Culinary herbs are easy to cultivate in Southern Nevada

Everyone uses parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. In fact, these herbs are so popular that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang about them in their 1968 hit, “Scarborough Fair.”

Go back to 1555 B.C. and learn that Egyptians were using fennel, coriander and thyme in food and medicine. Go back even further to 5000 B.C. and discover that Sumerians were using herbs in medicine.

Southern Nevada’s climate (mild winters and hot, dry summers) is similar to some Mediterranean regions where many of these herbs originated, and that makes your backyard a perfect place to grow parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Chris Gervasi owns Desert Urban Homesteading, a small urban homestead that produces quality food and herbs. He uses sustainable farming practices for his organic produce and micro-greens that he sells at several local farmers markets.

“We have a great growing climate here as long as you grow according to the climate and season,” he said. “My main mantra is to pay attention. Certain herbs and vegetables grow better at certain times of the year.

“But there’s no reason why you can’t grow something throughout the year. Besides my herbs, I’m growing asparagus, eggplant, pumpkins, sweet peppers, cucumbers, beets, even mangos. Basically, I’m just trying to utilize the land that I have to produce food for the valley.”

One of the small urban locations where Gervasi is growing herbs and vegetables is at the Downtown Grand.

“We installed a garden at the hotel’s Citrus Pool where I have been growing herbs,” he said. “Bartenders are able to reach out and grab some mint for a really good and fresh mojito.

“Walk around the pool and you’ll see beds of thyme, sage, lavender, parsley and cilantro. Chef Daniel sometimes comes up from the kitchen and picks herbs for any number of dishes he might be preparing that night. I’m proud of this as guests can see my work.”

Gervasi assists people who also want to produce their own herbs and can help them install an urban garden with the grow bed he created.

“I have a 2-by-3-foot grow bed with soil, organic mulch and soil nutrition along with a water adapter that can be hooked up to any home water system,” he explained. “It’s even perfect for an apartment. All the person needs to do is decide which herbs to plant. An herb garden can be started with seeds or from small plants that have already sprouted.”

Gervasi also can design a larger backyard garden and advises on which herbs will grow or won’t grow depending on which direction the backyard faces. It’s a matter of creating a series of micro-climates as some plants enjoy the sun while others need shade. Most outdoor herb gardens need afternoon shade or partial shade during the day.

At the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, about 100 species of herb plants are being grown. Some are culinary, some aromatic, some ornamental and some medicinal. Among the native herbs that are best suited for Southern Nevada are perennials such as sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano.

Staff horticulturists say an herb garden can be started with seeds or from small plants that have already sprouted in 4-inch pots. With seeds, gardeners should begin indoors because the tender shoots that first appear are vulnerable to insects.

When it’s time to transplant, surround the shoots with cedar mulch or marigolds as insects detest cedar and don’t like marigolds. Avoid pesticides of any kind because once these herbs are ready for picking, you are going to be eating them.