The parsleys, Italian and Curled, are cool-season champions, rewarding the gardener in the kitchen and the landscape alike. Either makes a good choice for a three-herb container garden as well. And flat-leaf or Italian Parsley is easy to grow, has the best flavor of the two, and can even tolerant a certain amount of dappled or high shade. If it’s happy, it will re-seed and show up again next year.

Italian Parsley, like its curly cousin, is classified as a biennial — seed to seed in two years rather than one. But in the heat of the South, it frequently bolts and goes to seed when hot weather hits our gardens. If planted during the cool season in a spot where it will have a bit of shade from the summer’s afternoon sun, Italian Parsley may make the summer. Mulch it well, but don’t be surprised if during a hot spell it suddenly bites the dust!

Good garden soil, well-drained and with plenty of cool season sun, wind, and water — occasional fertilizing with a slow-release organic product, and your parsley is off to a great start. Be sure to harvest Italian Parsley frequently to promote leaf production.