Herb gardens are happy places. Whether or not one shares his acerbic observation about mankind, I think we all can agree that the essential nature of an herb is honorable.
Medieval Herb Gardens
Photograph by Jim Linwood via Flickr.
A re-creation of a medieval herb garden in a former prison exercise hard at Ypres Tower in East Sussex.
Medicinal Herb Gardens
See more of this garden at Healing Herbs: A Modern Apothecary Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Other perennials, such as aloe and echinacea (coneflowers), are used to heal wounds and often grow side by side with herbs.
Photograph by Jim Powell for Gardenista.
Colonial Herb Gardens
On a trip to Viriginia, Justine discovered Secrets of Another Century at Colonial Williamsburg.
Kitchen Herb Gardens
Photograph by George Billard.
For more, see Garden Visit: A Cook’s Garden in Upstate New York. In her cook’s garden in upstate New York, Gardenista contributor Laura Silverman grows vegetables, flowers, and herbs in raised beds.
Photograph by George Billard.
Purple and green basil make happy companions in a raised bed herb garden in Laura Silverman’s herb garden.
Indoor Herb Gardens
Photograph by Erin Boyle.
See step-by-step tips for planting your own indoor herb garden at Small Space DIY: Countertop Herb Garden.
In a container herb garden, “As a rule of thumb, it’s nice to keep similar herbs with similar herb,” writes Erin.
A scented pelargonium at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses in Waltham, Massachusetts. See our DIY: Modern Mothballs (No Chemicals Included) for herb sachets to keep the moths away from your clothes.
Photograph by Justine Hand.
Fragrant Herb Gardens
Photograph by Justine Hand.
Varieties of scented pelargoniums include (clockwise from top L) citronella, skeleton rose, variegated nutmeg, lemon, finger bowl lemon, lemon balm, French lace, rose, lime, citrosa, and apple.
Raised Bed Herb Gardens
Raised garden beds in the kitchen gardens of Daylesford Organic keep chives and other herbs happy and have sides of woven willow.
Must-Have Herbs
Here are a few must-have herbs from our Edible Plants 101 guide:
Basil
Sweet basil. See our tips for success in Basil 101: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design.
Photograph by Don LaVange via Flickr.
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.
Lavender
No ornamental herb garden is complete without a clump (or three) of lavender.
A packet of dried Lemon Verbena leaves is $2.81 from Greenwood Herbals.
Lemon Verbena
Parsley
Curly parsley by Erin Boyle. Parsley—curly or flat-leafed—is an easy-growing, nutrient-packed herb, planted as both annual and biennial depending on climate, rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and folate (and they also contain phytonutrients).
Rosemary
Rosemary in round concrete herb pots. This drought-tolerant aromatic herb is also happy growing in a pot in a sunny spot by your kitchen door.
Sage
Salvia officinalis is the culinary sage (for ornamental varieties, see our guide to Salvias 101).
With thin, swordlike leaves, tarragon is prized for its culinary properties. (French tarragon is the superior culinary choice over Russian tarragon, which has coarser leaves and less flavor.
Tarragon
Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.
Thyme
Photograph by Erin Boyle.
You can start a pot of thyme in any season, even in winter. But the popular woolly thyme belongs underfoot, not in the kitchen.