Ready to garden in April? Get a head start on planting with these cold hardy herbs perfect for New Jersey (zone 7). They thrive in cool weather and have time to grow strong before the summer heat arrives.
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As soon as the weather starts to warm up, I’m ready to get my hands in the dirt. But here in New Jersey (zone 7), we usually have to wait until May to really do some serious gardening. Those random 80 degree days are such a tease. They make me want to head straight to the garden center and fill my cart with starter plants.
Thankfully, as we inch closer to the official start of gardening season, there are still ways to get a head start. Cold hardy herbs are a great way to ease into spring gardening - they can thrive in warm spring sunshine and can handle chilly nights.
Recently, we gave a couple of small rock patches in our backyard a makeover. One section became a strawberry patch and the other turned into a brand new herb garden. I transplanted some dormant herbs from pots into the ground and, over the past week, started adding a few new herb plants that can handle early spring temperatures.
Cold Hardy Herbs for Early Spring Planting
April is actually a great time to start an herb garden since the weather is just beginning to warm up. It’s cool enough for the soil to retain moisture, but warm enough for plants to establish strong roots before the heat of summer sets in. While herbs like basil and lemongrass thrive in full sun and hotter temperatures, there are still plenty of cold hardy herbs you can start planting in your garden right now.
Rosemary
It was a cold, snowy winter this year so, even though rosemary is considered a tender perennial in my zone, I needed to replace my plants. I just planted three new rosemary plants (two in the herb garden and one in a pot near my front door). Planting them now will allow the roots to get established and, hopefully, by the end of summer I'll have some nice, busy rosemary plants to enjoy.
Thyme
Thyme is honestly one of my favorite herbs to add to dishes. It's available in a variety of different types and flavors (I just added lemon thyme to the herb garden). It tends to have an earthy, herbal, slightly peppery taste to it and does really well in cold temperatures.
Oregano
Oregano is another herb that's a must in my garden. I use it fresh or dried. It tolerates cold temperatures very well and comes back year after year. But be warned that it can spread rapidly. It's not a problem for me since I use it often. I've even been able to share plants by digging out sections. So if you don't want it to take over, it's best to grow oregano in a pot.
Parsley
I started with three parsley plants, but after transplanting only one plant survived. However, it's thriving in the new herb garden, growing lots of new, lush green leaves. Parsley can handle a little light frost and is said to be sweeter in cooler temperatures.
Mint
Mint is another staple in my herb garden. However, it's definitely a plant you don't want to grow directly in the ground as it spreads vigorously. It does very well in pots though. It's also available in several varieties (I have standard garden mint, pineapple mint, and orange mint growing in pots), can handle the cold, and will return year-after-year.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is in the mint family so you'll also want to grow it in a pot. It can tolerate early spring temperatures and adds a nice citrus flavor to dishes. I like to use the dried leaves to make tea.
Sage
While sage is a hardy perennial here in NJ, it tends to thrive in summer. However, since it can tolerate the cold, it's a good time to plant it to get it established before the temperatures heat up. It's also considered a short-lived perennial and will need to be replaced after a few years.
Cilantro
I've never had any luck growing cilantro. That's probably because I always thought it was a hot weather plant. Cilantro actually thrives in cold weather and will bolt once it gets hot during the summer. So now is the time to plant it if you want to toss it in salsa, tacos, and other dishes.
Dill
Dill is a fast-growing herb that does well in cool weather. It's a staple ingredient for pickle lovers. However, it's also a popular host plant for swallowtail butterflies. You might find some caterpillars munching on it. They'll easily devour the entire plant. In fact, sometimes I'll grow it just for them!
Sweet Woodruff
Sweet Woodruff is a new addition to my herb garden. It's considered a ground cover, but the leaves and flowers are edible. The plant smells like a mix of hay and vanilla (especially when dried) and can be used to make May wine, as a cocktail garnish, or infused into jellies or teas.
Lavender
Lavender is one of my all-time favorite herbs to plant. In fact, I'm now up to 5 or so lavender plants in my garden. It's cold hardy, does well in summer heat, is pollinator-friendly, and can be used in so many ways (culinary, crafts, or cut bouquets). It's a beautiful addition to any garden with an amazing scent and I find it to be fairly low-maintenance.
Hyssop
I added hyssop to our yard last year and it quickly became a pollinator-magnet during the summer. It's a cold hardy herb in the mint family that's been used since biblical times. It can be steeped to make a tea or used as a steam inhalation to help treat colds. You can also cook with it and use it to flavor salads and stews or soups.
While there are plenty of other cold hardy herbs you can grow in cooler climates, these are the ones currently growing in our garden - with more to come as the weather warms up. There’s something so satisfying about seeing everything come back to life, especially when I can start snipping fresh herbs to use in the kitchen and in my Etsy shop right away.
