You have a lot of options when it comes to herb garden plants.
For instance, when herb gardening you may want annuals or you may prefer perennials.
Have you considered what it would be like to use biennials? As if that's not enough, some of these will do well outside, others are fine inside.
Some will spread and absolutely take over your entire garden area.
As you can see, there are a number of factors to consider when selecting herb garden plants.
Depending on your climate, you might think about those that cannot tolerate frost.
Annuals such as summer savory and cilantro are examples.
On the other hand, there are perennial versions of savory, "winter savory," that will do fine in cold temperatures and come back next year.
Of course, the biennials will put on leaves the first year, and then produce flowers and seeds the second growing season before they eventually die.
You might also choose your herb garden plants based on how you'd like to care for them.
For instance, biennials like caraway and parsley will do best when sown straight in the garden later in spring.
To help them out tremendously, prep the soil by loosening it to a fine texture.
Moisten it a bit before planting the seeds, which you'll law in shallow trenches.
Slightly tamp the soil on top of the seeds.
You can lay some wet burlap or wet paper over the area initially to keep the soil wet until the seeds sprout.
Then, of course, you'll have to quickly remove it.
You'll frequently find that herb garden plants are grouped according to their purpose or uses.
Take, for example, the culinary herbs that many home gardeners enjoy.
These usually have strong flavors, and so they can be used sparingly for cooking purposes to spruce up a number of recipes.
I'm sure you've used chives, basil and maybe even thyme.
Savory, marjoram, and sage are quite popular choices too.
Although parsley is largely used to garnish a dish, it used to be used to clean the palette after a meal.
Other herbs are classified according to their tendency to fragrance an area.
The so-called "aromatic" herbs generally have a flower or leaf that produces a pungent aroma.
Typically, oils can be made from these, which are then integrated into candles, incense, perfumes and other marketable products.
We all know mint is used this way, but so are herb garden plants such as rosemary and loyage.
You've probably run across lavender in potpourri.
People have also used these herbs to freshen the smell of closets.
Then, there is the entirely different batch of herb garden plants that are well known to medicinal herbalists.
In fact, for generations various herbs have for medical reasons.
In actuality, today we even find modern medical experts acknowledging the fact that some herbs can be used to improve health conditions.
The only thing to keep in mind, of course, is that some herbs can actually be harmful.
Therefore, it's best to use care when herb gardening for this purpose.
The reality is that we now know things can be harmful to humans simply because someone sought a cure and ended up sick or dead.
Keep in mind that herb garden plants are not solely beneficial for flavor, fragrance, and healing.
Some people use herbs as decoration.
There are a number of herbs, such as chicory, that can have magnificent flowers.
In fact, some herbs are raised primarily for their beauty, despite the fact that they might have other perfectly good applications.
The good news is that many herbs are multi-purpose, so growing just one plant can often reap many rewards from your herb gardening efforts.
For instance, when herb gardening you may want annuals or you may prefer perennials.
Have you considered what it would be like to use biennials? As if that's not enough, some of these will do well outside, others are fine inside.
Some will spread and absolutely take over your entire garden area.
As you can see, there are a number of factors to consider when selecting herb garden plants.
Depending on your climate, you might think about those that cannot tolerate frost.
Annuals such as summer savory and cilantro are examples.
On the other hand, there are perennial versions of savory, "winter savory," that will do fine in cold temperatures and come back next year.
Of course, the biennials will put on leaves the first year, and then produce flowers and seeds the second growing season before they eventually die.
You might also choose your herb garden plants based on how you'd like to care for them.
For instance, biennials like caraway and parsley will do best when sown straight in the garden later in spring.
To help them out tremendously, prep the soil by loosening it to a fine texture.
Moisten it a bit before planting the seeds, which you'll law in shallow trenches.
Slightly tamp the soil on top of the seeds.
You can lay some wet burlap or wet paper over the area initially to keep the soil wet until the seeds sprout.
Then, of course, you'll have to quickly remove it.
You'll frequently find that herb garden plants are grouped according to their purpose or uses.
Take, for example, the culinary herbs that many home gardeners enjoy.
These usually have strong flavors, and so they can be used sparingly for cooking purposes to spruce up a number of recipes.
I'm sure you've used chives, basil and maybe even thyme.
Savory, marjoram, and sage are quite popular choices too.
Although parsley is largely used to garnish a dish, it used to be used to clean the palette after a meal.
Other herbs are classified according to their tendency to fragrance an area.
The so-called "aromatic" herbs generally have a flower or leaf that produces a pungent aroma.
Typically, oils can be made from these, which are then integrated into candles, incense, perfumes and other marketable products.
We all know mint is used this way, but so are herb garden plants such as rosemary and loyage.
You've probably run across lavender in potpourri.
People have also used these herbs to freshen the smell of closets.
Then, there is the entirely different batch of herb garden plants that are well known to medicinal herbalists.
In fact, for generations various herbs have for medical reasons.
In actuality, today we even find modern medical experts acknowledging the fact that some herbs can be used to improve health conditions.
The only thing to keep in mind, of course, is that some herbs can actually be harmful.
Therefore, it's best to use care when herb gardening for this purpose.
The reality is that we now know things can be harmful to humans simply because someone sought a cure and ended up sick or dead.
Keep in mind that herb garden plants are not solely beneficial for flavor, fragrance, and healing.
Some people use herbs as decoration.
There are a number of herbs, such as chicory, that can have magnificent flowers.
In fact, some herbs are raised primarily for their beauty, despite the fact that they might have other perfectly good applications.
The good news is that many herbs are multi-purpose, so growing just one plant can often reap many rewards from your herb gardening efforts.