Herbs are plants of infinite interest, inspiration, and purpose. For many centuries, herbs and man have been old friends in many lands. They have fascinated, interested, served, and delighted humanity in many ways.
They are still for use and delight.” They still sustain the kitchen, refresh the palate, delight the senses, and beautify our gardens.
Modern gardeners seek casualness and practicality to suit the contemporary architecture. Their gardens are living, valuable areas for entertaining and outdoor cooking.
Their gourmet herb plants—well distributed, easy to reach—are tucked into the flower border to add foliage accents where a rich green edging or background is needed; or placed in attractive containers at strategic spots on a terrace or patio.
Nothing very grand or unusual is necessary as these plants require minimum cultivation and care. Most of them came from the dry countries of the eastern Mediterranean and are accustomed to hardship and neglect.
To the imaginative cook, learning to use garden-fresh herbs is an unending process, but the importance of growing at least a part of one’s supply of these attractive, valuable plants is the real point.
Each herb, producing its volatile oil, has an individuality of its own, a flavor pronouncedly and peculiarly its own, giving it a simple yet elegant distinction.
Herb is sometimes belied by the apparent humility and unassuming beauty of the living plant from whence it comes. Each herb will adapt to various growing conditions and thrive where ordinary plants fail.
Each herb may seem to lead a dull, immobile life, but constant change occurs every moment in the growth of their hectic lives. No setting fails self-reliant herb plants; they all adapt to ordinary soil, need no fertilizer, seldom attack insects, and are primarily disease-resistant.
Let these lovely and timeless herbs speak and act for themselves. Grow them with grace and sympathy, for they ask so little and give so much. Use them with imagination; grow them in pots, boxes, or other containers on patios, terraces, on window sills, or elsewhere for use and delight.