When planning and planting a garden, I try to include some of my favorites but keep in mind that there are many varieties available (Reichter’s Herbs has an impressive list). Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) and lovage (Levisticum officinale) are quite happy in some shade. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), bay (Laurus nobilis), marjoram (Marjoram hortensis) and lavender (Lavandula dentate), are sun lovers. They can grow into an excellent shrub-like shape to add architectural interest to a formal garden and, with selective pruning, can become showpieces. The woody stemmed perennial herbs are perfect candidates for topiary form, especially in a large sturdy well-draining pot. The prostrate forms of rosemary are best for wire training. For a standard topiary, try to find upright plants that have not been pinched.

For that heady aroma, consider planting creeping or wooly thyme (Thymus praecox) in between paving stones or brick pathways. Anise hyssop (Pimpinella anisum), artemisias, lavender, sage (Salvia officinalis) and chamomile (Chamaemilum nobile), are also important contributors to the scented herb garden and should be added in traffic areas where the fragrances are released by brushing past the plants. Since all my motivation for gardening seems to come from my palate, my plantings reflect this. Although not commonly used, chervil is one of my favorite herbs to use in a delicate soup as it has a very lovely fresh subtle flavor. Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) and sorrel (Rumex scutatus) are natural partners with fish or added to vinegar. “Herbes de Provence” is made from a wonderful mix of savory (Satureja hortensi), lavender flowers, thyme (Thymus vulgaris), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and rosemary which offer up their woodsy, pungent notes most notably when minced together as fresh herbs, but can be made up from the dried form as well.

If you are interested in a creating a formal garden where medicinal herbs and culinary herbs have equal space, a look at the website www.superbherbs.net will give you an entertaining history and plans of herb gardens from the hanging gardens of Babylon to the old cloister gardens of the Middle Ages. For a comprehensive guide for the cultivation and uses of herbs, Jekka McVicar’s book, Jekka’s Complete Herb Book (2005) is a beautiful source of inspiration. For those of us not disciplined enough for that kind of strict gardening venture, planting herbs in ornamental and vegetable gardens as a complement to other plantings is a lovely alternative, providing pest deterrents, visual interest and, of course, the aromas and flavors that make an ordinary meal extraordinary.

I take full advantage of the supply of fresh herbs in the summer, as the season is all too short, and freeze as much as I can in an oil base to preserve the fresh tasting quality of the leaves. Basil is my pampered herb of choice. For several years, I have bought two bushels at a time at my local farmers’ market and made basil pesto to freeze for the winter. I washed all the plants and hung them to dry all over the house. In such large doses in the confines of my house, the usually delightfully fragrant basil was too overwhelming. Once minced with garlic, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and dry Italian cheese, however, the air quality seemed to greatly improve and made one salivate with thoughts of gnocchi. A pesto can be made from any minced herb, combined with nuts, oil or butter, garlic, ginger or cheese to create a paste with such an intensity of flavor that it can rescue any dish! In the depths of winter when all seems grey, an uncorked bottle of wine, fresh bread with goat cheese mixed with a little pesto becomes a beautiful Tuscan meal.

Herbs have also long been a part of the natural medicine cupboard, and many of us have become familiar with their use in herbal teas and herbal remedies. But treat your medicinal herbs with a healthy respect, for they are not for the faint of heart! Suspecting a parasitic infection, I once made an infusion of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), a bitter herb and wonderful vermifuge, but also an important ingredient in the once prohibited liquor Absinthe, named after the botanical herb. Was this not the very drink imbibed by those Bohemian Impressionists of Montmartre that had such a potent effect as to be called the “Green Faerie?” My family miraculously survived my zealous attempts to cure them of all ills, real and imagined, and I learned that I should stick to cooking with herbs!