The rich delights of fine Italian cuisine is enjoyed everywhere in the world. The colorful array of flavors that excites the pallet can be largely attributed to the refined blend of herbs that has been grown by this fine nation for centuries in herb gardens.

Almost everyone prepares Italian cuisine at home for their families and many grows the plants in their own garden to keep at hand a fresh and flavorful supply for preparing these wonderful meals. If you wish to start this fine hobby for yourself, this is a list of the 7 most used herbs to assure a complete authentic Italian herb garden.

1. Garlic is probably the most used herb to be grown in the garden and is the basic ingredient in many Italian dishes. One thing is certain, a garden that doesn’t grow garlic cannot be considered an Italian garden. This herb can be planted and will thrive requiring very little attention. Once harvested, they can be frozen or pickled and stored in the refrigerator for later use.

2. Basil is among the most commonly used herb. Its distinctive flavor is the soul of Italian cuisine and it also offer certain benefits to the garden itself. This herb repels flies and mosquitoes in the garden and, if planted nearby, will improve the taste of tomatoes and peppers.

3. Another herb that is widely used to garnish many dishes is parsley and can be eaten fresh and raw. An interesting fact about this herb is that it has the quality of absorbing the odors of ones breath after a tasty meal. This tradition is quite old and is still being practiced nowadays.

4. Oregano is a decorative and has a very distinctive flavor that is strong enough to hold its own in any meal. The herb will deliver the most flavor when harvested only once lovely small purple flowers start to sprout. Be patient, it is definitively worth the wait.

5. Sage is a herb that graces many different Italian recipes ranging from salads to meats. It is strongly advised to keep the plants well trimmed when growing this herb for the new shoots are the most flavorful part of the plant. You should harvest the sage plants only after they have bloomed.

6. Rosemary is a perennial plant that forms a rather big shrub that sprouts beautiful blue flowers. This plant is valuable in the garden for its ability to attract bees, thus keeping them away from other plants. Keep in mind though that rosemary is easily affected by frost.

7. Fennel is used when making Italian sausages that adds a distinctive exciting flavor to the palette. This perennial plant must be divided and replanted every 2-3 years because once the fennel plant has reached maturity there is a noticeable loss of flavor.

With these herbs growing in your Italian herb garden you’ll be able to use fresh basil when preparing a tomato based Italian meal or oregano with fried foods and grilled meats. Sage has a peppery flavor that is magnificent with meat dishes, Italian salads and dressings. It will also be a welcomed addition to stuffing for poultry, pork, lamb or seafood.

Of course there are many other herbs that can be added to the garden that are used for Italian dishes but these 7 herbs described above is a great start and will be sufficient for a large variety of recipes. Of course, you can balance them to your particular taste and needs. Be sure to consider the growing needs of each herb you plant.

When herbs comes to mind one of the first thoughts is Italian food. An Italian herb garden would need to be abundant to support all the possible dishes that come with Italian cooking. Once fresh cut herbs are used with this fare, there will be no turning back. Just imagine dishes such as lasagna, spaghetti, and more steaming with the scent of herbs to delight the discriminating nose. Some herbs for an Italian garden would be basil, fennel, oregano, parsley, and rosemary.

Basil is a hardy plant which needs to be started indoors. It can be left indoors permanently as long as it gets about 16 hours of sun. Sun lamps can provide this. Once basil has grown to several inches it can be planted outdoors. Choosing a sunny location with good drainage helps foster growth. As a natural repellent it may be planted along with pepper plants and tomatoes. This helps keep some pests at bay. An Italian herb garden with basil will need to be tended for long lasting growth. Once flowering takes hold the plant loses flavor. Prune the flowers and basil will become bushy and abundant.

Fennel has a dual purpose. It not only adds flavor but it also helps with digestion. That distinct flavor in Italian sausage is fennel. An Italian herb garden requires fennel. The main thing to remember is that it would be best to grow in a windy area. This shakes off the pests. Fennel starts from seed and is a perennial. Easy fennel is the balance for challenging parsley.

Seeds for parsley require soaking in warm water. The next day they can be planted outdoors in a garden or pot. The root is long and needs the space to grow properly. If parsley is grown indoors it requires about five hours of sun. To keep parsley hardy from year to year remove the flower stem at first sight in the spring.

Oregano grows with gusto. It will take over a garden so careful planning must be used for the Italian herb garden. It is popular as one of the most often used herbs in Italian dishes. This plant can be started from seeds but is often started with shared cuttings from farmers. Oregano is not ready to be used until it has flowered.

Rosemary is a perennial and grows into a shrub. It is a strong plant which likes the sun. Indoor preparation from seeds will take about five months. Sun lamps are best to allow for the need for a lot of sun. Rosemary can then be transplanted to pots or gardens. They do best with moderate, not saturating, watering. The flowers can also be eaten and make attractive garnishes. Bees love rosemary.

There are many more Italian herbs for you to consider.  These are just a small sample of some of the most popular ones and would be a great choice to start an Italian herb garden.

Growing herbs as been a popular activity throughout history dating back to the Bible. Producing herbs in one’s home herb garden has always been a time tested method of assuring a constant supply on these fine flavorful plants.

This took a backdrop with the enduring popularity of convenient food stores and mass manufacturing of these ”products”, however, actually there is a strong resurgence of interest in the joy of creating and maintaining a personal home herb garden. The pleasure and excitement of growing herbs has been rediscovered and is even practiced in small apartments in urban areas.

Returning to this wonderful and practical hobby can be for many different reasons. The home herb garden can be cultivated for economical reasons, freshness and availability of the product, the scents and flavors associated with having herbs growing in your environment. There are many other reasons that can be attributed to this pastime if not simply for the sheer pleasure of seeing these beautiful plants come to life in your environment.

If you are among the newly initiated, you may have to do a little homework to start you off in the right direction. There is a large selection of different herbs to choose from when starting a herb garden project.

There are basically 73 different herbs recognized and are divided into 4 main categories classified for their individual usage. However, certain herb can be used for more than one purpose so can be classified in more than one category.

The list of herbs is quite extensive and can be classified in 4 main categories: aromatic, medicinal, ornamental and culinary. The gardener can choose which herbs he will be growing by defining the usage he plans to use them for once harvested. This is a brief review of the 4 main categories.

Culinary Usage
The many usage of herbs to enhance the taste of food has been mentioned repeatably through history. So many recipes have been created and savored by the perfect amount of a well balanced mix of herbs.

Most often a small garden can provide for a family very well so the amount of space needed depending on the variety you may wish to grow. Since herbs are used in small quantity, 1 or 2 plants can will be sufficient for a normal household. Among the most popular herbs grown are thyme, basil, sage, chives, oregano, mint, rosemary and savory.

Aromatic Usage
Aromatic herbs are in a class of their own. They offer great pleasure to the senses if not by their beauty then by the wonderful scent of the foliage and flowers.

If you choose to grow herbs with that intention, aromatic herbs can be a very interesting garden project. The enchanting fragrances come from their oils produced while growing and are used to produces various perfumes, eau de toilette and lotions.

Once harvested and dried, you can enjoy the smell of the plants for many months. They can be used to freshen the air in rooms or spaces and even used to give a pleasant smell to clothes and linen.

Aromatic herbs that are popular:  basil, marjoram, mint and rosemary.

Medicinal Usage

Before modern medicine, medicinal herbs has long been used to treat injuries and many levels of sickness. Many herbs are known and used even nowadays for their healing qualities. They play an important role in many products we by in a pharmacy, prescriptions and is used extensively with alternative natural medicine.

If you plan to grow herbs for medicinal usage, please research these herbs and capacities, They can be excellent when used in the right conditions but can be unpredictable if used randomly.

Medicinal herbs commonly used: Ginseng, Ephedra, Catnip, Dandelion and St. John’s Wort.

Ornamental Usage
Thought not always the first group of plants to be proposed when discussing landscaping, an wisely designed arrangement of ornamental herbs can be quite breathtaking by their brightly colored flowers and foliage.

They can be combined with other plants or even other herbs to create an overall exotic layout. Among the ornamental herbs that are often

An Italian herb garden groups the herbs well-known in Italian cuisine together, such as oregano, basil, garlic and  sage. Create a taste, smell and vision of Italy by creating your own Italian-themed herb garden. Its easy to do and adds authentic flavor to your Italian dishes.

Plant basil for a useful flavor-workhorse in Italian cuisine. Not only does basil dress up sauces and pesto, but also the plant has properties that help its neighbors in the garden. Planting it between tomatoes and peppers imparts flavor to both the tomatoes and peppers. Basil plants also repel flies and mosquitoes.

Italian sausages are often flavored with fennel seed. Fennel plants lose their flavor as  they mature. Divide fennel plants every few years and replant to encourage the flavorful new growth. Collect the seeds and use in breads as well as homemade sausages. Fennel is a perennial.

What is Italian cooking without garlic? A member of the onion family, garlic thrives in many gardens and many soil types with little fuss. Garlic heads can be dug up in fall and stored over winter either dried, frozen or pickled. Or leave them in the ground to grow the following year. Each clove of garlic can grow a whole plant.

Oregano is an Italian herb that enhances flower gardens as well as culinary gardens. Well-known in Italian sauces, oregano is aromatic and attractive, sporting small pink to purple flowers. As flowers appear, pinch them back to reduce bolting. Leaf flavor is best after flowering begins. Plant in well-drained, lean soil and divide as the perennial
becomes woody-stemmed in the center.

Parsley adds a light spicy flavor to many dishes. Used today as a garnish, fresh parsley leaves used to be served after meals as a breath-freshener. Chewing on fresh parsley leaves counters the strong odors left by garlic. The tradition of serving parsley with a meal lives on as garnish. Parsley can be difficult to grow. Add it to your Italian herb garden by planting the seeds directly in the garden; plants mature in their second year.

Rosemary is a perennial shrub that prefers a dry climate with mild temperatures. Profuse flowers range from white to purple and draw honeybees to any garden. For areas with heavy snow, plant rosemary in a pot and bring inside during the winter. Use rosemary leaves or whole stems of leaves to flavor dishes.

Sage leaves are useful in meat dishes, salads and sauces. This woody-stemmed plant should be pruned closely to encourage new shoots to grow. The best flavor is harvested from the new shoots after the plant blooms. Do not confuse European sage with sagebrush from the western U.S. high desert region – the latter was named for its color, not its taste, and could be poisonous.

Italy can come to your garden by planting a few of the herbs famous in their cuisine. Outside of use for their flavor, many Italian herbs are beautiful additions to your landscaping. Consider which herbs you are likely to use and each plants sunlight, soil and water requirements before planting an Italian-themed herb garden. Many more herbs used in Italian cooking are not listed here but with a little research you can explore other herbs you might plant in an Italian herb garden.

Interested in starting your own Italian herb garden?  Italian herbs can add spice and flavor to any meal.  All of your favorite spices including basil, garlic, parsley and chervil are considered Italian spices and commonly appear in every pasta or pizza dish you order.

One of the newest trends in cooking is for chef’s to maintain their own Italian herb garden.

The advantages in this are not only economic but also related to flavor.  The chef knows that freshly picked Italian herbs are far more satisfying and tasty than store-bought seasoning.  They may also enjoy having more control over all the factors in the growing process.  They feel personally responsible for the plant and producing a fresh herb, and therefore can feel better about the quality of their cooking.

Secrets you need to know

What are some well protected secrets about an Italian herb garden?  Gardeners suggest that you should not pick all of the leaves at once.  Instead, you might try picking a few at a time and give the plant a chance to steadily re-grow.

In fact, plants increase in size and produce every time you pick the leaves.

No doubt you’ll want to protect your garden from the threat of pests, so try marking off the area.  Furthermore, be careful about pesticides and the threat of invasive weeds.  Some chefs find that growing herbs in a pot is far more effective, since they can control the temperature and humidity (they simply bring the plant inside) and can also protect it from outside threats.

Another option to consider for growing an Italian herb garden is buying a kit, which can provide everything you need from the pot, to the pre-seeded pods, rich soil, and the plant itself.  In general, you want pots that are 8-10 inches.  You want to give each plant enough room to grow in its roots, but also allow for sufficient drainage and adequate watering.  Be sure your garden gets plenty of sunlight (or at least fluorescent light) at least six hours a day (or as recommended in the instructions).

Instructions to Herb Kits

The actual instructions you work by will differ with each type of herb.  For example, rosemary grows consistently as long as it has sunlight and well-irrigated soil.  Rosemary is sensitive to overwatering.  On the other hand, sage requires a more ideal environment, one well-sunlit and with good moisture.

Sage plants also need to be re-planted (using the cuttings) every few years otherwise they become too thick.  Parsley grows best in full sunlight with minimal shade, whereas oregano requires plenty of sun and excellent drainage.  Oregano also produces many leaves, more than the usual, so you will only need a few plants to get started.

Regardless of what herb you choose to grow, the secret to growing a successful Italian herb garden is in the amount of care you give to each plant.  Kits, super-formulas and various tidbits on how to pick the leaves are all secondary to the nurturing you give your garden.  For more information on growing Italian herbs, talk to your local nursery.