There is a certain romanticism in growing and gardening with herbs. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Stepping out your back door and snipping a few fresh leaves off your own herb plants to add to your home-prepared meal.
Herbs are easy and rewarding to grow… a sprig of fresh mint in your cool summer drink… dress up your homegrown salad with a garnish of beautiful, tangy Nasturtium… whip up a batch of delicious Pesto from your own Basil… the list goes on! After reading about herbs for your garden, learn some herb recipes.
Perennial Herbs
Chives
- Chop leaves to flavor salads and for use in fish and potato dishes
- Add decorative lavender globe flowers to salads
- Self-sows abundantly if not deadheaded
Mint
- Comes in a variety of “flavors” (Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate Mint, Apple Mint, etc.)
- A refreshing addition to summer drinks & salads
- Dry for use in tea
- Colonizing Perennial
Lavendar
- Highly fragrant silver foliage is used in potpourri as well as in baking & teas
- Intolerant of wet winter soil conditions (requires well-drained soil)
Sage
- Fragrant silvery foliage
- Use in sausages, stuffing, tea
- May overwinter outdoors with protection (we also have the more tender but very ornamental ‘Tricolor’ Sage)
Lovage
- Use leaves fresh in salads or cooked in soups or sauces
- Hollow stems make great Bloody Mary straws!
Thyme
- Used to flavor marinades, vegetables, meat dishes & fish dishes
- Tiny, strongly aromatic leaves
- Use for ornamental or culinary purposes
Oregano
- Use fresh or dried in Italian, Greek, and Mexican dishes.
- Edible flowers in summer
- Colonizing Perennial
Lemon Balm
- Pollinators love the flowers and honey produced is exceptionally flavorful with hint of lemon
- Strongly lemon scented & flavored foliage used in teas, fruit dishes, candies and as a mosquito repellent
- Colonizing Perennial
Winter Savory
- Use for flavoring salads, dressings, stews & stuffing
- Slightly more bitter flavor than Summer Savory
Chamomile
- Foliage smells like apples; Dry the small daisy-like flowers for use in teas
- Roman Chamomile is perennial. German Chamomile is a self-seeding annual
French Tarragon
- Anise flavored foliage
- Clip leaves into salads or soups
- Particularly good with shellfish, fish, and poultry
Rosemary
- Highly aromatic needle-like foliage
- Use in Mediterranean dishes
- Excellent with roast potatoes & meats
- PERENNIAL grown as ANNUAL (winter inside in bright window)




Annual Herbs
Fennel
- Feathery foliage has Anise/Licorice fragrance & flavor
- Eat the bulbous stem base of ‘Florence’ variety as a vegetable
- The plant is a favored food source for several butterfly species
Cilantro / Coriander
- Fresh leaves and stems (CILANTRO) are used extensively in Asian and Mexican cuisine.
- The seeds (CORIANDER) are used in whole in pickling or ground as a flavoring.
Dill
- Excellent in fish dishes, salads, omelets, and herb butter
- Essential for pickling!
- Beloved by beneficial insects (preferred host plant for immature Swallowtail Butterflies)
Arugula
- Pungent, spicy flavored leaves and flowers for use in fresh salads and stir-fries.
- Book young leaves and serve like spinach.
Stevia
- A natural sweetener that is calorie-free and 150 times sweeter than sugar.
- Use fresh leaves in iced tea, lemonade, or other sweet drinks
- Crush dry leaves and use as is, or to make a sweet syrup
- Perennial grown as ANNUAL
Parsley
- Green leaves are used in sauces, butter, dressings & stuffing.
- Varieties include Plain Italian and Triple Curled (Curly Parsley is most popular as a garnish)
- Learn more about parsley.
Lemon Verbena
- Strongly lemon-scented foliage
- Popular for use as tea
Lemon Grass
- Strongly lemon-scented foliage contains essential oils that act as a natural insect repellent
- Asian cuisine, teas, soups & curries
Calendula
- Edible petals for use in salads or dry them to make a natural dye
- Historically considered a sacred flower and used in ceremonies as well as a culinary and medicinal herb
Nasturtium
- Highly decorative in containers
- All parts are edible
- Tangy flavor similar to radish or watercress
- Use leaves & flowers in salads or as garnish
Summer Savory
- Use in soups, stews, gravies, stuffing & salad dressing
- More delicate flavor than Winter Savory
Basil
- Extremely fragrant & flavorful leaves
- Rich in essential oils
- Use in Pesto, tomato-based dishes, salads
- Very cold sensitive so do not put outdoors until after last spring’s frost

Types of Basil
Genovese Basil
- Considered the premier Basil for Pesto & “insalata caprese,” (tomato slices topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves)
- An Italian variety prized by chefs because it retains its sweetness even when cooked for long periods
Thai Basil
- Anise/Licorice flavored foliage
- Widely used in the cuisine of Southeast Asia
Lemon Basil
- Zesty lemon/citrus flavor
- Excellent for fish & chicken dishes, steamed or grilled dishes, and salads
- Popular for Indonesian dishes such as curries, soups & stews
Minette Basil
- A miniature Basil, excellent for pots or decorative planting
- Attractive compact ball-shaped plant with tiny leaves
Lettuce Leaf Basil
- Huge, heavily textured leaves resemble lettuce.
- Use in place of lettuce on a summer sandwich. YUM!
Learn some of our favorite herb recipes.

