The unprotected chives in my garden die back by early winter, but the protected plants continue to offer tender green shoots from January through March. You can use a cloche but it should be a fairly large one – like a 5-gallon water bottle. I keep a sizable plant in my polytunnel, but I’ve also grown it beneath a mini hoop tunnel and in a cold frame too. Chives, a member of the onion family, are perhaps the easiest herb to grow, and the grassy foliage can be snipped all winter to add flavor to scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, and salads. No food garden is complete without a couple of clumps of chives. You can also dig up a garden plant in early autumn and move it into a cold frame or greenhouse. This compact size makes thyme a good choice for a glass or plastic cloche in zones 4 to 6 for a bit of extra winter protection. The plants grow up to a foot across and six to ten inches tall. I’m a big fan of lemon thyme as well as English thyme. There are many types of thyme you can grow, each with subtle flavor variations. Thyme is a low-growing woody shrub with tiny grey-green leaves that persist throughout winter. Cover with a protective structure in cold gardening zones to harvest all winter. Thyme is a hardy perennial herb with foliage that stays evergreen in most regions. What’s hardy in my zone 5 garden, however, may not be hardy for a gardener in zone 3 or 4, so be sure to choose plants that can withstand your specific climate. Perennial plants are those that are reliably hardy and return year after year. Here are nine of my favorite perennial and biennial herbs to grow in winter. Or, you can sink the pots into the soil of a garden bed or a pile of mulch to insulate the roots. Many hardy perennial herbs can be overwintered successfully in pots by placing the container inside a greenhouse or cold frame. For more information on the best herbs for a winter windowsill, check out this article.Įven small-space gardeners who grow herbs in containers don’t have to be left out. Of course you can also grow an indoor herb garden in winter. It helps to find a site with full sun for winter herbs to thrive. The good news is that there are many herbs that are cold hardy and can be harvested during the winter months. The dried versions are a pale comparison flavor-wise, and I therefore want to enjoy fresh herbs for as long as I can. You just can’t beat the flavor of fresh herbs like parsley, chervil, and chives. The fresh flavor of parsley is essential in pastas, salads, and so many other dishes. ![]() This curly parsley plant is still looking great in January tucked under a mini hoop tunnel. Below you’ll find nine of my top herbs to grow in winter as well as information on how to protect the plants from winter winds, cold, and storms. ![]() Some of my favorite culinary herbs – parsley, thyme, and chives – are cold hardy, and I grow them in my raised garden beds as well as beneath season extending devices like cloches, mini hoop tunnels, and cold frames. I may have written the book The Year Round Vegetable Gardener but that doesn’t mean that I don’t also enjoy having homegrown herbs to harvest all year long, even in winter.
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