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Herbs are loved by the gardeners who grow them because of their flavors, their scents and many other qualities that only herbs have. There are reasons herbs have been used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes in every culture. Another good thing about them is they are not difficult to grow, they just need a little love and care. There are many reasons why you should grow herbs.

There’s a difference between culinary spices and herbs. The biggest difference between an herb and a spice is where it is from on a plant. Herbs are the leafy green part of the plant, spices are the other portion like roots, barks, fruits and seeds. Herbs are distinguished from vegetables in that, like spices, they are used in small amounts and provide flavor rather than eaten as food.

The debate between what is an herb and what’s a spice is continuing. Some people say that there is no difference. Some culinary herbs are shrubs, one example is rosemary, some herbs are trees. Botanical herbs, by definition cannot be woody plants. Some plants are used as both a spice and a herb, examples of this are dill seed and dill weed or coriander seeds and coriander leaves.

It is easy to grow a garden for the kitchen by planting herbs in pots, with the added benefit that you can take them inside during the winter. There are many herbs that will thrive in pots, some do better than others. Some are better to grow in a container because they will take over the whole garden if you let them grow freely.

Why mess around going to the supermarket when you may have fresh herbs growing out your back door. Herbs are best when picked and used right then. There is no way you can buy an herb in the supermarket that will ever be this fresh.

Some herbs have medicinal value, they contain phytochemicals that have effects on the body. Thru history they have been used to treat diseases. Many plants are being scientifically studied to find if the advantages claimed for these plants are valid.

Some herbs can serve as a pest control. Examples are mint, spearmint, peppermint, and pennyroyal. Planting these herbs around a house can help keep bugs away such as flies, mice, ants, flees and ticks. Unlike insecticides, these plants are not known to be harmful to children or pets.

Basil is one of my favorite plants to grow, it grows almost anywhere, it can be grown on the kitchen windowsill all year round. Fresh basil is always best, it can be used in many dishes and makes a great winter tea. When you cook with basil, add it as the last ingredient because it loses nutrient worth quickly when heated. In Hinduism a type of Basil called Tulsi is worshiped as a goddess for its medicinal value.

Parsley is very easy to grow as long as you water it well in really hot weather. It’s a great plant to start your herb garden with, it is nutritious and great in Italian dishes and casseroles, sauces, scrambled eggs and as a garnish. It is frost tolerant and thrives in hot summers and wet winters. Grow your parsley in full sun or part shade in fertile, free draining soils. You can harvest parsley at any time during the year.

No garden would be complete without garlic, it is very easy to grow and has many uses. Garlic is easy to store for later use after harvesting by freezing or pickling. Be careful to not over water your garlic, especially in cooler weather. The ground should have good drainage and in dry and hot weather it should have some shade. Garlic is sensitive to over fertilizing.

Sage is great in salads. Almost all of the flavor comes from its new shoots, it is suggested to not let sage get too woody by keeping the plant trim. When you trim the plants new shoots will be encouraged to grow. It is best to crop sage after it blooms.

Lavender, lemon verbena can be grown to make a potpourri. Mint, lemon verbena, chamomile, bergamot, hibiscus sabdariffa makes a great tea.

By Palti Shipard, visit Herbs by the Ounce and Herbal Medicine.

Herbs are the leaves and flowers of low-growing woody plants that do not have a trunk, that have stems growing from the base. Examples of herbs are licorice, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, dill and celery.

Herbs are useful in many ways. They enhance the flavors of foods and improve health. Using herbs in cooking can add flavor and aromas and make food much more interesting. There are lots of herbs that are easy to grow and look great when grown in the home and they can make your cuisine taste really good. They have the added benefit of providing fresh air inside the house.

There are culinary herbs meant for cooking, and medical herbs. Ornamental herbs look good and also they are useful, they can provide you home with a nice looking effect. Here are some examples of herbs you can grow indoors.

Licorice is a blue-flowering plant, which looks like a pea vine. It is simple to grow inside and looks good too. Licorice is utilized in many conventional medical herb formulas in many cultures because it covers up the flavor of other herbs.

You may use the entire root with skin or peeled, to naturally sweeten foods. You don’t need to use much. It can be used to add flavor to teas. Many herbal teas sweeten and flavor their formulas with licorice.

Oregano is an evergreen herb with dark green, wide leaves and pretty pink, purple or white flowers. Oregano can be discovered growing wild on the mountains of Greece and the Mediterranean. The herb likes partial shade as its leaves can be burned by the full sun.

It is easy to propagate Oregano and this can be done by seeding, cuttings and root division. For seeds, it will be helpful to sow them in containers and cover the seeds with only a light layer of soil. Frequent pruning can encourage stronger and healthier growth. Oregano is very easy to propagate, the plant will send out runners when mature. Roots grow out from these shoots. Oregano grows well as a container plant. Oregano has an important place in Mediterranean cooking and can be used in many dishes.

Anise Hyssop is an evergreen, whose silver green leaves release a magnificent liquorice aniseed fragrance. The rich violet blue colored flowers are loved by bees and butterflies. The dried or fresh leaves can be used in tea or crumble the tangy flowers over fruit salad. Anise hyssop is simple to grown from seed. Established anise hyssop will produce lots of plants for you to share, they are very easy to grow by root division.

Some other herbs you can grow inside include lavender, borage, bergamot and calendula. All these herbs have colorful flowers. Indoor herbs will make your rooms smell and look beautiful, many herbs are pretty and extremely fragrant. Your indoor herb garden will provide you with color, lush foliage, and a wide variety of flowers. You can also use fresh or dried herbs and mix them with products like soap, shampoo, lotion and oil.