Whether you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs or prefer to use them for their medicinal qualities, an herb garden can be a fun, satisfying hobby. Some people also grow herb gardens for the aromatic pleasure they derive from the plants. These herbs can be used in dried floral arrangements or to make perfumes, candles, etc.

Selection

There is a large selection of herbs that can be planted in your garden. You must decide on the herbs that are right for you depending on your needs. Just like flowers, herbs come as annuals, perennials, and biennials. Aromatic favorites are mint and lavender. There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh mint leaves, which can be added to a cold glass of iced-tea for extra flavor.

Popular culinary herbs include basil, chives, parsley, sage, thyme, and dill. Any cook can appreciate the luxury of going out to a garden and picking fresh herbs to use in his/her favorite dish.

Planting

Experimenting with your herb garden can be fun, so don�t limit yourself to a few well-known favorites. Most herbs grow best in well-drained, fertile soil. Seeds can be sown indoors or out. Don�t plant the seeds too deeply and make sure you barely cover the seeds. Keep the top of the soil moist.

Typically, insects do not bother herbs. Occasionally, mites and aphids might be bothersome. Disease shouldn�t be a concern either.

Design

Designing your herb garden near your kitchen door is an excellent way to encourage using the herbs for cooking and meal preparation. Decide, with your landscaper, on the size garden you want. He or she can consult on soil preparation, the proper location for the herbs to receive sun and protection from wind, and can help choose which herbs will be best for your garden.

Placement

If you already have a vegetable garden, you could extend it for your herbs. Keep annual and perennial herbs separate. An herb garden needs to be well drained. Otherwise, herbs will not flourish in overly wet soil.

The best time to pick your herbs is in the morning before the sun is shining too brightly. Wait until the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth. It�s easy to become overly eager but waiting will ensure that your plant continues to grow after you pick it.

Most herbs need to be protected in the winter. For maximum success, buy or loan a book on herb gardening. Enjoy the lasting and continuous herbs that will add special flavor to foods and provide aromatic pleasure in your garden and home.