Keep in mind that when you make herbal tea, you’ll need more herbs than if you were making non-herbal tea.  One of the best things about drinking herbal teas are the health benefits.  You can drink peppermint tea when you have an upset stomach and after a few minutes, you should feel better. 

The top herbs for my teas are:

• Fennel:  Say hello to this licorice-flavored weight loss aid.  Chop up the stems and leaves and boil together for about 5-7 minutes.  You’ll have sweet-smelling, delicious tea.

• German Chamomile:  This one helps me calm my nerves and fall asleep easily.  Be mindful that when you brew the flowers into a tea that it will be a bit strong.  Add a little lemon balm for extra flavor.

• Spearmint:  Bruise some leaves for your next herbal tea.  Its fantastic fragrance will ease your nerves and help reduce nausea and heartburn.  Drinking spearmint tea will also help with bad breath. 

• Peppermint:  Companies use peppermint to flavor gum, candy and cosmetics.  You can use crushed leaves for your brewed tea.  Chill the tea or add ice for a delicious iced tea.  Beyond the taste, your peppermint tea will help your upset stomach.

Other good herbs for tea include rosemary, sage, thyme, marjoram and calendula.

Brewing your own tea isn’t as easy as just tossing some herbs into boiling water and letting it steep.  It’s likely that you’ll need to experiment a little to get the taste and flavor just right.  Use 3 teaspoons of each ingredient for one cup of tea. 

You can make great combinations of herbs for tea and even add other non-herbs (like dried fruit, fruit rind or peel) to the mix. 

Below are some of my favorite herbal tea combinations.

• Apple Tea:  Lemon balm, dried apples and dill seeds

• Citrus Tea:  Dried orange peel and lemon balm

• Lemon Tea:  Rose hips and lemon geranium

• Licorice-Mint Tea:  Mint and anise hyssop

• Many Mints Tea:  Orange mint, peppermint and spearmint

• Tropical Tea:  Rose petals, hibiscus flowers and bee balm

• Delicious Berry Tea:  Lemon thyme and dried raspberries

• Peppermint Patty Tea:  Peppermint with dried lemon peel

Try putting your herbs into a ceramic teapot strainer and let them steep for at least 5 minutes. 
Fresh herbs work much better than dried, which doesn’t help much for the hot tea in the winter, but a number of great tea herbs can be grown inside during the winter and you can also freeze your tea herbs for use in the winter months.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

I started my life among the herbs with three little blue pots that had their own little blue tray that sat on the kitchen windowsill of my first apartment.  I grew oregano, basil and chives and had mixed results, mostly because I often forgot to water them.  I can’t tell you how many oregano plants got replaced along the way.  For me, I needed to go bigger to do better.  But it was a great experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

When you think about a mini herb garden, you probably don’t want a plant that’s going to grow to four or five feet tall.  Think small.  Tidy. 

If you want to try your hand at a mini-herb garden, I’ve got some recommendations for you on the best herbs out there for your garden:

• Chives:  As part of the onion family, chives are great for small pots.  You can even start with seeds.  When it first peeks out of the soil, your chives will look like young grass, but don’t be alarmed, just insure that if you continue to provide full, direct sunlight and water them, your chives will grow to maturity in no time.  Snip the tops right off and chop them up and add to your baked potatoes.  You can also eat the flowers. 

• Chervil:  This delicate herb is great for your sauces, soups and egg dishes.  It is one part mild licorice and another part like parsley.  Its comforting smell adds new dimension to your French cuisine and eating it could lower your blood pressure.  Your seeds will do well in your mini herb garden and also do well in part-shade. 

• Cumin:  If you aren’t already familiar with the many uses and benefits of cumin, you could be living in a box.  It’s popular in Mexican and Indian cuisine these days, but you can find references to it as far back as in the Bible.  Although it takes a few months to mature, it will be worth your while to try your hand at cumin in your mini-herb garden. 

• Sweet Violet: Start with a violet in your mini herb garden and you’ll find your happy place for sure.  It has the beautiful violet color you’re familiar with from the name.  You probably want to start with a young plant, rather than seeds, for best results.  Your sweet violet prefers a shady site with moist, mulched soil. 

Here’s another thought for your mini herb garden:  I can recall going to my grandmother’s house when I was little.  She had two green thumbs and eight green fingers.  She always kept a huge globe-like terrarium in her bedroom that was full of herbs and other plants. 

A terrarium is an enclosed mini-ecosystem that doesn’t work for every type of plant or herb, so be sure to do your research before you start buying.  They come in all different shapes and sizes—you can even use an aquarium for yours—that you can’t go wrong once you get the right plants. 

Two really good herbs for your terrarium are hens-and-chickens and aloe vera.  Both are great to have around the house, brighten any day and aloe vera is great for skin ailments. 

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows. 

I choose my herbs primarily by how I can use them.  Don’t get me wrong, I also care about growing conditions and how pretty they are, but my primary method of choosing herbs is about how I’m going to use them.

Here’s an example, fresh herb gardening is a way I always have herbs growing that I can use in the kitchen.  This includes basil, rosemary and oregano for pasta sauce or chamomile and mint for tea.  I never go far from my aloe vera plant either.  They are so helpful with burns (which clumsy people like me who cook often have). 

What you plant in your fresh herb garden is totally up to you.  I recommend spending a little bit of time doing research before you go to the nursery, greenhouse or home improvement store.  It can be overwhelming to see all those little herbs in their cute pots.  You could be tempted to buy one of each.  So do your research, and make a list too. 

Start with about 12 different herbs that will give you a mix of culinary flavor, scented fragrances, and those that are good for medicinal purposes and those that are just plain beautiful. 

Here’s my baker’s dozen of favorite herbs:

• Oregano:  This king of Italian herbs will grow just about anywhere and is drought resistant. 

• Basil:  If oregano is the king of Italian herbs, basil is the queen.  No Mediterranean meal is right without it.

• Lemongrass:  The smell alone is enough for me.  Lemongrass is a fast growing, tropical grass that adds great flavor for tea and your favorite dishes, especially Thai meals.

• Rosemary:  This herb is great for cooking, but I especially love to use rosemary when I grill out.  I just reach over and grab a handful of leaves and sprinkle on my chicken and vegetables.  Its appearance reminds me of a pine tree, which adds a whole different texture to the herb garden.

• Garlic:  The oniony flavor of garlic makes it a perfect addition to most Italian dishes.  You can add it to your mashed potatoes and even roast it with some olive oil and to eat by itself.  Be warned, the longer you cook garlic, the milder the flavor becomes so don’t overcook it!

• Thyme:   I love thyme because of the many varieties and colors and flavors it has.  You can eat it, bathe in it, wash your hair with it and rub it on as a lotion.

• Parsley:  If you only use parsley as a garnish, you’re missing one of the best herbs around.  Add fresh parsley to your food to enhance the flavors of the other herbs, while adding both vitamin C and iron. 

• German Chamomile:  I grow chamomile for its soothing properties.  It makes a great tea for calming the nerves.  Beyond tea, you can use it in your bath to soak your tired muscles.  I also make soap and a shampoo from the daisy-like blossoms.

• Peppermint:  I love the whole mint family, but I like peppermint the best.  Drinking a cup of peppermint tea will help your upset stomach.  I keep it restricted to a pot because it will otherwise take over your whole flower bed.

• Aloe Vera:  It is the best thing ever for burns and other skin issues, including sunburn, poison ivy and even acne.  It’s also an antiseptic.  I keep it in the kitchen and also out near the grill, where I seem to need it most. 

• Calendula:  Also known as the marigold, calendula has beautiful flowers.  When in bloom, it keeps the mosquitoes away and is helpful for cuts, scrapes and other fist aid needs.

• Madagascar Periwinkle:  This plant can tolerate anything, including heat, drought and poor soil.  Plus, it’s also completely cute.  Not a year goes by that I don’t have some in my garden.

• Lemon Verbena:  I love trimming a stem of lemon verbena to put in a vase in the bedroom.  It has such a clean, fresh scent.  You can’t beat it.  You can also cook with it and add it to your summer drinks.  You can even add it your bath for extra refreshment.

That’s 13, but I can’t stop there.  Others favorites to consider include lavender, flax, lemon balm, hens-and-chickens and of course poppies.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

There are two main ways to do this.  You can let your herbs grow free and wild, which is what folks call an informal herb garden.  And then there’s keeping your herbs manicured and fitted just right, which those same folks call a formal herb garden. 

It’s not that I don’t like formal gardens, because I do, but I like formal gardens when someone else is doing the upkeep.  These are the ones you see in the fancy magazines like Architectural Digest and such.  They are well-groomed and sometimes have raised beds and wide gravel paths.  If you’re thinking about doing a formal garden, consider planning it on paper before you do anything.

Here are some examples of formal herb gardens:

• Knot gardens:  These are pretty fancy herb gardens.  They are usually made by drawing out a large square on the ground and then planting your rows of herbs close together to form the different strands of the knot.  These look best when each strand is a different colored herb plant.  This also helps them to stand out.  Good plants for knot gardens include sage and artemisia.  In the first year, you’ll want to keep them short so that they’ll bunch up.  You do not want a knot garden with a bunch of holes in it.  In the spaces between the strands you may want to do some nice green mondo grass.  Some people also make a gravel pathway around the knot garden.

• Wheel gardens:  A wheel garden is a lot less formal than a knot garden, but it’s still considered a formal herb garden.  It kind of looks like a pizza with each slice a different type of herb.  You’ll want to use contrasting colors for your slices so that they really show out.  Some people separate the slices with rocks, bricks or pavers.  Some people put a birdfeeder at the center of the wheel, while others build their wheel garden around a tree (which is what I did).  Either way works well.  I’ve even seen some gardeners put several different plants in each slice, using different heights and colors.  It can sometimes look good, but a lot of them that I’ve seen like that look messy to me.

• Parterre gardens:  Most of the parterre gardens I know of are four squares inside another square with a gravel walkway around each smaller square.  Confused yet? They aren’t especially hard to do, but they look very fancy.  You’ll probably want to invest in some metal edging if you decide to go this route.  The general idea is that all fours boxes are supposed to mirror each other (or at least two mirror the other two).  They usually have a tight, bunched up border inside each box with some spread out, bigger plants inside that border. 

Informal gardens are great for newbies to herb gardening and also for people who want a low-maintenance, go with the flow garden.  There are also some nice designs for the more experienced. 

A couple examples of informal gardens include:

• Borders:  You probably already understand the concept of a border, but for those who don’t, you plant a bed of herbs along your driveway, fence or sidewalk.  If it’s against your fence, you plant the tall ones in the back and the little ones in the front—be sure to read up because sometimes they might start out as little ones and end up being the tallest in the bunch.

• Raised beds:  By building your herb garden up in a mound, you can give your plants better soil and better drainage than if you just put them in the ground.  This is especially good when you have poor soil (like the clay soil I have).  If you do have bad soil, you’ll want to make your raised bed at least 6 inches tall. 

Whether you like your herb garden casual or dressed up I hope you find a design that will work for you.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your garden grows.

Before you get started, you need to know this—windowboxes are hard on plants.  For one thing, they usually don’t hold a lot of water.  For another, the window reflects a lot of light and the wall can be pretty hot too.  If it’s a particularly sunny side of your house it really won’t be an ideal condition for any herb.  Check the sun quality at different times of the day to be sure before you start your windowsill garden.

Next on your list is to choose your herbs wisely.  And be aware that you’re going to need to water them everyday.  Morning is always best for watering, that way the herb can use the water from the morning to get through the day.  You can get some water-beads at the home improvement store that will help in these efforts, but it won’t get you off the hook from watering everyday.

A trick I read about in a book is to keep your plants in small plastic pots and just set them inside the windowsill.  That way when it gets really hot you can take them out to give them a break from the sun and heat.  You can even set the entire pot in a tray or dish of water to give the plant a nice drink.

Here are some great herbs for windowsill herb gardens:

• Sage:  You can’t go wrong when you add this leafy herb to your windowbox, especially if you have one of the deeply colored varieties.  Not only is it decorative and fragrant, it’s a great addition to your floral arrangement.  If you buy the culinary variety, you can snip off a few leaves for your soups, stews and meat dishes. 

• Santolina:  The santolina plant will be a beautiful addition to your windowsill because of its year-round foliage.  It comes in both green and silver-leafed varieties, so you could go with both for balance.  Both varieties have little cute yellow button flowers. 

• Scented Geraniums:  This beautiful herb is very different from the traditional geranium you may be familiar with.  There are so many varieties of scented geraniums that you could plant all different types and never be bored.  The flowers, leaves and stems of the scented geranium are all beautiful and edible.  They grow in a controlled way, so they won’t take over your windowsill.

• Artemisias:  Artemisias is a pretty plant that has pale purple blooms.  Use it as a backdrop in your windowsill.  It will be a nice contrast to other, brighter plants.  An added bonus is that it stays green year-round in most regions. 

One thing you don’t want to do is have a sad empty windowbox.  If you mount this to a windowsill it’s going to be difficult to remove.  I had this beautiful fleur de lis wrought iron hanging windowbox that had no drainage and never could keep anything alive in it.  And then I just left it there for a while, empty.  And if a windowsill herb garden makes me smile, an empty windowsill garden makes me sad.  So believe me when I tell you that I know it isn’t easy.  So think about it before you do it.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here are some of my favorite herbs to grow in pots:

• Bay:  Don’t try this from seeds.  Buy it young in a plastic pot and transfer it to a large pot (this herb tree will get to be about 5 feet tall).  You can grow it in full sun or partial shade—either one will work fine.  Just make sure that it is well-drained.  Anytime you want some extra flavor in your soups, stews or rice dishes just snip off a leaf or two and throw it in the pot!  Be sure to take the leaves out and discard them before you serve.

• Lemon grass: Let me just tell you something … I love lemongrass.  I love the smell, the taste, the look of the plant.  I love it all.  Buy a young lemongrass plant at your local store and put it in a nice big pot (giving it room to grow).  It likes full sun and loose, moist soil.  Cook with it.  Add it to your homemade lotions and soaps.  Just rub it in your hands.  You can take it in for the winter or pull out the bulbs, keep them clean and dry and then replant them in the spring.

• Pansies:  These little herbs have recently been bred to withstand colder temperatures so that you can have this little bit of sunshine all winter long, depending on what part of the country you live in.  Pots allow the roots to get even colder, so be sure that if you’re wintering your pansies in pots that you make sure they aren’t overexposed.  Plant them in the shadiest spot.   Grab a few blossoms as soon as they open so that you can press them or … yes, you can eat them and they’re beautiful in a salad.  Don’t gross out, they’re really nice.

• Rosemary: This is another wonderful smelling herb that is so pretty to look at.  It actually looks like it should be in the pine family.  If you grow rosemary in a pot, please be mindful not to let it dry out completely.  This can be hard because rosemary needs well-drained soil.  I let my first rosemary plant get too dry for too long.  That was the end of that.

• Thyme: You can start growing thyme by sprinkling a few seeds into a mostly full pot and coating it with a thin layer of soil.  If you’re going for a fancy variety of thyme, buy it at the nursery or home improvement store.  Not only is thyme drought tolerant, it likes well-drained soil and full sun.  Clip a few sprigs here and there to add to your dishes.  Its light flavor goes well with just about any entrée or vegetable.  It’s especially good with roast chicken. 

Because each herb is different and has its own needs, you should find out what your herbs need (before you leave the store with them) to make sure that you have the right ingredients to mix the right soil.  The best potting soil for your container herb garden is one that is light (these usually have a lot of peat in them).  Peat allows for fast drainage, which again, can be really important.  You don’t want it to dry out too fast or you’ll be watering it all the time.  Adding mulch to the pot helps it retain moisture, which can be helpful for other types of herbs.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Most of the better ones involve a bulb or rhizome herb.  The ones with seeds are a little more suspicious.  Make sure that the seeds are fresh (many times the seeds are old and just don’t do so well or even germinate).  You’re going to want to make sure that the seeds you get in your seeds will actually grow well.  Some herbs don’t grow well or fast when planted as seeds.  Be sure to do your homework before you buy.

Obviously, I’m biased here (just a little bit), but garden kits really aren’t the best way to get started as an avid herb gardener.  I’d start at the nursery, greenhouse or home improvement store.  But for someone you don’t know very well or someone who has expressed an interest in herb gardening and isn’t sure how to get started, it may be just the thing. 

Another good thing about herb garden kits is that you usually get cute little pots or at least a nicely-shaped terra cotta pot that can be used for years to come.  I’ve oftentimes bought an herb garden kit on clearance just for the neat pot that came in the set!

Here are some of my favorite herbs that will do pretty well in herb garden kits:

• Dill:  This quick-growing herb has umbrella-like heads with yellow flowers that will work wonderfully in cut arrangements.  The plant has that familiar smell of dill and its fine, ferny leaves do well in full-sun with well-drained soil.  Use your dill in about a million different recipes.  My favorite is to add the dried seeds to my homemade chicken salad.  There’s such a strong dill flavor without all the pickles.  The flowers are also pretty enough to put in a vase.

• Flax:  Flax has been gaining in popularity in the last few years for its medicinal and weight-loss uses, but it’s been around and in use for thousands of years.  It is quite easy to grow from seeds.  It has pretty, purple flowers that bloom in the morning, but it’s the seeds that are most important for health purposes.  Commercial applications of flax include linseed oil, which is used in animal feed, and cloth fiber for linen clothing.  In additions to the weight-loss uses of flax, I add flax to my herbal (especially good with lemon balm) to help with coughs and colds.  Collect your ripe seeds from the seed heads and let them dry out for a least a week and you’re ready some hot and beneficial tea!

• German Chamomile:  You’ll notice a slight hint of apple in the smell of your German chamomile, but don’t think it’ll taste like apples.  It has its own unique flavor that is delicate, like its feathery leaves.  It’s easy to grow from seeds and appreciates full-sun and well drained soil.  Brew the flowers into a delightful tea that will calm your nerves and actually help you unwind by reducing muscle tension and nervous anxiety.  To harvest your German chamomile, just clip off the heads while they are in full bloom, dry and store in a tighly sealed glass jar—you can also brew your tea from fresh German chamomile, just use more flowers.

• Lemon Balm:  Lemon balm doesn’t grow in hot climates because it needs the cold to complete its annual growth cycle.  You can add it to drinks and meat dishes for extra flavor.  It can grow in light shade or full sun.  It will take your seeds a while to get going, but be patient because once they do get going, they’ll take off.  Beyond the wonderful teas and culinary applications, you can also use lemon balm in aromatherapy. If you need to clear your head, sharpen your memory (and who doesn’t?), relieve headaches and stem depression, just bruise a few lemon balm leaves and inhale. Before you know it, you’ll be right as rain.

I hope I haven’t completely put you off from trying your hand at an herb growing kit.  They really aren’t so bad.  It’s a good way to try out herb gardening without a huge commitment.  Just mind my words on doing your homework in advance.  That and checking the clearance table for the interesting pots.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

What’s interesting to me is that many of what we call the Italian herbs aren’t originally from Italy.  They just got adopted by the chefs and cooks throughout the many regions in Italy to improve the taste of their dishes.  But who cares where they came from!  You can grow them in your own herb garden and even grow the majority of them on your kitchen windowsill. 

Before you set out to the nursery or home improvement store to stock up on herbs, consider which ones will work best for your needs.  Check out the ingredient list from a few of your favorite recipes and make a list of the herbs that appear most often.  You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but there isn’t a plant called “Italian herbs” or “Italian blend.” When a recipe has that listed (which is probably the most common ingredient), it just means you should add a mixture of oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and crushed rosemary. 

These are the top Italian herbs in my mind too, with the big two being oregano and basil.

• Oregano:  As the major ingredient in most every important Italian dish (from pizza to pasta sauce) you’ll want a big patch or pot of oregano on hand for your Italian and Greek meals.  It works great fresh or dried, which is nice for those winter dishes of baked spaghetti.  Its pungent, spicy flavor and aroma is unmistakable, but don’t be fooled, because all oregano is not the same.  If you’re buying a plant, smell it first.  The stronger the smell, the stronger the flavor.  I like mine strong. 

• Basil:  Sweet basil is variety that you’ll want for your next Italian meal because of its strong, sharp aroma and its unique flavor.  I can’t imagine life without it!  You can slice up the leaves and toss into your sauce or layer them on your pizza or bread.  Run a heap of them through the food processor and you’ll soon have pesto.  Here’s a word to the wise—a little basil can go a long way.  You can over season your food for a delicious meal and you won’t to set up a competition between the herbs for taste.

• Rosemary:  Rosemary isn’t just a pretty, aromatic herb; it’s also great for adding flavor to your lasagna, roasted chicken and vegetables, and breads.  You can dry it or use it fresh.  You can even add it to your bath for extra soft skin.  When you rub it on you skin it’s a fantastic, organic, non-toxic way to keep mosquitoes away!

• Thyme: Using thyme in your Italian dishes is a snap because it goes well with just about anything.  It adds a little pep to just about anything.  I put it in all my Italian sauces, even when the only other herb is garlic.  Its flavor can be subtle, which is what you’re looking for, so 2 teaspoons is about all you want to add to most dishes.  You can sprinkle it on baking bread with rosemary for a whole new home-baked sensation.

• Marjoram:  As the cousin of the oregano plant, marjoram has a similar, milder flavor.  You can use marjoram just like you would oregano, in your soups, pasta dishes and meats.  Chop up some leaves into your whipped butter and spread on your next loaf of homemade bread for a delicate taste that melts in your mouth.

So those are the most popular Italian herbs.  Here’s another that I can’t seem to boil pasta water without using. 

• Fennel: Fennel is an unlikely choice for Italian because of its nutty, licorice flavor, which diminishes slightly when you cook it.  I like to add crushed fennel seeds to lasagna to just give it a slight hint that any other lasagna is lost without since I started using it.  You can also chop up the fresh stems for salad and add the leaves too.  Even the fennel bulb is delicious roasted with garlic, olive oil and a light marinara sauce. 

If you haven’t already made a mental note to grow these ingredients for a big plate of baked ziti or eggplant parmesan by now, I don’t know what’s wrong with you.  I’m heading for the kitchen now.

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

There are four different qualities to consider when choosing your herb garden plants – whether they go in sun or shade and which go in moist or well drained soil.

It’s important to keep in mind where you’ll put your plants once you get them.   While some herbs like a lot of sun, others like the shade.   Still others like a mix of sun and shade.   The ones that like sun, usually also appreciate well-drained soil.   Shade loving plants like to live in moist soil that has a lot of compost.   You probably guessed it, but those that like both sun and shade like well-draining soil that has some good compost too.

Here are some of the best herb garden plants for well-drained, sun-filled spots:

• Lavender:  This perfumed herb adds a delightful sweet smell to your house and garden.

• Fennel:  If you like licorice, this is the herb for you.   The whole plant is edible and the smell can be intoxicating.

• Rosemary:  This herb looks like a relative of the pine tree.   It has a pungent flavor that can add great flavor to your food and drink.   The foliage is also unusually beautiful.

Here are some of the best herb garden plants for moist, shady spots:

• Mint:  There are so many varieties, such as peppermint and spearmint, that it will be hard to choose just one.   Just walking through a field of mint will produce a sweet smelling experience that will improve any stroll.

• Parsley:  It’s not just a garnish!  It’s clean, fresh flavor will add to any meal.   It also looks good in the garden.

• Sweet Woodruff:  With beautiful white flowers, this one is great for your dried floral arrangements.   It will even retain its fresh, clean fragrance.

Another thing you should consider is your climate.   While some herbs thrive in cool climates, others like it hot.   This doesn’t mean that you can’t grow an herb if you have a different climate, you just might need to pick the right season to grow it.   For example, basil likes warm climates (it is originally from the tropics of the Pacific), and you can easily grow it in the summer, almost no matter where you live and you can certainly grow it indoors too—just make sure it gets plenty of direct sunlight.

Here are some of the best herb garden plants for warm climates:

• Basil:  Some people might say that the leaves taste like cloves, but I think that the leaves of this herb are in a class all their own.   Grow them in the summer—frost will kill this one for sure.

• Mexican Mint Marigold:  Unlike the flavor of most marigold plants, Mexican mint marigold has a licorice flavor that matches its small, daisy-like flowers.

• Sweet Bay:  This one grows as a small tree, which sets it apart from most other herbs.   The intense smell from the leaves will make you want to cook soups and stews and vegetable dishes every day.  

Here are some of the best herb garden plants for cool climates:

• Arugula:  Do you love salad like I do? Arugula is a great salad green that, like mustard greens, tastes a little bitter and loves cooler climates.   If you’re in a warmer climate, try growing in the spring or fall to catch the cooler temperatures.

• Cilantro:  This one’s getting more popular by the minute.   This sweet-smelling, aromatic plant has pungent foliage and is pretty hardy, until the humidity and heat come out.

• Garlic:  You know garlic already.   It’s so good for you and tasty too.   The bulbs are the most often used, but you can cook with the greens and the flowers.   The flowers will look good in your fresh flower arrangements too.

Growing herbs isn’t always easy and not seeing your plants live long and thrive can be hard.   By doing your homework ahead of time, you can reduce your heartache and increase your chances for success.  

Good luck with your herb gardening.   Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

You can start from seeds, but on your first time out, I’d recommend just buying your plants.  It isn’t the cheapest option, but it will give you a head start and make growing the herbs easier.

Before you head for the store, you’ll need to do a few things:

• Evaluate your space to see where you’ll plant the herbs.  You’ll need to know the quality of sunlight, the type of soil the herb needs and how close the herb will be to the watering source.  I made a huge mistake by planting a fragile little pair of hens-and-chickens (succulents that like very well drained soil) right beside the downspout.  They were constantly flooded and because they bloated fast, they eventually died. 

• Draw a plan out on paper of where you’ll place your herbs (especially if you’re planting them in the ground). If you’re using containers, set the containers out where they’ll eventually end up so that you can visualize it and see how the light will work with your containers.  This should eliminate most of the sun/shade issues. 

• Notice the amount of space that you have for your herbs.  I am notorious for buying more plants that I have space for.  I end up shoehorning them into a space too small.  Keep in mind that they will grow bigger! This will reduce the amount of transplanting you’ll need to do later, and also the need for additional trips to the store for more plants to fill up the gaps that may be left if you didn’t get enough plants.

Here are a few of my favorites for newbie herb gardeners:

• Garlic:  It’s not just for vampires!  Eating garlic can help you reduce your high blood pressure.   For you diabetics, it can also lower blood sugar.  It can help clear up fungal infections.  A clove or two of garlic a day can also boost your immune system, which can ward off the common cold as well as the flu.

• Rosemary:  Because starting with seeds can take forever, I would suggest you buy your first rosemary plant.  This particular herb likes full sun in a very well drained soil—I recommend adding sand your potting soil.  Once you get it going, your rosemary plant will last for years.   My sister-in-law has one that’s more than 6 feet tall.

• Morning Glory:  If you have a trellis or even a pole or rod, these beautiful blooming herbs will grad hold and shoot straight up.  They’ll bloom all summer long and always in the morning.  You late risers might miss them.  If you get the potato variety, you’ll end up with edible tubers before you know it.  These are annuals and do not winter, but keep the seeds and use them next year.

• Madagascar Periwinkle:  I buy this variety of periwinkle each year to grow by my garden gate, where the hot, pounding sun and dry ground make most anything green impossible.  This happy little plant will grow where others won’t, accepting full sun and near drought conditions.  It comes in beautiful colors (I prefer the pink and purple varieties) and the leaves are crisp green.   You can use these in bouquets and press the flowers for use on your homemade cards and stationary.  I’ve got a few blooms that I glued into some homemade paper hanging in a frame on the wall.

Here’s a word to the wise: don’t depend on the tags that are on the plants at the nursery or store.   You really can’t rely on them because they often end up in the wrong plant or go missing.  Make a list of what you need before you go and have a good idea of what the plant will look like so you can easily find it (and also so that you will know which ones are healthy).

Good luck with your herb gardening.  Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.