Do you know Herb? Add some spice to your garden.

Getting tired of the American diet? You know – bland, beige, processed food. You’ve been at work all day and don’t have time for anything but chicken nuggets and canned soup. And when you do cook, it just doesn’t seem to come out right. You need herbs; they’ll improve your food and are very nutritious. But you don’t need to splurge on a spice shelf, half of which may go unused. It’s easy to incorporate fresh herbs into your ordinary gardening.

Basil: Begin growing basil in full sun when the weather starts to warm up. Keep removing flower heads to encourage the plant to grow more leaves. When you’re successful, try making a basil-tomato-mozzarella sandwich with olive oil, or make your own pesto.

Oregano: This versatile herb grows in full sun from seeds or cuttings. It tastes great either fresh or dried. The Greek variety is very flavorful and will not spread too much. Put it in a tomato sauce or sprinkle it on your Italian sandwich.

Chives: This close relative of the onion tastes wonderful in omelets, with fish, in soups, or in salads. They thrive where it is sunny and well drained. If you let them seed, they will spread, but it’s okay – mowing them will make your lawn smell zesty. Bees love them, so grow them if you need help pollenating your other plants.

Mint: Choose a flavor that appeals to you, such as spearmint or peppermint. Plant it in spring, but consider potting it, because it likes to spread. Add it in fruit salsas or use it in homemade lemonade.

Lemon Balm: Just like its name implies, this herb goes well in anything that needs a fresh, lemony flavor. Steeping the leaves in hot water will also make a refreshing tea, hot or iced. It grows in partial shade to full sun, and will grow into an attractively shaped shrub with little maintenance.

Cilantro: Want to grow several spices at once? This annual is entirely edible. It grows readily from seeds, so plant it over the course of several weeks in the spring and you will have cilantro all summer. Cilantro leaves go well in guacamole, the flower heads in salads, and the roots in soups. If you leave the flowers on the plant until they turn brown, you can harvest fresh seeds from them. These are known as coriander, and are essential in Indian-style curry.

Parsley: This is a versatile herb that grows in full sun to partial shade. If you want a garnish, grow a curled-leaf variety, but a flat-leaf species is better to put in foods. It goes well in meaty dishes. The leaves are also a favorite food for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.

If you want to improve your lifestyle, cut down on flavoring with salt and grow your own fresh herbs. Not only will they flavor your cooking, but they will also add interesting fragrances to your garden and home. Once you’ve grown a variety of herbs, look up some recipes online to try using them. Discover all the fresh flavors you have been missing.