Parsley, basel and most arugula are anuals. Maybe your soil and conditions are not conducive to growing from seed. The seed rots in the ground, there is too much mulch on the garden at the time of natural germination, the soil gets disturbed in some way that breaks the cycle, there is somethings in the soil that is inhibiting germination. all of them germinate in my garden. Some mulches and compost have a herbicide and pre emergent oil still left in them from when the hay or alfalfa was farmed in the field before it became compost.

Thanks for your input

I never used mulch and I think my soil is healthy. Mint and purslain seems to grow like weed with no help from me. But others need to be planted every year. If ideally, these herbs have to regrow again, either my soil or something else is wrong. Where should I look? Also, all the herbs I mentioned, they grew from seed. So the soil is good enough to germinate I think. Any input will be appreciated.

Since we've had so much rain this year, and last year too, it may be the seeds rotted in the ground as Mara suggested. My arugula had reseeded for years, but after a rainy year it didn't come back. Maybe it likes dryer ground, where mint and purslane seeds will take more moisture.

Thanks that makes sense

Try saving some seed and planting them like you did the first time.

I thought about that but then how do you see or find the seeds for parsley or basil? Never seen them. They are not as visible as the seeds of purslain you know big and black.

Also what are the right months to plant for purslain, basil and arugula and parsley?

i've lived in cypress and now west of angleton (south of houston) and i've had many parsley of the flatleaf variety live 2 years and 1 lived 5 years the one that lived five years was planted in a container at the base of an enormous pine tree in two year old leaf mulch compost no soil at all

i think they really can't stand hot direct sun over a long period of time and i know i never watered the one that lived such a long time

i have several nown that are 2 years old and they're already suffering from being in the sunny raised bed they really like cooler weather her in south texas the ones in pots under the trees are doing much better, and the pots have to be large

i've never planted the plants you mentioned besides parsley, except for mint and that is very thirsty stuff and you should really keep it contained i have some around the base of a lemon tree now and we'll see how that goes, we'll be mowing around that tree...

herbs that i have kept alive for over a year and should have been able to keep alive because they're perennial are oregano, marjoram, several kinds of thyme, 2 kinds of sage, lemon balm and chives i am using these in a raised bed (about 12 or more inches high) made of rose soil they are growing as companion plants to roses and day lilies and some other small shrubs i can tell they really aren't happy after days of continual rain i think well draining soil and not too much water is the recipe for herbs--and the butterflies and other pollinators love the herbs

Basil seeds are easy to get. When the flowers begin drying off, just cut that stalk and put it in a bag. A few weeks later when the flowers are even more dry, the seeds are probably more ready. Just shake the stalk in the bag and all those tiny black things are the seeds. Out of the several herb plants that I do replant every year, only a few grow on their own reseeding, so I suppose they drop seeds but conditions are only good for some of them to make it.

The good thing is that an envelope of seeds from the store should last you for years, so even if they don't reseed or you don't collect your own seeds, you will still have many seeds remaining.