Incorporating more herbs into our gardens not only enhances our cooking but also supports local ecosystems by attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Here are three herbs that will level-up both your dishes and your pollinator garden:

1. Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil is a culinary favorite used in everything from Italian pesto to Thai dishes. It’s also a favorite of pollinators when allowed to bloom. I grow ‘Dark Purple Opal’ basil for its flowers alone. The pale lavender blooms are a visually beautiful addition to my perennial garden and major bee magnets.

2. Borage (Borago officinalis)

Borage features striking blue, star-shaped flowers, and leaves with a mild cucumber taste, ideal for salads and drinks. It attracts pollinating bees and is also known for hosting beneficial predatory insects like nabid bugs, tiny parasitic braconid wasps, and hoverflies that help keep pest populations at bay. It’s also very easy to grow here.

3. Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Dill's wispy foliage and unique flavor enhances dishes like fish and pickles. Yellow, umbrella-like flowers attract both bees and butterflies, and the plant also acts as a host for butterfly larvae, including those of the black swallowtail butterfly. This makes dill an excellent choice for gardeners looking to support pollinators throughout their entire lifecycle.

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​To learn more about growing herbs in North Texas and their multiple uses, join me Thursday night at 6:30pm for “North Texas Herb Gardening: Cultivate, Cook and Create”.

Learn how to plant and care for an herb garden, which herbs thrive in our challenging climate, and how to use these herbs to make your own unique herbal recipes, drinks, and bath products.

"North Texas Herb Gardening: Cultivate, Cook, and Create" Thursday, April 25, 6:30pm online, $22 ​ CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP