Planning and Planting a Summer Herb Garden in the Desert

Here in Tucson, we don't really have four seasons. Spring starts in February and goes until about the middle of April when the temperatures get into the 80's and keep climbing until July and August when 100 degree plus days are normal summer temperatures. If we are lucky, the monsoon storms come during that same period giving us brief respites from the heat. Summer sticks around until Halloween when the temperatures go back down into the 70's. November, December and January are our autumn /winter combo. We can have days in the 70's with lots of sunshine and evenings in the low 40's or it can get cold and rainy, with evening temperatures in the 30's. Very rarely we will get snow and freezing temperatures like we did this year when several cold snaps hit us and severely damaged plants.

This said, you might think it would be impossible to plant a summer herb garden here. It is tricky, but not impossible. It takes preparation, planning and perseverance. My first attempts at desert gardening were disasters, but over the years I've learned how to work with the desert instead of against it.

PREPARATION

I am lucky enough to have a large, well-established, mesquite tree in my back yard that canopies over a 6' x 9' patch of soil. The area gets early morning sun, filtered midday light and evening sun. If you do not have such an area in your yard, I recommend buying shade material to canopy your garden so that the herbs are not exposed to the heat of the midday sun.

Soil preparation depends on what you have in your yard. I recommend Desert Gardening by George Brookbank as a comprehensive guide for prepping your garden area. If you don't want to go to the trouble of digging up and prepping a garden area, then I suggest container gardening. As long as your container does not have any toxic residue and has drainage holes, what you use is only limited by your imagination. I have a friend who planted her herb garden in an old bathtub. Fill your container with a planter mix recommended by your nursery and your good to go.

Before you plant, however, you need to think about how you are going to supply your desert garden with its most important element: water. Desert gardens need deep watering, preferably early in the morning. That is why I recommend a drip irrigation system that is attached to a time clock. I use a combination of drip and spray in my garden timed to go off at 4am for 15minutes. This provides deep water for the roots and assures that the foliage will be dry before the sun gets too hot so the leaves won't burn. Brookbank's Desert Gardening has several chapters on watering and irrigation systems.

PLANNING:

What you grow in your herb garden depends on how you plan to utilize the herbs. If you are a serious cook, as I am, you are probably interested in their culinary usage, however, many herbs have medicinal properties or can be used in the preparation of homemade cosmetics and aromatics. I recommend going to the library or bookstore to learn more about herbal usage before going to the nursery to purchase your herbs.

You can, of course, start your plants from seed, and if you are going to be planting some of the more exotic herbs, you may have to, but I prefer to purchase plants whenever possible. It is best to purchase your plants from a nursery when you first start herb gardening. Their staff is generally more knowledgeable than the employees of the big box stores or supermarkets.

Here are some popular and easily obtained herbs that you may want to start out with:

MINT: Beside the familiar peppermint and spearmint you can also purchase, orange, pineapple and even chocolate mint, whose scents reflect their namesake more than their flavoring. Use in salads, with fresh fruits, teas and drinks like the Mojito.

BASIL: Basil is now available in so many varieties you could plant a garden of nothing but: purple, globe, ruffled, lemon, Thai, bush or sweet, basil is used in a wide variety of cuisines.

THYME: I cannot imagine a roast chicken without fresh thyme. Its earthy flavor also works well with roasted root vegetables and hearty soups.

ROSEMARY: This pine scented bushy plant is grown as a shrub here in Arizona because it loves the heat. Wonderful in sauces, baked in breads, or on roasted meats, potatoes and vegetables.

OREGANO: Fragrant and spicy, this herb always bring to mind fresh Italian pasta sauce, but is also used in Greek and Mexican cooking.

PARSLEY: I find flat leaf parsley to be more versatile in cooking, but I also grow curly parsley for garnish. Use it in soups, stews, dressings and salads.

DILL: The quintessential summer herb used in potato and cucumber salads, creamy fish sauces, and of course, homemade dill pickles.

TARRAGON: It's sweet, slightly licorice taste goes well with fish, eggs, and chicken, and livens up salad dressings and marinades.

CILANTRO: Here in the southwest cilantro is synonymous with salsa and guacamole, but it's also used in oriental cuisine.

PERSEVERANCE:

Once you have planted your garden, you can't just sit back and wait to reap the rewards. Visit your plants daily and look for signs of over or under watering, too much sun, bug or critter damage, and bolting.

Bolting usually occurs in hot weather when a plant will put out flowers in an attempt to reseed itself. Pinch back any flowers that appear on your plants to prevent this.

I have recently added marigolds and ground cover plants to my garden. The marigolds keep pests and bugs away and the ground cover helps keep in moisture.

Don't get discouraged if you have bad luck growing a certain type of herb. Try growing it in a different area, or giving it special treatment, like a little extra water. I had trouble getting dill and cilantro to grow in my garden, but once I put them in clay pots on my patio in order to have more control over their exposure to sun and the amount of water they got, they did just fine.

Authors Note: This article is a first in a series. I plan to follow up with articles on individual herbs and recipes they can be use in, so be sure to check back.