Cool Season Herbs List - Gardening With Soule

Feature photo above: lovage, a mild herb that is great in salads.

Cool Season in the Southwest is the time that all manner of tasty annual herbs from cool climates come into their own. Many of these can very easily be grown in containers and thus make beautiful décor for your patio.

Selecting Cool Season Herbs

Cool season herbs feature many plants in the carrot family. They have very similar care needs – so pick any of these. Some are fairly hard to find in nurseries, so you might have to grow from seed. Most of these herbs will bolt (send up a flower stalk) next April, but that’s a good thing – it brings in pollinators.

If you are going to grow prasley, consider the variety that also makes this large “parsley root” that can be harvested and used in cooking.

Carrot Family Herbs

anise
asafoetida
calendula

caraway
chervil
cilantro
coriander (seeds of cilantro)
cumin
dill
fennel
lovage
parsley, including parsley root
sea holly (requires VERY sandy soil)

Science Nerd Shares

Technically the “seeds” of members of the carrot family are “dry fruits,” each containing a single seed. Easier for the general reader to just call them “seeds.” I put this note here just in case some Botany pedant is out there, ready to correct me!

Some Other Cool Season Herbs to Try

While not in the carrot family, these herbs like the same growing conditions – starting with cooler temperatures and cooler soils. Some on this list are considered perennial but simply do not appreciate the heat of Low and Middle Desert gardens. Just plant them as annuals and skip trying to baby them thru the summer.

borage
catnip
chamomile (annual German chamomile, not Roman)
clary sage
feverfew
horehound
nigella (love in a mist)

peppergrass (considered a weed by some) – here’s a YouTube video

How to grow these Cool Season Herbs is an article in the main section of the website.

Nigella – love in a mist. pod s full of seeds that are used for flavoring – in other words – as an herb.

More herbs in this book

May I recommend my book? The Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Guide offers not just growing guides but some of the latest varieties – including ones specifically for raised bed and container growing. Price is what you would pay on Amazon – only when you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“In this updated 2nd edition of Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening, you’ll find much-needed advice and practical tips on growing an edible garden, no matter which part of the southwestern US you call home.

Growing in the Southwest isn’t easy. It’s either too hot or too cold and often very dry. The region hosts a range of soils and climate conditions that can be difficult for a gardener to navigate. That’s why this region-specific garden guide is a must-have for every Southwestern gardener!

Botanist Dr. Jacqueline Soule simplifies the ins and outs of gardening in the Southwest and serves as your guide to success. Regardless of whether you’re tending an in-ground plot, a small container garden, or a series of raised beds, Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening is an invaluable resource.”

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Arizona-based Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.

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