Well, Potted Garden Society... 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐓𝐇𝐘𝐌𝐄. I've been waiting the entire herb series to say that. 😂 We've grown cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, and yesterday we tackled the slightly overenthusiastic mint. But today we're meeting a very different kind of herb. Thyme doesn't need much fussing. It doesn't need constantly moist soil. It doesn't need rich, pampered growing conditions. In fact... One of the easiest ways to make thyme unhappy is something well-meaning gardeners do all the time: 💧 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇. Sometimes the best way to take care of a plant is to leave it alone for a little while. 😄 🌿 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 Thyme is a woody perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region. And that tells us A LOT about how it wants to grow. Think: ☀️ Plenty of sunshine 🪨 Lean, well-draining soil 💧 Less water than many leafy herbs 🌬️ Good air circulation In other words... Thyme isn't looking for a tropical vacation. It's looking for a sunny hillside where nobody follows it around with a watering can. 😂 🪴 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 Thyme is wonderfully suited to container gardening. Its root system doesn't require an enormous pot, and its preference for excellent drainage is easier to manage in a container. A pot around: 🪴 𝟔–𝟖 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫e can work well for a single plant. The exact size will depend on the variety and whether you're growing thyme alone or as part of a larger herb container. But here's the important part: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. A drainage hole isn't optional with thyme. It's essential. 💧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 Here's where gardeners sometimes get into trouble. We've spent weeks talking about crops such as lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, parsley, and mint that appreciate fairly consistent moisture. So we develop a routine: "Better check everybody's water!" Then we reach thyme. 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏. 😂 Before automatically watering it... 👉 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥. Let the upper portion of the potting mix dry somewhat between waterings.

Some herbs are a little dramatic. Cilantro gets hot and bolts. Dill decides it's time to grow three feet tall. Meanwhile, chives are sitting quietly in their container saying... "𝑵𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓? 𝑰'𝒎 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆." 😂 If you're looking for an easy, useful, cold-hardy herb for your Second Spring garden, 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭. They're wonderful in containers. You can harvest them again and again. They produce beautiful edible flowers. And unlike many of the plants we've grown during this series... 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. Plant them once and you may be enjoying them for YEARS. 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬? Chives are members of the onion family. Instead of growing them for a large bulb, we harvest their slender green leaves for their mild onion flavor. Think of them as the delicate little cousin of the green onions we planted earlier. Snip a few leaves. Chop them up. Suddenly your baked potato is considerably more interesting. 😄 🍂 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 Chives love cooler weather and are remarkably cold tolerant. In colder climates, the foliage may die back after hard freezes and return from the roots when conditions improve. In milder areas, they may remain productive for much longer. And because they're perennial, you're not necessarily planting chives just for this fall. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨. That's a pretty good return on one little container. 🪴 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 A container around: 🪴 𝟔–𝟖 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 can work nicely for chives. But remember... Chives grow in 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐬, and those clumps become larger over time. So giving them a little extra width means you won't need to divide or repot quite as quickly. As always, make sure the container has drainage holes and use good-quality potting mix. ☀️ 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 Chives perform best with plenty of light. Aim for around: ☀️ 𝟔 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐧 They can tolerate some partial shade, but plants growing in good light generally produce stronger growth.

For years, parsley had one very important job... Sit on the side of a restaurant plate looking pretty while everyone completely ignored it. Remember that little curly green sprig? Most of us weren't even sure we were supposed to eat it. 😂 Well, today we're giving parsley the respect it deserves. Because parsley is: 🌿 Easy to grow in containers 🍂 Happy in cooler weather ❄️ Surprisingly cold tolerant 🍽️ Useful in LOTS of recipes 🦋 And potentially a very important plant for butterflies! Yes... 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒. We'll get to that in a minute. 🌿 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐭-𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟? You'll usually encounter two common types of parsley. 🌿 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 This is the classic curly-leaved parsley many of us recognize from restaurant plates. It's attractive enough to use in decorative containers and perfectly edible. 🌿 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐭-𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 This variety has flatter leaves and is often preferred for cooking because of its stronger flavor and easy-to-chop leaves. Which should you grow? 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞! Or grow one of each and conduct your own taste test. 🍂 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 Unlike basil, which starts getting nervous when temperatures cool, parsley says: "𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲!" 😂 Parsley prefers cooler growing conditions and can tolerate light frosts once established. That means a plant started for your fall garden may continue producing long after many summer herbs have finished. And because we're growing it primarily for the leaves, you can harvest a little at a time throughout the season. 🪴 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 Parsley develops a fairly substantial root system, including a taproot. Choose a container around: 🪴 𝟖–𝟏𝟎 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟐 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 Make sure it has good drainage and fill it with quality potting mix. A wider container can hold several parsley plants or you can tuck parsley into a mixed fall herb planter. 🌱 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭... Patience. Lots of patience. 😂

It's time to kick off the 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐁 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 of our Second Spring series! And we're starting with an herb that can divide a dinner table faster than almost anything we've grown so far. 🌿 𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎. For some people: 😍 Fresh! 🍋 Citrusy! 🌮 Absolutely essential on tacos! For others: 🧼 "𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐀𝐏 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃?!" And here's the really interesting part... 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 🧬 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁...𝗖𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲? YES! Cilantro contains natural aroma compounds called aldehydes. Some of the same types of compounds are also associated with the scents we perceive in soaps and other products. Research suggests that genetics can influence how strongly we detect certain cilantro aromas. So while one person bites into cilantro and tastes something bright, fresh, and citrusy... Someone sitting beside them may genuinely experience something very different. In other words: If you've spent your entire life wondering why everyone keeps ruining perfectly good tacos with something that tastes like dish soap... Your taste buds may have an explanation. 😂 🌿 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... Gardeners often tell me: "I planted cilantro and it was doing GREAT..." Then approximately five minutes later: 🌿 ➡️ 🌸 ➡️ 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒. Okay, maybe not five minutes. But sometimes it certainly feels that way. 😂 That's because cilantro really doesn't appreciate hot weather. When temperatures climb, cilantro quickly begins producing a flower stalk. That's called bolting. Once that happens, leaf production declines and the flavor can change. Which is why... 🍂 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎'𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍! 🌡️ 𝐂𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭 Cool weather. As the intense heat of summer fades, cilantro becomes much easier to grow. Cooler temperatures help slow bolting and give us a longer window to harvest those flavorful leaves. That's why gardeners who struggled with cilantro in June or July may have a completely different experience growing it during their Second Spring.

Container gardeners have one problem that traditional gardeners don't always have to think about: We're going to run out of floor space eventually. 😂 The patio is full. The balcony is full. The deck is full. There isn't room for ONE. MORE. POT. Or is there? Because today we're growing UP. Meet one of my favorite cool-season container crops: 🫛 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐒! Peas love cooler weather, grow beautifully on a simple trellis, and give us an opportunity to use vertical space instead of taking over the patio. And there's another reason you should consider growing them... If you've never eaten a pea seconds after picking it from the vine, you're in for a treat. 🫛 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 Peas are cool-season plants. They aren't particularly happy when temperatures soar. Hot weather can slow production, reduce flowering, and eventually bring the pea-growing season to an end. But give them cooler days and chilly nights? 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲. That's why peas can make an excellent Second Spring crop. There's one catch, though. If August is still extremely hot where you live, don't rush them. You may need to wait until temperatures begin moderating before planting. Remember: 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. Your local weather gets the final vote. 🌱 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰? Here's where things get interesting because "peas" aren't all the same. 🫛 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐬 You eat the pod AND the peas inside. They're sweet, crunchy, and wonderful straight from the vine. Honestly, some may never make it into the house. 😂 🫛 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐬 These have flat, tender edible pods and are usually harvested before the peas inside fully develop. They're fantastic in stir-fries. 🫛 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐬 These are the traditional peas you remove from the pod before eating. The pod itself is usually too tough to eat. But those fresh peas inside? That's where the magic is. 🪴 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 Peas don't require an enormously deep container, but they appreciate room for their roots.