Let’s talk herbs; so what is an herb? Simply, it is a plant that we use to flavor our food. Depending where you were born, you would probably gravitate towards different herbs. I grew up with parsley and dill. Maybe you grew up with basil and oregano. Now you may ask, can I grow herbs in my Culver City garden? The quick answer is absolutely yes. So let’s see what you can grow?
There are several herbs that are very easy to grow in California. Usually when I ask what people love using, the answer is rosemary. It smells so good, what’s not to like? Rosemary is super easy to grow. It needs water preferably received in a way that feeds the roots and does not spray the leaves, because it causes it to be covered in black fungus. Rosemary also needs room, like 2-3’ sq feet of it. It is not a small plant and it is much happier growing in full sun than in shade. Plus bees love the flower.
People also ask me to plant them some sage and thyme. Sage is a bit bigger than thyme, you probably need 2 square feet of space, but it is low plant so can easily grow at the front of planter. It likes sun but it will be fine with some afternoon or morning shade. It has beautiful purple flowers that attract bees. Sometimes different animals take a bite of the leaf, but nothing to worry about. Thyme is small, will not need more than 1 foot square of space. But there are different varieties, like variegated, lemon, or common thyme. The choice is yours, the plant will be fine growing in some shade.
Oregano is another desired herb. It is low spreading ground cover. I personally prefer to have it in a pot for that reason. Or underneath a tree. Similarly to oregano, majorian grows in the same way. They taste different but sure look alike.
Tarragon is another herbs that sometimes people ask about it. It is a small plant, similar to Italian basil in size. Tall and narrow great for partial shade. All the herbs mentioned above are easy to grow. You can have them both in the ground or in the pot. As long as they receive some water, you should have them for years to come.
Now onto herbs that are more difficult. Basil, specifically Italian basil. Loves to gives us hard time. For more leaf growth, trim the flowers off. Do not water the leaves, only soil. For me Italian basil is a lot of work, so I prefer the African basil that grows large or pesto basil that is medium size, has variegated leaves, and barely blooms. Italian and pesto basil plant should do well in a partial shade.
Parsley and cilantro look very much alike. They do not last forever, so you have to replant them. You can start them from a seedling or from seeds. Partial shade works great for them. If you let cilantro bloom and go to seeds you will get more more plants.
Dill is harder to grow here, it gets aphids very quickly. But you can try to plant it in early spring or in October. You want to avoid warm weather with dill. Full sun is great for the plant and some airflow helps avoid the aphids setting on a plant.
Green onions and chives are so easy to grow. Green onion can be planted from the inch of the ending of green onion with roots that you get at the grocery store. Simply stick the roots in the ground. It grows like magic. Then pick the leaves as you need them.
Chile peppers, I am going to include here too, since we grow it for flavor. Get one plant and plant it in a sunny spot. It will grow for a long time. It is a very attractive plant that will keep on producing peppers.
Let’s finish with mint. You only want to plant mint in a pot. Do not try to stick it in the ground, unless you want to only have mint. It loves shade. Super easy to grow. Lemon balm and many varieties of mint grow in the same way. Best in a pot.
In general it is very easy to grow herbs in Culver City. Only basil, cilantro, and dill may give you a hard time. Sometimes seedlings don’t thrive, just try again.
Starting a small herb garden will benefit your cooking; there’s nothing like cutting your own herbs to make flavors even happier. By planning herbs you not only save money at the grocery store, but also they keep the bugs and critters away from your house. So plant them around your garden and enjoy.
Happy Gardening!
Joanna Kotwis
