It has been one of my greatest privileges in life to interact with, care for, and benefit greatly from our herbal allies. The challenges and rewards of growing your own herb garden revolve around understanding each plant's requirements for moisture, temperature and light; the right herbs for the right place at the right time.

While an experienced herb gardener can guide you in the right direction, over time, a sublime communication develops between you and your plants as you watch them sprout, grow and thrive, as you learn to anticipate their needs. And the rewards are great; the fresh flavors they add to your food, the health benefits they impart, the sheer beauty of their presence in your midst.

Herb gardeners find themselves intimately connecting with the natural world around them. Avid weather watchers, we monitor the weather every day which allows us to provide our plants with adequate moisture, and suitable, frost free temperatures. Some annual herbs, like Borage, can tolerate light frosts, while cool weather herbs, like mustard, can survive in quite cool temperatures but will stop growing and die in the heat of summer. Many perennial herbs like tarragon are quite tolerant of the cold and become dormant in the winter, reviving to resume their growing cycle in the spring while some warm weather herbs, like sweet basil, thrive in very warm dry weather, but usually die with the first cold snap.

Baby herbs also have their distinct preferences in soil temperature, an important consideration for germinating seeds. For example, Caraway germinates best in cooler soil while fenugreek prefers warmer soil, so a phased approach to planting will get your babies off to the right start. And a close proximity to water will allow for a more gradual rise and fall of temperature, holding early and late frosts at bay, a principle well understood by some ancient cultures who left evidence of vast networks of canals around their planting plots.

Living plants are 85 to 95 percent water and when a plant starts to wilt, its cell structure is already starting to collapse, so be kind to your plants and learn to anticipate their needs for water before they start to suffer. If a good rain hasn't graced your garden with at least an inch or two of water in a week, depending on your climate, your plants will most likely require your help to stay healthy. If the soil at the roots flows through your hands and doesn't clump together, or if your claylike soil is crumbly, you will have to get out the hose or watering can. A daily check of the soil in hot dry or windy weather is essential.

Some Gardeners have the time and resources to install trickle lines or soaker hoses, which drip or trickle water into the soil at root level where it is needed, rather than on the foliage, which discourages fungal conditions of the leaves. But be careful, too much water can deprive the plant of oxygen. If watering by hand with a hose, one good soaking is said to strengthen the roots as they reach for the water, making it a better option than several shallow waterings and you might want to consider a watering can for baby plants or very small plots. And remember, wind draws moisture into the atmosphere, so be extra kind to the plants under your care on windy days.

Photosynthesis is strongly influenced by the strength and duration of light in your garden. Each herbal entity has a unique way of employing light energy to produce its nourishment from carbon dioxide and water. The intensity of sunlight varies with geographic location and season, affected by air pollution, shade from trees, hills, buildings and surrounding plants. Location is so important and sufficient space should always be allotted around each plant. Our wild friends, the weeds, many of which make for excellent food and medicine, can be harvested regularly to clear the sun's path to our more cultivated friends as needed.

Plants that love full sunlight, like Fennel or Dill can stand in full, unfiltered sunlight from morning till night, but thankfully, the majority of herbs will also tolerate shade for part of the day, good news for City and suburban dwellers with surrounding buildings that prevent a full day's sunlight. Plants like Sweet Cicely that prefer partial sun can stand 5 or 6 hours of direct sunlight with shade or filtered sun for the remainder of the day. But be careful, too little sunlight may prevent them from branching or flowering, so these herbs would prefer being planted near a tree that allows for dappled shade for part of the day if possible. A handful of herbs like Sassafras and Sweet Woodruff, grow quite well in the shade, appearing bleached or wilted with too much sunlight

Next week we will discuss soil quality and composting and will plan out a sample planting schedule for your next growing season. I am off now, to convene with Mother Nature as I care for our indoor winter herb garden and gratefully harvest some of its gifts for our supper.