A look at the vegetables and herbs you should plant in your fall garden
I’m still getting used to gardening in Alabama. Last my summer garden was just okay, but this year’s summer vegetable garden was a huge disappointment. I think we only got a handful of tomatoes and maybe one or two peppers. The only thing that did well was rosemary – and I hardly even use rosemary. But now it’s time to think about the fall garden. Since I’m not used to living in a place with actual seasons, the fall garden is something that’s new to me.
Even though I’m disappointed with my summer garden attempt, I decided that I was going to try my hand at a fall garden and plant a couple of vegetables. Sure, it might be a little bit late, but I’m trying to be less “follow the rulesy” in the garden. Plus, my plant hardiness zone supposedly changed from zone 7b to zone 8a, so I think that gives me an extra week or two before my season officially ends.
So, if you’re like me and want to know what to plant in a fall garden, these are the plants the experts say do well in cooler weather:
Broccoli
Spinach
Beets
Arugula
Cucumbers
Kale
Lettuce
Brussels Sprouts
Squash
In addition to the cool weather-loving vegetables you can add to your fall garden, you can also plant herbs. Some of them may even survive winter if you live in a region with mild winters, which might be the case here in northern Alabama. Here are some herbs you can plant in a fall garden:
Thyme
Parsley
Rosemary
Cilantro
Mint
Oregano
Basil
Garlic
In my experimental fall garden, I plan to grow broccoli, cilantro, arugula, spinach, and a lot more basil. We’re big fans of basil in this household, so we go through it like there’s no tomorrow. I’m pretty excited to see how it turns out, but I’m keeping my expectations low.
If you’re a northern Alabama garden enthusiast, please share your tips and tricks with me!