Growing herbs is easy when you live here in the South Bay Area because most of them love our climate. Growing your own is more fun and far cheaper than purchasing those little plastic boxes of fresh herbs in the store. And whenever you need a few leaves of basil or several sprigs of fresh thyme, all you have to do is step out the door.
Another great benefit to growing your own herbs is that they make fabulous landscape and container plants. That means, even if you have only a patio, deck, or balcony instead of a traditional yard, you can still grow your own herbs.
If you’re working toward a sustainable landscape, herbs are ideal companions for your artificial grass lawn, because many of them are naturally drought-tolerant. The woody varieties are evergreen, so you can enjoy their interesting leaf shapes and colors, fragrances and yummy flavors all year long – even in the “dead” of winter. (Pretty flowers seasonally, too!) Really, since our winters are typically mild, you can grow many cool-season annual herbs, too. Now you’re cooking.
Rosemary is a big favorite because it comes in numerous sizes and growth habits (small upright, huge bushy, trailing), has various shades of blue flowers, and thrives in our weather. Large varieties can be sheared into topiaries or hedges (though you’ll lose much of the flowering). But don’t overlook thyme and sage, both of which also come in several varieties.
Leave a Reply