You dont have to abandon your herb and flower patch when the heat hits.

Here are my summer-lovin top 10.

What would a summer garden be without bursts of brilliant color?

9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat

Other great edible floral choices for summer are alyssums, dianthus, carnations and sunflowers.

Thyme,Thymus Vulgaris

you could never have too muchthyme, right?

Grow in full sun with good drainage.

We have the suite of subtropical Asian flavors: cardamom, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime and perennial coriander. Want more inspiration? Here are my edible herbs summer-lovin’ top 10.

The flowers are edible and bees just adore them.

Chilli,Capsicum Annuum

The humble flavor-packed chilli is the supreme lover of summer.

But if you really want to ramp up the heat dial, go for Ghost, Habanero or Tepin.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat: THYME, THYMUS VULGARIS

There are literally hundreds of named cultivars of chillies.

Greek and perennial basil,OcimumSP.

Grow your basilin a full-sun location with good drainage.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat (CHILLI, CAPSICUM ANNUUM)

Be aware that the seeds pack a real basil flavor punch when added to meals and snacks.

The flowers make a delightful garnish, too, and are a big hit with beneficial insects and bees.

Note: the seeds are not edible.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat (CHILLI, CAPSICUM ANNUUM)

The foliage has a strong curry flavor, even more so when it hits heated oil in a pan.

Quite often curry leaves are added to the pan before anything else to infuse its flavor through the dish.

Protect from frost and grow in full sun.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat - CURRY LEAF TREE, BERGERA KOENIGII (SYN. MURRAYA KOENIGII)

More on this plant in our last issue.

Lemongrass will grow to around 2m high and about 1m wide, so it will need plenty of space.

Lemongrass can sometimes be confused with its close relativeEast Indian lemongrass,Cymbopogon flexuosus.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat - LEMONGRASS, WEST INDIAN LEMONGRASS, CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS

Its a cold-sensitive plant, though.

Completely unrelated,Eryngium foetidumhas an almost identical flavour to that of the common soft-leaf coriander.

Its a low-growing plant that appears as a rosette of long lanceolate leaves with a serrated edge.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat - PERENNIAL CORIANDER, ERYNGIUM FOETIDUM

This attribute gives it its other common name: sawtooth coriander.

It also goes by the name of Mexican coriander.

Once the temperature starts to rise again it will reshoot.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat - SAGE, SALVIA OFFICINALIS

Pruningwill encourage more leaf growth.

Grow in full sun and soil that has good drainage.

They can be used in stir-fries, curries, soups, salads and salsas.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat - OREGANO ZA’ATAR, ORIGANUM SYRIACA

The flower spikes and roots can be used, too.

Sage,Salvia Officialis

Sage is a fantastic perennial shrubby herb with soft grey foliage.

It can be added to a variety of culinary dishes.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat - Rosemary

The flowers are edible, too.

There are also other coloured forms purple, gold variegated and tricolour.

Another couple of sage beauties to grow are pineapple sage and fruity sage.

Perennial Herbs: 9 Herbs That Grow In The Heat

Both have the most aromatic foliage and beautiful flowers.

Pineapple sage, of course, has a pineapple flavour and the vibrant red flowers are also edible.

Fruity sage foliage has a fruit salad flavour and bears delightful bright-pink edible flowers.

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Both of these require a bit more water than traditional sage.

In subtropical and tropical regions many treat common sage,Salvia officinalis, as an annual.

Oregano Zaatar,Origanum Syriaca

This flavorsome cousin oforeganois a flavor-packed, heat-loving beauty.

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All the oreganos are, of course, greatyear-round herbs.

Oregano zaatar generally has a stronger flavour.

The flowers are white and appear in summer.

They are all low-growing spreading perennial plants and have either pink or white flowers.

This group of herbs is essential for lovers of Italian cuisine.

Just add to pizza, pasta and casseroles.

Rosemary,Rosmarinus Officinalis

Rosemaryis a long-lived hardy herb that has had a long association with Remembrance Day.

Its also reputed to assist with improving memory and even longevity.

These days, there are many types of rosemary and all are edible.

Rosemary likes a hot, sunny spot in the garden with good drainage.

Larger forms can be clipped into a hedge or even a rounded topiary shrub.

The flowers are edible and a popular nectar source for bees and butterflies.

Dont succumb to the summertime sulks and let the heat get you down.