Green Daily

Herbs are weeds, making herbs relatively easy to grow and forgiving if conditions are not ideal. Basically, herbs require a sandy soil, good drainage, direct sunlight, little fertilizer and no pesticides. In fact, too much fertilizer results in poor flavor.

For thousand of years, herbs have provided us with soothing teas, healing home remedies and culinary delight by enhancing the flavor of foods.

Herbs can be grown in small pots on a sunny windowsill, in larger pots or planter boxes on patio or deck, in hanging baskets, in an herb plot outside the back door of the kitchen, or interspersed among the vegetable or flower gardens. Herbs act as a companion plant enhancing the flavor of vegetables and as a natural pesticide. Some herbs, such as mint and dill, spread quite rapidly and will need to be grown in containers or you might find you have a garden overgrown with a single herb. Herbs can be purchased from a reputable nursery, started from cuttings or from seeds.

There are three types of herb gardens: culinary herb garden, medicinal herb garden and aromatic herb garden. Pound for pound, some herbs have more antioxidant properties than berries, fruits or vegetables do, such as: dill, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, sweet marjoram and thyme.

Culinary Herb Garden. Herbs to include in an herb garden where herbs will be used in cooking: angelica, basil, caraway, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, sweet marjoram, and thyme. Simply snip off what you need from the herb plant and chop to add to cooking.

Medicinal Herb Garden. Some herbs to include in an herb garden where herbs will be used for medicinal purposes: aloe vera, calendula, catnip, chamomile, comfrey, echinacea, feverfew, lemon balm, lovage, hops, mint, and valerian. Medicinal herbs are administered topically or consumed as teas and tinctures. The medicinal use of herbs should not be attempted by anyone without an extensive educational background in the different properties of the herb.

Aromatic Herb Garden: Some herbs to grow in an aromatic herb garden include: lavender and mints. Depending on your interest and needs, there are hundreds of different herbs. To learn more about herbs, visit the electronic version of A Modern Herbal by Maud Grieve at Botanical.com.