Herb gardening has become a preferred method of getting fresh herbs as more and more people discover the benefits and uses of herbs.

Herbs have a down-to-earth quality, has many uses, and you get the satisfaction of growing your plants.

Having a herb garden isn't just for cooking, herbs can have healing qualities, used for decoration and can fill a room with the smells of the earth.

One aspect of herb gardening if you plan on using them for your favorite recipe is to dry the herbs, if you want to use them at a later date.

You can do this by following the steps below:

1) Cut the tops of the herbs, wash, and blot out the excessive.

2) Tie the stems together and put in a paper bag to dry out.

3) Within a few weeks take them out and crumble up the leaves, put them in a oven to dry, and place them in a glass jar for later use.

Below are some of the more popular herbs:

* Basil

Used as decoration and tomato sauces

* Chives

Are used in egg recipes, salads, and various sauces.

They are a sturdy plant and fairly drought resistant.

* Mint

Easy to grow and has a exceptional minty smell.

Used to give a mint flavor in recipes such as mint juleps, lemonade jellies and various drinks.

* Thyme and Sage

The two powerhouse herbs.

A herb garden wouldn't be a herb garden without these two.

They have many uses including:

* Adding flavor to soups

* Adding zest to sausages, be it turkey, chicken or pork.

* Sage's wonderful blue spiked flowers make it a great decoration piece.

No small wonder these two are herb gardening favorites!

* Lavender

Not a recipe herb but grown for it's wonderful aroma.

Often used as a perfume scent in closets and candles.

The white or purple flowers make a wonderful decoration.

Other lesser known but equally inportant herbs are:

* Borage

Mostly used in saleds.

* Chervil

Used in egg dishes

* Dill

Used in pickles and flavering meats

* Marjoram

Used to flavor fish, soups,, lamb and salads.

* Sesame

Widely used to flavor cookies, crackers, and bread

In conclusion:

Herb gardening gives the home gardener the personal satisfaction of using their own home grown herbs from their own garden.

The home herbal gardener is assured of using fresh herbs with no pestisides and more flavorful plants.