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Herbs

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Introduction

Herbs have been cultivated for thousands of years for both their culinary and medicinal purposes. Today, these fragrant and flavorful plants still play an important role in every kitchen garden. In fact, even a tiny plot can provide you with enough herbs to use fresh, frozen, or dried.

Herbs are easy to grow, even if you've never gardened before. Spring is the time to plant herbs. If you have the space, you can plant a formal herb garden, which is as attractive as it is plentiful. Formal herb gardens use design techniques that are centuries old. Knot gardens, for example, where herbs are grown in a knot-like design, have been popular since medieval times.

If you are short on space you can tuck in your favorite herbs amid other plantings in your vegetable or flower garden. Many low-growing herbs, such as creeping rosemary and thyme make lovely edging plants for vegetable or flower gardens. Try bordering a rose garden edged with lavender or variegated sage. Line your vegetable beds with parsley. Plant scented geraniums by your front door for a feast of scents. Or, you can always start an indoor herb garden with a few of your essential cooking herbs right in your kitchen.

There is no mistaking the delicious scent of fresh herbs in your garden. They are pungent and herbaceous and a culinary essential. Chop the leaves of your herbs for stuffing; sprinkle them on poultry and pork; garnish cocktails with fresh mint or sage; use branches or rosemary for skewers… the list goes on. Anyway you put them to use, it's delicious!

Medicinal herbs represent a growing trend towards homeopathic remedies. Often used as a tea, medicinal herbs can be used for insomnia, asthma, energy, stress relief, allergies… Very common throughout Asia, medicinal herbs are becoming more popular in the United States.

Explore our herb database and growing collection of member posts for inspiration and ideas for your own herb garden. Feel free to post your herb questions, share your herbal knowledge and add more herb plants to our growing database!

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Care guides: Herbs

Need help taking care of your Herbs? Take a look at our care guides and learn how to make your garden flourish!

Top Herbs articles

Here are our favorite Herbs articles and resources. Be sure to check out the Herbs Articles and Posts tab for more Herbs posts and content!

Herbs spotlight

rose geranium

Large upright plant, pungent mint/rose scent. Tender perennial. Overwinters outdoors in zones 8-10; should be potted and brought indoors in mid-autumn in colder climates. Flowers are pink with purple veining, appearing in summer. Plant in full sun with well-drained soil. -- edited by dtd pbcouchman

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