Italian food contains some of the world's most popular flavors which come straight from an Italian herb garden. There is a wide variety to choose from. Herbs like:

Basil - This is an herb with a subtle aroma that goes great with certain vegetables, plus it tends to have a natural ability to repel mosquitoes and flies. Basil is the favorite world-wide in an Italian herb garden, and is used in a number of recipes.

Sage - A very hardy plant that does well in a variety of conditions. It responds well to being pruned. In fact, pruning is done regularly to get the plant to produce fresh growth shoots for use in recipes. This herb goes great with meats as well as salads.

Parsley - is mostly used as a garnish in restaurant style cooking today. In days gone by it was often used to clean your mouth out when you finished eating. When mixed with squeezed lemon juice it became an automatic breath freshener.

Fennel - This herb has a strong aroma that goes well with Italian sausages. Extra work will be needed with the Fennel since it is a perennial. Every other growing season you need to dig the plant up, divide it and then replant. The more young plants you have the better, mature Fennel tends to lack flavor.

Oregano - Lots of flavor is this herbs motto. Once fully grown, this herb will provide you with a multitude of uses. Wait to harvest the Oregano however, until after the plant has flowered... the flavor will be at its peak.

Rosemary - If you could only choose one flowering plant to draw in the neighborhood bees then Rosemary would be it. The little blue flowers are exactly what those little pollinators are looking for. Plant Rosemary and the whole garden will benefit. Watch out for cold weather though, this herb doesn't do well in it.

Garlic- This is the most essential plant for any Italian herb garden. It is easy to grow, very forgiving when you don't treat it well and maintains its quality when preserved. Garlic is a necessity for any Italian cuisine.

Ask yourself, what is it you want from your Italian herb garden? There are so many herbs to choose from. If you're like me you have limited space to plant. Do you want it for cooking, decoration, aroma therapy or even for medicinal reasons? There are herbs that will fill your yard and house with fragrant aromas and bring the praise of your neighbors with eye catching flowers. If you do a little homework you can learn what each herb does and how you can best use it.