One of the neat things about growing herbs is that you can grow them year round.  Herb garden plants grow very well indoors which means you can continue to have fresh herbs all winter. Plus, all the beautiful greenery really perks up your home.

There are many different herbs with many different uses.  In addition to adding wonderful flavor to your dishes, they can be decorative as well as produce a wonderful fragrance.  Herb garden plants are much nicer and healthier to smell than commercial sprays that are used to freshen the air in your home.  There is nothing like the sweet smell of a fresh herb garden when you walk into your home.

Herbs are also used for medicinal purposes.  They have been used for healing for hundreds of years.  A popular herb used for medicinal purposes is mustard seed.  It has been known to provide relief for sore muscles and arthritis when applied to the skin. It is used to help with respiratory problems and, when ingested, aids the digestive system.

If you are interested in growing herbs for medicinal purposes then do a little research to learn more about these herbs.  There are many that have lots of different healing properties.  You will find lots of information on the internet and there are some good books available that will tell you all about the many uses of various herbs. Before using medicinal herbs it is always a good idea to check with your physician.

Growing herb garden plants in your kitchen is great because, if you like to use fresh herbs for cooking, they are right there within easy reach.  If you have limited space you might want to choose which herbs to grow based on those you will use most when preparing meals.

A very popular herb and one of the easiest to grow is Italian herbs.  These herbs are great for cooking but are beautiful and have a wonderful fragrance as well. Some examples of Italian herbs are oregano, parsley, basil, fennel and garlic.

Some other ideas for your herbs include adding some fresh sage to your turkey dressing and adding thyme to spice up a Cajun dish.  Mint leaves added to iced tea makes a tasty drink to go with your meal.

Culinary herbs are excellent for growing indoors in the winter.  When the markets are low on supply you will have all the herbs you need right at your fingertips. You also have the added benefit of their wonderful aroma and beautiful foliage.

I shouldn’t speak of wonderful scents without mentioning lavender.  For fragrance this is perhaps the most popular of all herb garden plants.  It is known for its calming effect and is widely use in sachets and potpourri.  There is nothing like relaxing after an herb filled meal with the wonderful aroma of lavender filling the room!

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.

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.

Italian food is all about the spices.  You start out with your base of pasta and then add flavorful sauces full of tomatoes, cheese, and fragrant Italian herbs.  Whether you are replicating the cooking your grandmother did or just love the hearty aroma of Italian cooking, you know that you need the proper flavors from an Italian herb garden in order to make the right dishes.  There are many herbs that make up the Italian canon.  These include: basil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, fennel, chives, and oregano. You can spend a lot of money and buy these herbs fresh or dried from the store, or you can grow your own Italian herb garden in a planter right in your kitchen no matter where you live, be it in the country or in a small city apartment, but there are some secrets to a bountiful Italian herb garden that one should know.

Italian herbs aren’t all that different from any other type of plant you want to grow in your container garden.  They need the right amount of sunlight, the best type of soil, adequate water and drainage in order to flourish.  The requirements for an Italian herb garden may vary from species to species, but these are the basic components of any happy plant. Drainage is especially important -and unfortunately often neglected- so ensure that your planter has holes at the bottom for excess water to drip out.

As you set up your Italian herb garden planter box, you should pair herbs that have similar growing requirements.  Did you know that rosemary likes a hot climate whereas parsley enjoys a colder environment?  As a result, rosemary and parsley would not do well in the same container.  However, if you want to know the secret of abundance of basil and garlic here it is: the two herbs have very similar soil and sunlight needs, therefore you should grow them in the same pot.

Some herbs love to spread wildly, for example thyme, a favorite of any Italian herb garden, will continue to grow until there is no soil left and it will choke out all the other herbs, therefore thyme should definitely be given its own container.

Once you have set up your Italian herb garden planter box and the herbs are growing nicely, the secret to keeping them abundant is to regularly harvest them.  By harvesting the ends of your herbs it stimulates new growth and also you have the added bonus of obtaining a large amount of fresh oregano available for adding to the pasta sauce or for freezing.

You can also keep your supply of Italian herbs steady by taking cuttings from mature plants about once every two months and repotting them as this ensures that your Italian herb garden is growing and also that you will have replacement herbs when some die off.  For instance, basil takes about three months to reach its best harvesting growth and when cut off it then takes about three months to grow back, therefore one should always keep three pots of basil growing in rotation so that there is plenty for your pizza.

Once you gain some real life experience with growing an Italian herb garden in planters you will see that producing  bountiful  herbs is not really so secret after all, they are just commonsense tips that allow you to create and maintain the best growing environment for your Italian herb garden.

Growing your own herbs in an Italian herb garden provides a huge amount of possibilities. Some of the most famous and tastiest herbs in the world come from Italy. Some of the best cuisines come from Italy and are famous for their herbs.

Basil is one of the many herbal jewels in the crown of Italian herb gardens. It comes in various subtle flavours and enhances Italian dishes. In addition to being a flavouring agent in cooking Basil is of great value in the garden. Used as a companion plant to peppers and tomatoes it enhances their rich garden flavour. Basil is also said to repel flies and mosquitoes. Hang it in loose bunches outside your kitchen door, or keep pots of it by the back entry.

The next flavour of note comes from Parsley. Parsley is a more challenging herb to grow, but is well worth the effort it takes. It graces not only Italian fare but many other cuisines. Prior to the commercial trend of buying breath mints, gourmet diners discovered the power of parsley to sweeten the breath and remove the odor of spicy and flavourful foods. That discovery is the origin of serving parsley as a garnish with a meal. Lovely Oregano at its maturity has pretty little purple flowers. The flowers are the sign that it is time to harvest Oregano, for when it flowers, the flavour has peaked.

Fennel is famous for its seeds that grace and enhance the flavours of Italian sausage. The interesting thing about fennel is that the plant looses its flavour as it matures. It is a perennial plant that should be divided and replanted every few years to savour its flavour.

Like basil, rosemary is an Italian herb that is beneficial to the garden. It grows into a large shrub that spouts pretty little blue flowers. It helps the garden by attracting bees. Although it is a tough evergreen perennial, it is sensitive to frost.

Garlic is quite likely the universal herb and is an essential part of an Italian herb garden. Plant garlic cloves in most soils and ignore them, they still will yield good harvest. Harvest the bulbs, and store them in the refrigerator, in vinegar or in oil. Braid the stems and make an artisan looking chain to hang in your kitchen.

Sage, is a very old and traditional herb that is found in meats, and salads and side dishes. Sage tea is soothing to the stomach. New growth from the plant has the best taste, and will add the most to your dishes. Keep the woody growth cut back so that you will continue to have those tender shoots. Harvest sage after it blooms. Use it throughout the growing season, without trimming back the entire plant.

Has reading about Italian herbs got your mouth watering? Do you know which herbs you would most likely use from an Italian herb garden? If you can provide the right growing conditions and are ready to do some herb gardening, consider planting some of these culinary herbs. Remember they also beautify your landscape while lending their aromatic essence to the surrounding area. Their soft colours and fragrance filling the air are like a vacation to Italy.