A fairly unknown and majorly underappreciated herb, savory, both the winter and summer varieties, are easy to grow and reward home gardeners with ample harvests. Selecting the type of savory to grow in your home garden depends on the level of flavor you’re looking for, with winter savory having a much more intense flavor than it’s summer counterpart. If you’re new to savory, it’s recommended to start with the summer savory variety.

So you’ve decided to plant savory in your garden? According to our research on savory, you can plant anything nearby!

Savory can easily be started from seed following the last frost of the spring. Plant seeds 3 to 5 inches apart, and about a ¼ inch down in the soil. Cover the seeds with a light layer of soil, and a generous layer of mulch to keep soil moisture levels up during warm summer months. Once the savory plants reach a half-foot tall, you can begin to harvest its leaves. Summer savory is an annual, meaning it will die after one season of growing. However, its seeds will drop when the savory appears to die in the fall, replanting itself for the next growing season.

When harvesting savory leaves, they are best used right away. Be sure to only harvest a small portion, no more than 1/3 of the leaves on the plant, to ensure that future growth is not stunted. The leaves of savory make for great additions to soups, vegetable dishes, and grilled poultry. The leaves have a zesty, citrus flavor when used in dishes.