Here we are, approaching the middle of spring. The days are getting longer and warmer, and the veggie seeds you planted have sprouted and are beginning to look like real plants! While you wait patiently for your garden to mature, it’s nice to have some perennial herbs from the previous year that you can enjoy in early spring.

The sage that I planted last year is about to bloom. It will attract pollinators, discourage carrot flies, and invigorate tomatoes. It should be kept away from cucumbers. I also planted parsley, marjoram, and thyme, three perennials that help other plants in the garden, and they already look vibrant this year.

Parsley attracts beneficial insects and repels harmful ones. It attracts predatory wasps and hoverflies, and repels beetles. Tomatoes benefit when planted near parsley, as the wasps it attracts kill the tomato hornworm. Do not plant mint near parsley, however. Neither plant will thrive.

Today I planted Cilantro, whose seeds are known as Coriander. Thus annual herb has many benefits in the vegetable garden. It does well with tomatoes, basil, spinach, and dill. It attracts beneficial insects such as tachinid flies, parasitoid wasps, and hover floes. It discourages harmful insects such as aphids and potato beetles. Cilantro does well next to nitrogen-fixing plants such as peas and beans. Other annuals I have planted or will plant this year are dill and basil. These herbs are important additions to your vegetable garden.