Growing Herbs - a mini-garden

If you want to try some gardening but just don't have the space, one thing you can do is to start a kitchen herb garden. You can easily start with some herbs in a little container of soil, and in just a few short weeks you can start enjoying fresh herbs in your cooking.

If you're used to cooking only with dried, flaked, powdered herbs and spices from the store, then you're in for a big surprise when you start cooking with fresh herbs. There's really no taste comparison.

The seed is inexpensive and readily available. As a matter of fact, I went to our local Walmart this weekend and they had sold completely out of vegetable seed, but they had plenty of herb seed.

As for planting containers, you can use just about anything. An old coffee can, a bucket, yogurt cups... get creative! If it'll hold some dirt and you can punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage, then most likely you can turn it into a planter.

So, where can you grow your herbs? A sunny window (south-facing) is fine if you don't have any outdoor space.

You can also plant them on a porch or balcony railing. A window box. Porch steps. Any place where you can get some sun!

Here are some of the most common herbs and what to do with them.

Parsley is biennial, which means that it grows for two seasons and then dies and needs to be replaced. The feathery-textured herb (curly and Italian are favorites) adds a tangy flavor to soups, sauces, salads and dressings. Japanese parsley, which is catching on, is a blend of Italian parsley and celery leaves. It is often used as a garnish and makes a nice addition to soups.

Sage - perennial - is an attractive garden plant, and some varieties have variegated leaves. This evergreen herb with a strong flavor comes in many varieties. 'Berggarten' from Germany is a hit with cooks (especially for turkey stuffing), pineapple sage sweetens desserts. Sage is traditionally used in breads and dressings that accompany turkey and pork.

Rosemary - perennial - a member of the mint family, is one of the oldest herbs known to humankind. Through the ages it has been credited with healing wounds, alleviating headaches and improving memory. It is a strong, pungent herb, and a few leaves add a distinctive flavor to breads, poultry and vegetables. It becomes bushy and shrub-like in a few years.

Thyme - perennial - common thyme grows up to a foot tall and spreads wider. A fragrant, dense, low-growing groundcover with tiny flowers that can carpet a garden or accent pathways and rock gardens. French thyme has the best flavor for meats and vegetables. It has a distinctive, spicy scent and can be used as a salad garnish or to flavor cooked vegetables. Lemon thyme is a branchy trailing plant that forms mats of aromatic, lemon-scented foliage.

Basil - annual - varieties of the spicy-sweet popular herb range from cinnamon to Thai sweet. Sweet basil is enjoyed for its mild peppery flavor, with a hint of mint and clove. A staple in Italian, Mediterranean and Thai cooking, basil can also be used in flower gardens, as border plants and in hanging baskets. 'Purple Ruffles' is a good selection if you want purple foliage with lots of texture; 'Dani', if you want lemon-scented basil.

Chives - perennial - chives have a mild onion flavor that enhances salads, egg dishes, soups and vegetables. Although garlic is the Herb of the Year, many growers favor milder garlic chives because it's a "no fuss, no muss" perennial. Snip chive leaves into salads, soups, pasta, chicken and fish. The clover-like purple flowers that bloom in spring are also edible and make a colorful addition to salads.

Dill - annual - often associated with pickling cucumbers, is delicious with salmon or potatoes.

Oregano - perennial - is one of the several species of wild marjoram that can grow up to two feet tall. Peppery-flavored Greek oregano is used in tomato sauces and to season meats and vegetables. Creeping oregano works well in a pathway or rock garden. Cuban oregano has varigated leaves that have a fuzzy texture, similar to the leaves of an African Violet.

Mint - perennial - the fresh smell and taste of old-fashioned mint can't be beat in an herb garden. Mints are a family of plants known for their aromatic oils. A few leaves adds refreshing zest to a glass of lemonade or iced tea. The many varieties include candy mint, chocolate mint, orange mint and peppermint. Spearmint is ideal for tea, mint jelly and mint juleps. But be sure to contain mint or it will spread.