How to Grow Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) for Fresh Flavor

Choose a site in full sun or partial shade with average, well-drained soil. Deeply cut, bright green leaves with sweet, strong flavor make flat-leaved Italian parsley excellent for cooking and drying. Harvest regularly to encourage new leaf production. Water when the top inch of soil is dry and feed monthly with a balanced fertilizer. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a biennial hardy in Zones 5–8. It flowers in its second year, but leaf flavor is best in the first year, so it's typically grown as an annual. Pot up in fall and bring indoors for a winter supply of fresh leaves.