around 50 days to grow and reaches a height of 6 to 10 inches. Cilantro has fan-shaped leaves that closely resemble parsley.
This herb is an excellent companion plant for basil and will do best in a container—both basil and cilantro mature around the same time and appreciate moist soil.
4. Mint
Mint is a hardy, easy-to-grow herb whose fragrant leaves add a fruity, aromatic taste to many cuisines. It grows quite tall, reaching 1 – 2 feet tall, needs adequate watering and regular feeding, and does well in partial shade. Picking it back every week or two will also encourage new growth.
Harvest your mint as soon as it appears since younger leaves tend to have more flavor than mature ones. Mint can grow fast and wild like a weed, so we recommend growing it in a pot if you don’t want it taking over your garden.
5. Oregano
Oregano has an earthy and bitter taste and will grow anywhere from six inches all the way up to two feet in height. The Greek’s herb green-gray leaves are a perfect accent to any sauce, and they’re widely used as a topping for homemade pizzas.
Since oregano is a perennial herb, you only need to plant it once, and it’ll keep coming back. It prefers dry conditions and thrives in full to partial sun. Oregano also performs well as a pest deterrent.
6. Parsley
Parsley comes in two varieties: curly and flat-leaf. Both have a slightly bitter taste with a strong grassy flavor and are regarded as some of the most popular and often used scented herbs worldwide. Parsley takes a while to mature, so it would be best to sow the seeds early.
The herb prefers full sunlight but can tolerate partial shade. Avoid planting parsley near carrot crops since the two can cross-pollinate, ruining your carrots. Also, keep your herbs away from lettuce since they can cause the lettuce to bolt prematurely.
The flat-leaf variety is more popular since it can tolerate sunshine and rain.
7. Thyme
Thyme is a versatile, hardy herb with a woody flavor. It is used in baked goods, fresh dishes, and numerous cuisines. Mature plants grow between 12 and 15 inches tall, and the herb needs at least 6 to 8 hours of sun daily.
Thyme is drought-tolerant, making it one of the best late-summer herbs for your kitchen garden.
Its gorgeous small pink flowers add a burst of color to the garden and attract bees, which help pollinate the area. Plant it near cabbages and strawberries since it also helps repel cabbage worms and flea beetles.
8. Rosemary
Rosemary is an easy-to-grow late summer herb popularly known for its fragrant, piney scent and use in cooking recipes and perfumes. Fully mature rosemary grows between 24 and 36 inches tall and prefers full sunlight and cooler temperatures.
When planted outside, rosemary will grow to the size of a small herb but won’t survive the freezing winter temperatures. We recommend bringing potted plants indoors during this time. This herb is a great companion for cold-weathered veggies like cabbage and cauliflower since it repels pests that attack them.
Avoid planting rosemary near pumpkins or squashes. These plants aren’t good companions because they compete for soil nutrients and space.
