herbs for the kitchen?

I have a very large garden and now my husband (who does all the cooking) has suggested that I plant some "stuff" for him in my herb garden. What sort of spices do you all suggest? I do have a drying shed, but as most of you know drying herbs takes a lot of room so easy herbs would be great!
I already plant (among others) basil, chives, cilantro,lavender, rosemary, and sage.
Thanks all you cookers

[edit on 18-3-2008 by starskipper]

reply to post by starskipper


I love coriander, great with Indian food but even better in a salad, especially with Rocket. Very easy to grow and you just pinch off as and when you need it...I'm not sure about your climate (I'm in UK so cold winters), but you can pot it up and overwinter it inside, so as long as it is warm and relatively sunny you can eat it all year round.

All the thymes are great too, evergreen and low growing so they provide good ground cover. I like mints too, but they can be pretty invasive so are best in pots - the pineapple and chocolate mints are particularly nice.
I also like Fennel as you get two for the price of one - the seeds from the flowers, which are good in stews and curries etc, and the root which is great in salads.

I'm envious, I only have a small garden and a husband that only sometimes cooks - fancy a swap

I love pepper. everything goes with it. just don't plant any illegal spices because they are no good for you. but the main ingredient in any food..pepper and garlic salt!

I also suggest planting some dill for use in seafood dishes and you might also want to add some hot pepper plants as they have the dual purpose of adding flavor to dishes and keeping some garden pests away as well.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


You are so rite! Dill keepts the rabbits to one side of the garden. It's so funny how it spreads, I'll find dill plants on the other lots at the end of October.
I plant about 4 types of peppers (not counting the regular bells) They do help keep some pests away. They dry so nice, and vinagar or oil in a pretty bottle with few peppers in it makes neat presents.
I've started experimenting with some oils of pepper, Im trying to mix it with my homemade lotions for a muscle ache relief, all I have managed so far is to raise blisters.

reply to post by KilgoreTrout


Oh, I guess I should have mentioned we live in North Dakota, it's an okay growing season and water is not an issue. I do plant mints, mostly because they grow so nice, and take up room. I have catmint, ginger and curly. I will definately check out the pineapple and chocolate. I started with the mints for teas, but I have had no luck in getting the oils from them. I even caught the hubby putting some in his spegetti sauce.

reply to post by jedimiller


I have four types of garlic. I guess it is like onions, they are all supose to taste a bit different, but it all tastes the same to me. My bulbs do not get that big so they don't last the winter but its good to have fresh stuff on hand.

If you're going to grow herbs,try to use them fresh if you can.Just pick off what you need and give it a rinse.Drying herbs takes away a lot of the robust flavour.
I used to keep planters on my window sill so the herbs were just a reach away.

Tarragon,Basil,Rosemary,Oregano,Dill,Thyme.

Tarragon is great for a lemon herb butter or creamy sauce for fish and veggies.
Basil is awesome for tomato sauces,and so is oregano.
Thyme is a wonder for soups,sauces and gravies.

If you can grow fresh pepper where you are,grow it as well.Leave them as corns and grind as necessary.Keep all herbs and spices out of sunlight (dried).Sunlight diminishes the flavour and potency.

Happy Cooking!

reply to post by citizen truth


I have never tried to grow pepper, I will look into it. I wonder if that isn't something I can grow in the house, I bet the cats won't eat that.