There are three basic types of herbs ? herbaceous, evergreen, and annual. The type of herb will depend on how it grows, what type of plant it is, and its habits. Herbaceous herbs are perennial. They die back during the winter, but some back again in the spring.

Some common herbs of this type include oregano, tarragon, bee balm, mint, chives, sweet fennel, and winter savory. They don?t need to be pruned; you just clip them off at ground level at the end of the season.

They can even be mowed down with a mower. Always be careful with mint. It spreads quickly, and can take over an entire garden if you let it. Evergreen herbs are perennial herbs that require pruning if you don?t harvest them regularly.

They should be pruned every fall or early in the spring. Evergreen herbs include sage, rosemary, and thyme. When you prune, you should only clip those branches that are old and don?t show any signs of new growth. Any that are broken or lying on other branches should also be pruned.

When you harvest evergreen herbs, you should be careful to cut only one section of leaves at a time, and only cut it back to where new growth is still showing. You don?t want to cut too much, or you could discourage new growth.

Annual herbs include basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, and chervil. They must be planted again every year, because they won?t come back after they die. If you want a continual harvest of annual herbs, you have to keep planting them every four to six weeks during the season.

You should try to snip off any flower buds you see on annual herb plants, because after a plant flowers, it usually won?t continue to produce leaves. After they flower, they go to seed, at which point they?re not really useful for producing leaves for your kitchen anymore.

When planning which types of herbs you wish to plant, you should choose only those varieties which you believe you?ll actually use in cooking. It will probably be very tempting to plant at least one of every type of herb you see, but it?s not practical.

Plant those herbs which you know you?ll really use. And keep in mind that some herbs are considered better when dried. Sage, for example, is an herb that many people prefer the flavor of when dried.

It?s probably better to just purchase those herbs which you already know you like to use fresh, as well as perhaps one or two you?ve never tried before just to test out. Be careful not to plant too many types that you can?t take care of them all.

Although herbs don?t generally require a lot of care and maintenance, they will need a bit of work. Don?t plant twenty different varieties if you realistically only have time to care for five or ten!

Finally, be sure to check the zones that various herbs do well in. If your favorite herb doesn?t do well in your zone, you should probably skip it, or at least grow it indoors in a container. There isn?t much use planting an herb if it will likely die before it?s harvested.

One major benefit of growing your own herbs is saving money. Fresh herbs can be ridiculously expensive, with a single small container of fresh herbs sometimes costing $3 to $5 in many supermarkets!

For just a dollar or so, you can buy a big packet of seeds that can grow many plants, and can keep producing for quite a while. Even when you factor in costs such as tools, fertilizer, and other garden expenses, you should still save a great deal of money if you use fresh herbs often.

Herb gardening is also very relaxing. Many people find that it really helps them reduce stress and unwind. All types of gardening can relieve stress, but herb gardening combines the stress-relieving effects of gardening with the natural stress-relief of aromatherapy!

Many herbs are very easy to grow. A lot of herbs will grow almost anywhere, and require very little maintenance. Herbs can be grown in almost any garden location, and even in containers where they can be moved around at will. The fact that herbs can easily be located almost anywhere makes them a very good subject for most gardeners.

Herbs can be used as part of your landscape design, as well. Because of the fact that they are generally very attractive, they look perfectly at home in their own garden, tucked among flowers, or even used as ornamental plants along walkways, by porches or steps, or anywhere you need a bit of an accent.

They?re great at jazzing up bland dinners. If your family has been complaining that your cooking is becoming boring, try adding some fresh herbs to your food! Once your family has tried spaghetti made with fresh basil, they may never want the stuff in a jar again!

Fresh herbs are also a very good source of additional nutritional value. Sure, they taste great and can make a wonderful garnish for all sorts of dishes, but they?re also good for you! Some herbs contain decent levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fresh herbs are very good for adding that extra bit of nutrition to your meals.

An attractive herb garden can also increase the value of your home if you decide to sell it. A lot of people have always wanted to have their own garden, and having a lovely herb garden waiting for them could be a big selling point.

Growing your own herbs will also mean you can get varieties that you can?t find locally. Most people are able to find fresh chives and standard basil locally, but can you find garlic chives, purple basil, or fresh chervil in your local grocery store? Most people can?t, and the only way they can experience these exotic herbs is to grow them.

Plus, growing herbs can also make you more popular. A lot of people really love fresh herbs, and if you neighbors hear you?re growing them, they might stop by and ask for some! Your friends and family will be delighted to be given fresh herbs as a gift, and they?ll be wanting to hang around you for more handouts as often as they can!

Parsley ? Parsley is a relatively hardy annual in zones 2-11. Both flat-leaf and curly varieties are easy to care for and grow very well without a lot of extra care. It can do well in full sun to light shade, and needs rich soil that is well-drained but moist. It doesn?t do particularly well in heat.

Cilantro ? Also known as coriander - this annual herb doesn?t need exceptionally rich soil, and isn?t extremely particular about sun and shade. It can do well in full sun or light shade. It is relatively easy to care for, and does well in almost all zones.

Chives ? Chives are a perennial herb. Chives can grow well in almost any soil, and almost any conditions. Chives have been known to be seen growing in old gardens that haven?t been tended in many years! It?s hardy in zones 3-9, and prefers full sun. It does do better in rich soils, but doesn?t need it to survive. Chives have a rich, oniony flavor, and they taste great on baked potatoes.

Oregano ? This herb is an extremely popular herb, and it goes well with many different types of foods. It is commonly used in tomato-based pasta dishes, chicken dishes, and pork dishes. Hard in zones 5-9, oregano does well in raised beds, rock gardens, alongside roads or pathways, or just about anywhere! It needs full sun and well-drained soil, but it actually does better in poor, rocky soil!

Thyme ? Thyme is a perennial herb. It is hardy in zones 4-6. It?s a small, shrub-like herb that requires full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It is quite hardy in its standard zones, and doesn?t require much care at all.

Basil ? Basil in a warm-weather annual herb. It is hardy in most zones, but it requires hot, dry conditions to reach peak flavor. It needs full sun, and very rich, moist soil. The only major issues with growing basil are slugs and cool conditions. As long as basil has enough light and heat, and its soil is allowed to dry out between waterings, it usually requires little additional care.

Bay ? Although it is a type of shrub, this is actually a very good herb for beginners to grow. It?s hardy in zones 8-11, and is remarkably hardy in those zones. It needs full sun to light shade, and rich, well-drained soil. It will tolerate variations in conditions rather well. Just remember, bay leaves reach their full flavor when dry, so be sure to press them between layers of paper towels inside heavy books for a few weeks before you use them.

Remember to be careful about the zones. Although many of these herbs are hardy, they do much better when kept to their hardiness zones. As long as you grow them in the zones in which they do best, most of these herbs will be very easy to care for, and shouldn?t need a whole lot of extra work to take care of them.

You?ll want to start with excellent potting soil. Choose a well-draining potting soil that is very rich in organic material. Using a great organic compost mix is a very good start for your herbs if you?re going to grow them in containers. If not, you can mix it with existing soil to enrich and enliven it.

The healthier the soil is, the better able your herbs will be at fighting off diseases and fending off insect attacks. Quality soil is crucial, and it?s one place you should never skimp on, even if you aren?t gardening organically.

Next, be sure to plant your herbs in the right spot. Many herbs need full sun, but a few can tolerate partial shade. Some even prefer it to be a bit shady. So you need to make certain you?re planting your herbs in a spot where they?ll be happiest.

It?s important to be sure you?re selecting herbs that will grow in the zone in which you live. Find out which hardiness zone you live in and be sure to select only varieties that are hardy where you live. Otherwise you could be wasting your time growing herbs that won?t survive.

Choose very high-quality seedlings if you?re buying your herb plants. If you choose to start your own seedlings, be sure to thin them carefully so they don?t choke each other out. Seedlings should be thick and dark, not spindly and pale.

You can use mulch to control weeds. Simply use a good organic mulch to cover the top of the soil to prevent weeds from peeking up through the ground. It will also help keep moisture in the soil, and will help keep the soil an even temperature.

You can control pests with the use or organic pesticides and companion planting. There are many types of plants that go well together to help deter common pests. Garlic and marigolds are two plants that are often used with other plants to discourage insects.

There are also many organic pesticides available that you can use to help control insects. Some of them simply make your plants inhospitable to insects, and others can actually kill them. You should choose varieties of herbs that are disease-resistant and pest-resistant, if possible.

Although these plants may still have problems, they don?t typically have as many problems as their standard counterparts. This is especially important when you intend to not use a lot of chemical treatments to control problems.

Rotate your plantings each year. Move your herb garden to different spots of your yard if you can. Also, rotate the varieties of the herbs you grow. If you grow purple basil one year, you might grow Thai basil the next year.

This helps prevent pests from learning where your garden is, and where they can find the tastiest plants each year. If you keep rotating your plantings, you?ll be able to discourage some pests.

Nature is a favorite subject for many children. They love to learn and explore topics that have to do with nature, so gardening is a very good learning experience that they?ll actually enjoy. They will be really excited to know that they?re growing something they can actually eat later!

Your children may not even know about all of the wonderful herbs that are out there, so it?s great to teach them about all of the different types. They can learn what each herb looks like when it?s fresh, what the herbs smell like, and the different uses for each type.

Don?t overwhelm your child. Children should start out with very small herb gardens. Just three to five plants is probably enough to get started. You want the herb garden to be a fun learning experience for the child, not a back-breaking chore!

You might want to start kids out with a ?pizza garden.? You?ll help your child grow some of the herbs that are commonly used on pizza. Since children really love pizza, they should be able to relate to this type of garden very well. They?ll also have fun knowing what goes into one of their favorite foods.

A typical ?pizza garden? will contain basil and oregano, and perhaps thyme and parsley. You could also let the child grow some of the other things that often go into pizza sauce, like garlic and roma tomatoes. If you want to make the garden larger by helping, you can also add some common pizza toppings like peppers and onions.

Children will also enjoy growing specially-scented herbs. You can get all kinds of excellent herbs that smell like different scents. Flowers can also go well in this type of garden. For example, there are geraniums that are scented like orange, strawberry, lime, and apricot!

Different types of mint are also favorites with children, and they often enjoy chewing the leaves of plants like spearmint. Just be sure to tell your children they should never eat any plant without asking you first!

You can also use herb gardening as a way of teaching children about the differences between varieties of the same type of plant. For example, planting several different varieties of basil can help kids understand that there can be many types of the same animal or plant.

You could plant globe basil, Thai basil, lemon basil, and purple basil. Your child can learn the difference and similarities, so they can see that things can be similar, yet very different. An herb garden is a very good way to teach children responsibility.

They?ll learn that they have to take care of their garden on a regular basis. If they don?t, they?ll see that there are consequences to shirking duties. When some of their plants start to wither and die, they?ll see how important it is to keep up with their tasks.

Perhaps most importantly, herb gardens can give kids something to be proud of. They?ll get a big boost to their self-esteem when they successfully grow something that you?re able to use in a meal, and they?ll enjoy learning!

Flowers can also be used to make teas, and their flavor extracts can be used in cakes, frostings, candies, and other foods. Many flowers are also very good for you. Roses are very high in vitamin C, especially rose hips.

Nasturtiums and marigolds also have a decent amount of vitamin C, and dandelion flowers contain both vitamin C and vitamin A. If a flower isn?t poisonous, it?s considered technically edible, but not all edible flowers are tasty.

Just keep in mind that you should be absolutely certain what you?re eating, because some flowers have poisonous look-alikes! You should never eat flowers if you have hay fever, asthma, or other allergies.

Never eat flowers that have been sprayed with any type of pesticide. And be sure to choose only blossoms that haven?t wilted. Remember, even edible flowers should be eaten in moderate amounts.

Some people may still have minor reactions to large amounts of edible flowers. Some common flowering plants should NEVER be eaten. Lily-of-the-valley is highly toxic, for example. Other flowers that shouldn?t be eaten include hydrangeas, azaleas, daffodils, wisteria, lupines, hyacinths, castor beans, rhododendrons, sweet peas, clematis, bleeding hearts, oleander, and calla lilies.

This is just a partial list! Always carefully research any flower before eating it, and even check varieties of the same type of flower. For landscaping purposes, you should probably concentrate on perennials.

Now let?s look at some of the very best blooming plants and flowers for landscaping. Remember, these are all perennials, since our purpose is creating landscaping:

? Dianthus comes in shades of red, white, and pink. It tastes similar to cloves.
? Daylilies come in many colors and taste a bit like squash or asparagus.
? Red clover has pink or red flowers that taste delicate and sweet.
? Tulips are mild and sweet and come in many different colors.
? Violets are slightly sweet, slightly sour. They come in pink, white, purple, and blue.
? Chives have beautiful pink globes of blossoms that taste very much like onions.
? Bee balm has pink, red, white, and lavender flowers that taste a bit like tea.
? Hollyhocks are slightly bitter and come in many colors.
? Borage tastes a lot like cucumbers, and comes in blue, purple, and lavender.

Perennials will continue to come back year after year, without the need for replanting each year. This is a very important part of landscaping, since landscaping should require only minimal maintenance.

Most people who create edible landscapes use perennial vegetables, because they come back year after year, without the need to replant them each year. Once you?ve planted them, they?ll continue to provide you with beauty and food as long as you care for them.

A little watering and feeding is all most of them need, aside from the occasional weeding, pruning, or insect control. There are plenty of varieties of vegetables that you can plant that will keep feeding you year after year.

They?ll usually die during the winter, but every spring they?ll return and go through a growth cycle again. With the prices of fresh vegetables and fruits rising at an alarming rate, it?s a very good idea to grow some of your own.

You might not want the responsibility of caring for a traditional garden. Traditional gardens require a lot of work to maintain. You must constantly weed, rake, hoe, water, fertilize, and spray traditional gardens. But edible landscapes require little more effort than traditional landscapes!

You can use many different types of edible plants to replace various aspects of traditional landscaping. You can use fruit trees in place of standard trees. Many perennial herbs can be used to replace ground covers and shrubs. And ornamental vegetables can be used in place of flowers, borders, or other accents.

You can also mix edible plants with other plants to form beautiful combinations. Some edible plants, especially herbs, make great additions to flower gardens. You can mix all kinds of plants together for different looks.

Curly parsley looks beautiful with many different types of plants. You can plant it with pansies, lobelia, strawberries, dusty miller, or dianthus. Sage and oregano are very beautiful plants, and make great low shrubbery. They look fantastic as edging in front of larger bushes.

Leaf lettuces look lovely planted in beds as accent areas. You can plant a bed of different colors and varieties of leaf lettuce, and then edge it with a border grass. There are several types of plants that have edible flowers.

Many of these plants also have other edible parts. They can look very striking as part of a landscape while they?re in bloom. Sugar snap peas have gorgeous white, pink, or purple flowers, and they produce delicious peas.

Fava beans produce white and red flowers. Chives have amazing purple globe-shaped flowers. Dill has lovely yellowish blossoms. Nasturtium blossoms are edible, and some in red, yellow, and orange. Sage has blue and purple blossoms. And salvia also has blue and purple blooms.

Perennial herbs and vegetables are superb for planting in edible landscapes, because they require so little maintenance. You can try perennial broccoli, dandelions, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, sorrel, artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes, chives, fennel, garlic chives, ginger, and asparagus.

You can use a wide variety of perennial vegetables and herbs as part of your landscape, and they can be just as beautiful as traditional landscape plants. Perennial vegetables are great, because you don?t have to replant them each year.

You plant them once, and with a small amount of ongoing maintenance, you?ll have a beautiful landscape and fresh food every year. Perennials need to be planted in good conditions right from the start.

If you plant annuals in poor soil or a bad location, you?ve only lost a single year. But if you plant perennials improperly, you?ve wasted a plant that could have grown for many years.
First of all, be sure you plant your perennials in a good location right from the start.

Check the required growing conditions for the variety before you plant it. Make sure you choose a spot that has the proper amount of sunlight for the plant. Don?t forget to take into account the potential growth of any other nearby plants! If you plant something in a sunny location, it might be shady in a year or two if surrounding plants grow larger.

Be sure to prepare your soil before planting. It?s much easier to modify the soil before planting than it is to make corrections later. Be sure the soil has the proper pH levels and nutrient levels, and make certain your soil will support the correct moisture level for the plants. You?ll need to be certain to have the right balance, because different plant varieties require different types of soil.

Another thing to keep in mind is your zone. Some perennial plants won?t be very tolerant of extreme heat or frosts, so care in this matter is essential. The point of planting perennials is to have plants that return each year. If they die completely in the winter, they won?t return in the spring, so be sure you get your zone correct.

There are many perennial herbs that make a great addition to an edible landscape. Many types of mint are perennial in a lot of zones. They have beautiful foliage, and some of them have very pretty blossoms. Other perennial herbs that are ideal for landscaping include French tarragon, lavender, chives, Greek oregano, English Thyme, garlic chives, lemon balm, and sage.

A lot of vegetables are quite attractive, and can be very nice in landscapes. Perennial varieties of chard, beans, and broccoli are all great for landscapes. Asparagus, sorrel, fennel, ginger, artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, rocket, and sorrel are all great choices.

You can also use other edible plants for your landscaping. Fruit trees are an obvious choice. Many fruit trees have absolutely stunning blooms. Cherry trees, apple trees, and plum trees all have lovely blooms that will make a great addition to your landscape. The fruits they bear can also add an amazing color and style to your yard. Having bright red cherries and golden apples can really enhance a landscape.

Secondly, they turn a standard landscape into more than just aesthetics, but into a useful method of growing some of your own food. Edible landscapes don?t have to be 100% edible. You can design your edible landscape around any percentage of edible plants you wish.

You might choose to make your landscape 100% edible, or you might only include a single fruit tree. Edible landscaping has actually been around for a very long time. Some of the earliest edible landscapes were found in ancient Persia and in gardens in medieval times.

In some areas of the world, most people plant mostly edible varieties. Some people see no point in planting anything that isn?t edible, seeing everything else as a waste of valuable food-growing space.

An important part of planning your edible landscape is knowing what conditions each variety needs. Some plants will need a lot of sun, and some plants require more shade. You need to be sure the soil conditions are suitable.

Be sure to check each and every variety so you know its soil requirements, sunlight requirements, and the nutrient and pH balance needed. Start by planning out your landscape on paper.

Mark off where you want to place certain plants, and be sure those areas are conducive to the varieties you wish to locate there. Use fruit trees in place of shade trees. You can plant hazelnuts and currants wherever you might place a deciduous shrub. You can use herbs in place of low-lying shrubs and ground cover.

Ornamental plants often need very little care. Edible plants do need a little bit more attention than other plants if you want them to produce a good harvest. You might have to water them more often or fertilizer them.

You?ll probably have to work a bit harder to control pests than you would for strictly ornamental plants, because insects tend to target edible plants much more often. But the food yield certainly makes it worth a bit of additional work.

One of the most important types of edible plants to add to a landscape is fruit trees or bushes. Fruit trees make excellent shade tree replacements. And berry bushes can be extremely attractive in place of typical shrubs. Blueberry bushes can be quite lovely in front of a home, for example. And apple trees can grow into delightful shade trees!

Instead of planting flowerbeds, you can plant beds of lettuce, herbs, or greens. Many types of mint have lovely blooms. Lettuce and other greens can come in all types of colors. You can get ornamental cabbages and kale in a wide variety of colors, adding a splash of color to any area. Peppers and tomatoes are colorful additions, as well.

Grape arbors are a spectacular addition to a landscape. Grape arbors have been used for many years as a beautiful enhancement to lawns, and the fruit is a wonderful bonus. Remember, many types of flowers are also edible.

Nasturtiums, violas, daylilies, calendula, and borage are all edible, and make wonderful additions to salads and decorations for cakes. So you can still plant some flowers, even if you want to stay 100% edible!

Some of them quickly turn dark and lose their leaves. You want plants that taste great, but keep their appearance long enough to be a practical part of your landscape. It?s no good to build plants that lose their looks in late summer into your landscape design!

Here?s a look at some of the best choices for edible plants for landscape design. We?ll mostly be including plants that require minimal care and look attractive, while providing something very edible:

?Golden Streaks? is a variety of mustard that has heavily serrated leaves in a beautiful golden citron color. It has a very mild taste, slightly sweet. This is a striking plant that has a wonderful flavor.

?Hansel Hybrid? eggplant is a stunning plant. It has a two-foot-tall plant that produces huge clusters of fingerling eggplants in a delightful deep purple hue.

?Pesto Perpetuo? basil is a one to two foot basil plant with absolutely gorgeous variegated leaves. The leaves are a rich green with a fringe of white. It tastes like Greek basil, but the appearance is wonderful in a landscape!

?Purple Peacock? broccoli is a hybrid cross between broccoli and two different types of kale. It has a purple stem and loose, purple head.

?Violetta Hybrid? pak choi is an amazing variety of this Chinese green. It has lovely purple leaves that are packed with more nutrients than many other types of greens!

?Red Popper? is a type of miniature bell pepper. The fruits are only about one to two inches in diameter and are very sweet and delicious. You?ll love the way these bright red peppers look against the rich, green foliage!

?Sweet Lace? grapes are a small, patio-sized variety of grape. They have very pretty leaves and produce pretty white grapes in September. These can be grown in containers, and they can also be trellised easily. They make a beautiful accent to a fence or wall.

?Red Veined? sorrel is a variety of this classic wild green. It has light green leaves with a truly spectacular series of red veins all throughout. The taste is very sharp, so it?s best in salads with mild greens. This one is particularly striking in appearance.

?Purple Mizuna? is a fabulous type of greens. They have a very tangy flavor, and grow very quickly. Mizuna greens are already quite attractive, but this purple variety is particularly nice.

?Mittistone? is a summer-crisp lettuce of the loose-leaf variety. The leaves are green with red speckles. It is a sweet, crisp lettuce variety that tastes as amazing as it looks. It matures quickly, and looks just as beautiful in your yard as it does in a salad bowl.