Herb Snapshot

I'm a novice when it comes to herbs, but I can't help being a know-it-all. So I'll share some random thoughts on herbs.

• Rosemary- piney scent; great with garlic and in chicken stew; easy to grow from a start.
• German chamomile- apple-scented, reminds me of a meadow after rain; dried flowers used in tea; earwigs like it, but it outgrew them.
• Oregano- mintier than basil; great for Italian sauces and beef stew; easy to grow, but be sure you trim it back (give it a haircut) before it flowers, usually twice each season. It WILL spread.
• French Tarragon- rich, fresh aroma; great with fish; easy to grow from a start. 
• Flat Leaf Parsely- spicy carrot smell; enhances soups and sauces; once established will self-reseed.
• Sage- the smell of southern Wyoming after a rainstorm; great with Thanksgiving dinner; easy to grow.
• English Thyme- smells like spaghetti; you can always use more of it; fairly hardy perennial.
• Italian Basil- the fragrance of summer at its peak; fantastic flavor with fresh tomatoes and other Italian sauces, pesto, pizza, etc.; An annual that grows well, once established, but I have yet to join the "I Have More Basil Than I Know What to Do With" Club.
• Spearmint- invigoratingly fresh smell of summertime by the irrigation ditches; use in mint juleps and as garnish; invasive!
• Lavender- a scent I once detested but now adore--kind of a cologne smell; I use in sachets and decoration, but the flowers and leaves are edible.

I roasted beets, carrots, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, garlic and onions and included all the above herbs except spearmint. "Wow" is all I can say.