Herb gardening is a fulfilling endeavor, and if one can choose which kind of herbs to grown, the better.

Perhaps the most useful types of herbs to grow are culinary herbs, or herbs used for cooking. A great way to keep your herb garden within a theme that is useful for cooking is to grow an Italian herb garden.

We are all familiar with Italian food, and we know that the flavors we experience in Italian cooking are one of the great experiences in life.

So, it makes sense to grow Italian herbs.

One of the more popular Italian herbs is basil, and the best reasons to grow basil in your herb garden, is not just for their flavoring ability.

Having basil plants beside your peppers and tomato plants actually help improve their flavor, as well as repel flies and mosquitoes. That’s a three in one for the popular basil plant.

Another great culinary Italian herb, though a little more difficult to grow is Parsley. Parsley once owned the distinction of helping clear one’s breath after every meal before mint was discovered.

This is the reason why some dishes have parsley used as a garnish on the side. More of tradition really, but still, if you don’t have mint, the parsley is there.

Another decorative, and flavorful Italian herb is Oregano.

When the herb is fully mature, the plant sprouts beautiful purple flowers. This is also the sign for when to harvest oregano, since it is most flavorful after it has flowered.

Fennel is another Italian herb that is famous for its flavoring properties.

Though the seeds of the plant is more famous than the plant itself, for the seeds are used to enhance the flavor of Italian sausages.

One curious fact about the fennel herb is that it loses it flavor as it matures, so the seeds are actually more potent in flavor than its mature counterparts. Though it is a perennial herb, fennel should be divided and planted every few years to maximize its flavor.

No Italian herb garden would be complete without Basil, it’s beneficial to other plants like rosemary.

It is a pretty shrub that sprouts blue flowers. These flowers attract bees and promote pollination. It is a sort of advertising sign for your garden to attract bees to help in pollination.
Though rosemary is a hardy evergreen perennial, it is somewhat sensitive to frost.

Then there is sage, another useful Italian herb that is used to flavor a variety of foods from meats to salads. New shoots provide the most flavor, so it is recommended to trim the sage plant frequently to prevent it from becoming too woody.

This ensures that new shoots will grow. The right time to harvest sage is just after it blooms.

Perhaps the most useful in an Italian herb garden is garlic.

You can have all the other herbs listed here, but without garlic, your garden will never be a full-fledged Italian herb garden. Garlic cloves can be placed in virtually any garden and will grow rather easily without much attention.

Harvested garlic can be stored for a later use by freezing, pickling or storing in a refrigerator.

There are a lot more Italian herbs that can be added to your Italian herb garden, but the ones listed here are the more popular and common ones.

If you wish to know more, read up on Italian herbs and know each and every one so you can choose well which you will be needing the most.

But their uses in cooking are not the only thing you should consider, if you notice some herbs mentioned above bloom attractive flowers, and have multiple uses.

Other than just for flavor, you can plant Italian herbs for their beauty and aesthetic value they add to any existing garden.

Whatever herbs you choose to grow in your Italian herb garden, make sure you learn how they flourish and take good care of them. Remember, take care of them, and they will care of you.

Peter Bourke is a passionate herb gardening expert… for more information about creating an Italian herb garden visit www.WhatAreHerbs.com