When I bought top tomato plants at the nursery the other day,I noticed the fresh Herbs just a few feet away to tempt the Gardener who knows that Tomatoes go perfectly with Herbs.

So I bought some basil,chives and thyme to plant with my tomatoes.

The spicy,peppery scent of the Basil plants that reminded me of eating fresh Mozzarella cheese slices layered with thin slices of tomato,basil leaves and a drizzle of Olive oil.

Growing Herbs at home is alot more economical then buying in store,as most will go to waste.Many Herbs can be bought as seeds or others as transplants.Some Herbs such as the shrub Rosemary,will last for years.I also have cherry tomatoes that have reseeded themselves for 2 years now.

Others will last for several seasons and will spread or reseed themselves,so you won't be sure when the original plant disapeared and it's offspring appeared.Chives,Dill,Parsley are plants that reseed without any help.

Some Herbs can become pests,such as Nasturtium,Spearmint,Peppermint,but the smell outways the pest.

You can grind spearmint and peppermint up and make a milkshakes with them also.

Various types of Thyme can act as shrubby plants or ground cover that produce pretty flowers in purple,pink,lilac,white.They develope woody under growth and will benefit from shearing to encourage growth.

Annual Herbs freeze and need to be replanted.Cilantro is a prized Herb for Salsa and prefers to grow in cool areas.

The best summer Herb is Basil,which has a number of varieties,which include green leaf with it's familiar scent,purple basils,and others with unusual flavors,including pineapple and cinnamin.

Globe Basil has smaller leaves and a round prunned shrub appearance.All Basil's send up pretty flower spikes which should be prunned to prevent the plant from going to seed.

A Basil Breakfast Recipe.

1 slice sweet bologna

1 Egg

1/2 cup mushrooms

10 spinach leaves

1 teaspoon basil

1/4 cup Feta Cheese.

IN an oiled frying pan cook the mushrooms,spinach,basil.about 3 minutes.

Place feta cheese on top and let melt.

Add beaten egg over cooked ingredients,Turn over and fry on other side.

Add a slice of tomato and sweet bologna

Add your favorite hot sauce and enjoy your tomato and herb breakfast sandwich .

Herb Gardening;

Herbs are plants with  stems that die back after flowering,as distinguished from woody plants with stems.

The plants I have listed here are special in that they are used for condiments and selected for aromatic properties of their roots,stems,leaves,seeds,flowers and flower buds.

There are many exceptions to the definitions such as the artemisias,thymes,sages,savories,and rue have woody stems and die back only a little in the cold months.

Herbs are different than vegetables in that the herbs are used to flavor other dishs,while vegetables are eaten for themselves.But we have exceptions here too as celery,carrots and onions,which are considered vegetables,are used too flavor other dishes.

Herbs such as fennel,angelica,and lovage can be eaten as vegetables.

The basils,chervil are sweet herbs with pleasant tasting leaves,seeds or roots,while bitter herbs taste either bitter or sharp,such as worm wood.

When it comes to taste and smell each individual reacts differently.

Say corriander is a pleasant tasting seed and is eaten at the jewish feast of passover.

One of the bitter herbs such as rue is eaten with bread by the Italians and Spanish.

Most herbs have been used as medicine by all people of the world.