Nothing is better than flipping to the fall recipe page you bookmarked in your cookbook -- except growing your own herbs to accompany all those recipes. Despite popular belief, fall and winter are prime times to plant many essential herbs, especially in regions with mild winters. As Texans, we can take advantage of the lovely weather we have year-round and become farmers and chefs in the process.

There is an assortment of herbs that thrive in autumn and cooler months, and our top picks are parsley, cilantro, and rosemary. Whether you’re baking a chicken-potpie or roasting a medley of root vegetables, with fresh herbs grown on The Crossvine soil, you simply can’t go wrong.

Parsley

Parsley is a biennial herb that can thrive in full sun or partial shade. Given its strong flavor, it stands out in many dishes and is surely an herb-garden essential. Whether you use it to garnish your salmon or mix it into your pesto, it’s always the perfect touch.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a strikingly fragrant, hardy member of the mint family, although it’s flavor better complements savory dishes. Full sun is best for the plant to grow, and it survives cooler conditions just fine. Rosemary can accommodate many options, ranging from a garnish on your Thanksgiving turkey to a pinch of spice in your afternoon cocktail.

Cilantro

Toss it into your burrito bowl or spice up your pasta salad. Cilantro can grow from fall through spring and will never disappoint. The cilantro plant is an annual, and mild temperatures are ideal for its growing season.

Because we believe gardening to be the best of all pastimes, we are in the process of implementing a community garden at The Crossvine. We look forward to inviting you to plant in the gardens once they are complete and ready. In the meantime, we encourage you to utilize your patio, yards, or even a windowsill to harvest your own herbs!