When you think of herbs, you probably think of seasonings. These precious little gems can add taste to any dish, add to its enticing aroma, and even change an entire recipe.

Herbs offer much more than this. They can be used as decorative plants in your garden. They make great room decorations, scented sachets, wonderful as dyes, and create exceptional home-brewed teas.

Herbs are versatile in many ways. You can plant the tiny seeds in containers and place them on your windowsill or deck. They make very creative borders for your flower or vegetable gardens, and they even fill in as ground covers. Even when they are dried, you can make wreaths that will give a delightful aroma to anyone who comes to your door!

Many people strongly believe in their medicinal qualities such as herbal teas for many ailments, hot wraps, and digestion enhancers.

If you grow herbs indoors, it may surprise you that they never get very large. While dinner is being prepared, a snip here and a snip there will add that very special flavor to your meal. It will also keep the plant small but always producing their flavor for you to enjoy. They definitely add zest to any culinary endeavor as well as fill your home with the aromatic treat of appetizing smells.

Herbs grown outside also offer a lot of advantages to the gardener. They mingle with your other plants adding to the fragrance in the air. Some herbs grow in the shade, such as mint and chervil, while others enjoy full sunshine. Herbs make great garden success stories. They need very little tending, except for weeding. Your usual gardening practices of watering, cultivating, and fertilizing suits them just fine. They are even cold-hardy, such as rosemary and thyme, that can withstand very low temperatures.

Whatever spices you have been buying to add to your favorite dishes, try growing them yourself. You will always have a fresh supply, they can be dried which gives them even more potency, and they add eye appeal to your decor, not to mention the room freshening scents they offer for free.

When you are making your gardening plans this year, try herbs. You won’t be sorry and you will find yourself discovering new places to tuck in a plant or two around your garden. There is one caution: They do become habit forming because they are such garden success stories. So, the solution - share with family and friends. ©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 Article Responder: rusticliving@sendfree.com