Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

It may still be hot and sultry outside, but a sure sign that cooler weather is on the way is the Great Herb Sale, set for September 25 at The Everyday Gardener in Jackson. The annual open-air event, first held in 1983, has raised more than $50,000 for local charitable causes through the sale of savory and showy plants that flourish in fall and winter, along with those that give a headstart on spring gardens.

The special event first took place after local cooking store The Everyday Gourmet was besieged with calls from customers looking for fresh basil and other herbs made popular by visiting chefs at the store's cooking school. Since herbs were not readily available locally at the time, the store invited an out-of-state grower to sell her wares in the parking lot. The results were surprising--as the herb grower reached the parking lot, dozens of waiting customers swarmed her car. Every plant was gone within 30 minutes.

Throughout the years, the Great Herb Sale has been held in rail and spring and has continued to grow. The Everyday Gardener took over sponsorship of the event in 2000 when it moved into the old Everyday Gourmet location.

In addition to a vast array of herbs, this year's event will feature cool-season annuals such as Sweet William, hollyhocks, foxgloves, and snapdragons, along with pansies and violas for flower beds, an assortment of plants for fall and winter containers, and hundreds of roses selected especially for Mississippi gardens.

The sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Everyday Gardener, 2905 Old Canton Road in Jackson. For details, call 601/981-0273.