7 "Must-Have" Herbs to Grow in Your Garden By Herbert Fraser

1. Basil

There are so many varieties of basil, but all of them are great, so use which ever ones are available in your area to plant. My favorite one is sweet basil. Sweet basil originally came from the Mediterranean.

Some people like to plant basil from seedlings, as it is a bit easier. You can get the seedlings in any plant store, specifically in the spring. Spring is really the best time to plant basil, especially if you are planting it outdoors. You can start a little earlier if you are planting indoors.

Basil is a very versatile herb used in a lot of Mediterranean and Italian dishes. It is used in soups and sauces to make everything taste good. Basil has a way of bringing out the sweetness in a dish, and adding its own to enhance the whole favor. The trick is to use the right amount of fresh basil, specifically not too little, as basil is a relatively mild herb and loses its flavor quite easily. For this reason, do not keep basil on the shelf longer than one year. The best way to use basil is to use it fresh, immediately after cutting.

2. Garlic

Garlic is one of the greatest herbs on the planet, in terms of adding flavor and nutritional value to your food. Eaten raw or sauteed, garlic is a must have for a lot of dishes. I love Russian garlic. That is my favorite because of the fantastic flavor it has.

Russian garlic has a pinkish shell on the outside and is usually organic. It is best to grow organic garlic, because you get the most nutritional value from organic garlic. One clove of garlic, cut up fine, is great on romaine lettuce for a quick and easy salad. Add organic cold-pressed olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and you have an easy and lovely nutritional salad.

Garlic can be used in almost any entree. I even have heard of people using garlic in their deserts, but I have yet to find a way to do that. If you eat the right amount of garlic, not too much with any one meal, you will not have bad breath. As long as the body absorbs the food eaten, there will be no lingering odor. But, if you did have a problem with that, just cook or saute your garlic and that usually takes care of the problem. You can also drink mint tea, after your meal, to help freshen your breath.

3. Oregano

Oregano is great in tomato based sauces, soups, stir fries and freshly cut as a garnish in salads. If you want to get rid of unwanted bacteria in the foods you eat, or even in the gut, oregano is an antibacterial herb that will kill the unwanted bacteria. Oregano has a great flavor and is used in many Italian dishes. Also, oregano is known for being one of the highest foods to contain anti-oxidants.

Anti-oxidants fight free radicals in the body; therefore, oregano is very beneficial to the body. It can help a person keep their youth, as the free radicals add to the aging process of the body. So, use oregano on a regular basis. Grow it in your herb garden, or in your windowsill, and cut off the fragrant leaves for daily use.

4. Chives

Chives are relatively easy to grow indoors or outside and are a great garnish. Chives are a tender and flavorful type of green onion with a deep rich green color full of sulphur. This enhances the flavor of many dishes from omelets to mashed potatoes. Chives can be used in potato salad and sprinkled on top of soup as a garnish.

Chives grow in little clumps of about five to six little bulbs. If you want to use them all year long, cut off two or three stems off of each clump. The next day, cut off another one or two stems. It is best to leave about two inches of growth from the base of the plant so that it continues to grow.

If growing chives outdoors, after three years of growth, it is best to uproot and divide the clumps of chives and replant. This way the chives will remain fresh and not get too overcrowded. If you want to make a little money, you can easily plant three sets of five to six bulbs into a little container, with a whole on the bottom, and sell the whole container. People like to buy little container plants of chives and put in their windowsill.

5. Sage

There are many different kinds of sage, each with distinct flavor differences, but all are very good. Sage is very beneficial to the body. It is generally known to help calm nerves and relieve headaches due to nervous stress. People burn sage to cleanse the air and get rid of negative energy accumulated in the area. Sage smells nice if burned.

Sage is known to help the oral cavity, specifically the teeth and gums. Sage will help to fight cavities. Organic toothpastes, for example, usually have sage as one of its main ingredients. In India, people brush their teeth using ground sage leaves. If you run out of toothpaste, you can try that.

You can use sage to help joint pain caused by nerves. Basically, any condition that causes distress due to nervousness can be alleviated with sage. In food, sage is usually used with meat; for example, almost everybody adds sage to their turkey stuffing. Sage can be sprinkled on top of pork, beef, chicken, turkey and sausage any time. Any high protein food that is heavy to digest will benefit from the use of sage. Not only will sage add flavor, but it will also help to digest the high protein food.

6. Mint

Mint is an easy herb to grow that can be used every day to add flavor to your water or lemonade. Spearmint is used is cooking and salads, whereas peppermint is usually used for tea. You can easily grow mint from a seed, both indoors and outdoors.

If growing outdoors, plant it in a container in the ground, so that it does not take over your garden. Cut off the mint leaves using scissors and use daily and it will replenish itself. Mint likes to have about 4 to 5 hours of sunshine per day. It prefers to grow in the shade. Mint helps to keep pests away in your garden.

Mint has a refreshing aroma, even if you rub it between your two fingers. You can put a leaf in your mouth to freshen up your breath any time. Mint will help aid digestion. After lunch or dinner is a great time for mint tea. A combination of green tea and mint is also very nice.

You can dry your fresh mint easily on a cookie sheet in the sun, covered by light cheese cloth. This way you can use the mint all winter long, when it is especially nice to sip on hot tea. In the summer time, however, add ice and lemon to fresh mint for a cooling and relaxing drink. It is also very beneficial to your stomach and can help with gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome and the common cold. If you have an upset stomach, drinking mint tea can help alleviate the symptoms.

7. Dill

Dill is one of the easiest herbs to grow. It grows almost like a weed. What is so great about dill is its distinct flavor. Dill is a must have in borscht or any dish that has cabbage in it. Flavor your coleslaw with a bit of fresh dill, and people will be complementing you. Dill goes great with yogurt dishes as well. It can be used in soups, salads, sauces and as a garnish.

If you have an outside garden, all you will need is to plant your dill seed and it will grow. When it is full grown, do not wait for your plant to go into seed. Instead, cut the leafy dills and lay them on a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet outside in the sun until it is dry and transfer it into a glass container. You will have freshly dried dill for the rest of the whole year. What is so great about this is that you know exactly when and how your herb was harvested. You know it was sun-dried and that it is healthy. You will know that there were no chemicals sprayed on your dill.

When it comes to drying your dill, if it is rainy outside or humid, place your cookie sheet inside the house near a big window where the sun can filter through and dry it out. It may take a little longer to dry, but it will work as well. You will enjoy your dill on all of your favorite recipes. In recipes that require dill, there is no substitute. Dill is...well.....dill!

Herbert Fraser is an avid herb garden enthusiast who enjoys the nutritional and aromatic benefits of herbs in everyday cooking. Herbert enjoys sharing his knowledge and teaching people how to grow their own herb gardens. http://www.herbgardentricks.com

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