These herbs are quick to germinate and quick to grow. They are relatively cold-tolerant, so the fickle spring weather won’t be as much of an issue. As an additional benefit, these herbs grow quickly enough that you can often get a fall harvest by continuing to seed late into the summer. Although they may not grow to full height, you will be able to harvest additional cuttings before frost hits. A popular variety, called Fern Leaf Dill, grows a large amount of leaf before it starts to blossom. It is a great way to gather, dry, and build up a supply of dill for the off-season. Because it goes to seed quite fast, you may have some new dill growing already. As soon as you clear away the autumn debris in the garden, you’ll often find some new dill seedlings poking their heads up. Dill brightens up many dishes, especially welcome in the winter when we eat a lot of heavier meals. Try making Dilly Green Beans, with the extra dill. The cilantro that you harvest in the fall seems to be sweeter and more full of flavor. We attribute this to the plant being under much less stress in the cool weather (cilantro really dislikes heat and will bolt immediately during a heatwave). You may have to harvest your cilantro when it is much shorter than you are accustomed to. No worries: Just snip off the shorter stems and enjoy! Cilantro is easy enough to grow indoors as well. All it needs is enough light. It can be grown under a simple grow light with great success. Lemon balm grows particularly well when it doesn’t have heat stress. It’s reasonable to trim back lemon balm when you take the garden apart for the fall, allow it to regrow until a frost is forecasted, and then cut it once more. Basil is sensitive to frost, making it the first plant to suffer when the temperatures drop, but it also grows very well indoors. This versatile herb freezes very well, too. Grow as much s you can and freeze it in ice cube trays with a little oil to keep its green color.
