Herbes de Sacto

If you haven’t tried gardening in Sacramento, you’re missing out on an easy reward. With our mild winters and rich alluvial soil, this is a great gardening town. You can practically ignore your plot (believe me, I’ve done it), and it will still grow hog-wild.

The absolute easiest plants to grow are herbs. At last count, I have 12 different varieties in my yard. Most of them are annuals, meaning I don’t even have to replant them each year. The only one I’ve had trouble with is cilantro, but I have everything from epazote (a Mexican herb for beans) to oregano. My spearmint and peppermint want to take over the yard, and the thyme keeps the neighboring bees happy.

Since they require so little love from me and add such bounty to my kitchen, I’m adding some more. I bought lemon verbena and cumin at Capitol Nursery (4700 Freeport Boulevard). I’d love to add some Asian varieties next—perhaps some shiso greens or Thai basil.