What Are Popular Herbs To Grow In Arizona Gardens?
When you’re thinking about what to put in your Arizona gardens, many people first think of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. They’re useful for medicine, some can be eaten, and they're fun to grow. But they’re not the only option. There are also herbs, which may be more utilitarian than any other garden plant. Popular herbs are seed-bearing plants that don’t have stems and die into the ground after they’ve lived out their life cycle.
People use herbs for flavoring, food, medicine, and even some perfumes. That’s more than what most flowers, fruits, and vegetables that you can grow yourself can do. If you want to try planting something else in your garden for a change, consider herbs for your Arizona gardens.
WHAT ARE THE THREE TYPES OF HERBS YOU CAN PLANT?
Like flowers, fruits, and vegetables, herbs come in many different shapes and sizes. These differences lead to herbs growing better in different parts of the year. For this reason, most herbs are separated into three categories:
- Annual Herbs: This is a type of herb that will grow through the germination phase and its production of seeds within one growing season. It typically does not last through a second. A growing season for a herb is typically one year.
- Cool-Season Annuals: These are annual herbs that should be planted during the cool seasons of the year, such as fall.
- Warm-Season Annuals: These are annual herbs that should be planted during the warm season of the year, such as the spring.
- Biennial Herbs: This type of herb will take around two years to grow through its full germination and planting seeding phase. These are herbs you want to plant if you enjoy long-term gardening projects.
- Perennial Herbs: Any herb that lives longer than two years on average is considered a perennial plant.
WHAT POPULAR HERBS CAN YOU PLANT?
There are dozens of herbs that you can grow in your Arizona gardens, but here are some popular herbs that will be easy for you to find a use for.
BASIL
This annual herb is a classic in the kitchen, but if you’ve never had it fresh, now is the time to start growing it. It’s a warm-season herb, and with spring fast approaching, it would be smart to prepare to plant it now. Try adding basil seeds to your lawn, and you’ll have a new herb to add some flavor to a meal. Perfect for a special occasion.
CILANTRO
This is another annual herb that’s common in the kitchen but has far greater versatility than most herbs. It’s popular to be used with soup, bagels, salads, sour cream, rice, and the list goes on. Unlike basil, cilantro is a cold-season herb, so you want to plant now, before the cold season is over, or wait until the beginning of the fall or the tail-end of summer.
LAVENDER
This is a perennial plant, so it will live longer than most herbs. But if you’re careful, you get seeds from it longer than you would other herbs as well. Lavender is commonly used for its scent more than anything, which makes it easier to use a little bit at a time as opposed to basil and cilantro. Lavender is a warm-season perennial herb, so it can be planted soon.
ROSEMARY
This herb is sometimes an annual herb and sometimes a perennial herb, so you have to be careful with which one you plant. While many herbs are edible, rosemary has many medicinal properties and is a healthy thing to eat overall. Rosemary is another special herb that grows during the cold or warm seasons. While it's easier to grow in the warm season, it’s resilient enough to survive the cold season as well, so it's good to plant anytime.
GET SOIL TO PLANT HERBS FROM PIONEER LANDSCAPING CENTERS
One thing that all herbs need to grow and survive is proper soil and a place to grow in. For help with your gardening project, Pioneer Landscaping Centers has you covered. We’ll find you the soil you need, and help you figure out the logistics of your project. Contact us today.