Gardeners' Dirt: Herbs add sight, smell, taste in garden

Herbs can add interest to all parts of the landscape, from flower beds and borders, to pots and planters. A basic knowledge of good gardening practices and the requirements of the specific herb will enable you to have a one-of-a-kind landscape.

Heavenly herbs: Rediscover the culinary magic of nature's flavor makers

These days I've learned so much more about herbs that I have them growing in my garden, in containers and window boxes and even indoors during the winter months. What I've learned — thanks to the Oxford English Dictionary — is that the leaves and stems of herbs are used for medicine, or their scent or their flavor.

Herbs have many healthy benefits

Herbs contain unique antioxidants (antioxidants act as scavengers to clean up the free radicals of metabolism and other environmental toxins such as smoke and pesticides in the body), essential oils, vitamins, phytosterols and many other plant-derived nutrient substances.

In the garden: Planting herbs in the landscape

HERBS IN THE LANDSCAPE The herb garden at the State Botanical Garden is filled with herbs that do well in this area, and also design ideas you can use in your landscape. You don't have to collect herbs together into an herb garden.

White fish and herbs steaming in parchment parcels

If you can’t find hake, sprinkle haddock or pollock with herbs and steam in parchment packages. / Matthew Mead/AP Admittedly, steamed fish doesn’t exactly scream mouthwatering. But what it lacks in excitement it more than makes up for in health cred.