Herbs

Santa Clara County provides a year-round climate which is well-suited to growing a variety of culinary and aromatic herbs.

Herbs are a great choice for beginner gardeners as they tend to be easy to grow and care for. They are a wonderful addition as borders to your vegetable garden or can be easily grown in containers on a patio or balcony.

See Herb Gardening Basics for information on successful herb gardening. For information on a specific herb, check the individual herb pages listed below. The listings contain tips on how to grow, care for, and harvest each one.

Our Vegetable Planting Chart includes month-by-month planting times for several annual/biennial herbs to help you plan your garden.

Annual/biennial herbs

Perennial herbs

If there isn't a page yet for an herb you are interested in, contact our Help Desk for advice.

Videos

Tips: Drying Herbs Like Tarragon [1:33]
Talk: Growing Herbs for Beauty and Flavor [1 hr 12 min]]
Talk: Spice It Up: Growing Garlic, Ginger, Chives, & Turmeric [1 hr 20 min]

Seasonal plant sales

Be sure to put our popular Spring Garden Fair and Fall Garden Fair on your calendar. We sell thousands of vegetable and herb seedlings at these events, including many unusual or heirloom varieties. It's a great chance to talk to UC Master Gardeners and get your questions answered, plus the sales support our volunteer program. Sign up for our Tips & Events newsletter to receive a monthly email of seasonal gardening tips and a list of our upcoming talks, courses, and plant sales like these.