My Herb Information Guide

In Texas it is best to plant herbs in well drained sandy soil, either in the garden or in clay pots.  Most herb plants like at least a half day of full sun.  Be sure to water often during the long summer days and lightly fertilize only as required.  If you pinch back the herbs, they will develop into healthy full plants.  Growing your own fresh herbs can add delight to your daily cooking.  Just remember to use about three times as much fresh herbs as you would dry.



Balsam-  Perennial, hardy to 20 degrees, sun to partial shade.  Use as fragrance, for tea and to flavor jellies, fruit salad.

Basil-  Annual, full sun.  Use to compliment eggs, cheese, fish, poultry, stuffings, salads, ice drinks, vinegar, butters, and cream cheese.  Use only fresh new leaves.

Burnet-  Perennial, hardy to 30 degrees, full sun.  Seeds may be used to flavor pickles, cabbage, brussel spouts, cauliflower, and rye bread.

Caraway-  Biennial, hardy to 30 degrees, full sun.  Seeds may be used to flavor pickles, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and rye bread.

Catnip-  Perennial, hardy to 30 degrees, sun to partial shade.  Makes cats kittenish and playful.  Also used for treating hysteria, nervousness, and headaches.

Chamomile- Perennial, hardy to 20 degrees, sun to semi-shade.  Use as tea, ground cover.

Chervil-  Annual, partial shade.  Especially good in salads.

Chives-  Perennial, hardy to 35 degrees, sun to partial shade.  Use in salads, cheese, egg dishes, gravies, and soups for a delicate onion flavor.

Coriander-  Annual, full sun.  Use in preparing fowl, meats spicy seasoning (pico degallo), and other sauces.

Dill-  Annual, full sun.  Use in preparing fish, chicken, lamb, stews, sauces, salad dressing, and breads.

Fennel-  Perennial, sun.  Can eat raw or cook as a vegetable.

Horehound-  Biennial, hardy to 30 degrees, full sun.  Horehound candy and a tea brewed from the leaves is taken to relieve a cough or cold.

Hyssop-  Perennial, hardy to 35 degrees, full sun.  Use in the landscape.

Lavender-  Perennial, hardy to 0 degrees, full sun.  Use as fragrance.

Majoram-  Perennial, sun.  Use in meats, salads, vinegar, casseroles, teas, and jellies.

Mexican Mint Marigold-  Plant in full sun and the plants will produce yellow flowers in the fall.  Use the leaves in vinegars, chicken, vegetables, sauces, tuna, salads, and teas.  It's a substitute for tarragon.

Mint Varieties-  Perennial, sun.  Use in teas, desserts, pastries, fragrance, liqueurs, carrots, fruits, and lamb.  Likes shade or morning sun and plenty of water.

Oregano-  Perennial, hardy to 30 degrees.  Plants where it will get the morning sun or filtered light.  Use the leaves on vinegars, sauces beef, fish, salads, and soups.  Especially good for Italian and Mexican food.

Parsley-  Biennial, shade to partial sun.  Will help keep some bugs out of the garden.  Use the leaves in fish, salads, vegetables, beans, and soups.

Pennyroyal-  This is a ground cover that likes shade or morning sun and plenty of water.  Helps repel fleas and mosquitoes.  Has purple flowers.

Rosemary-  Perennial, hardy to 0 degrees.  Plant in the ground where it will get full sunlight.  Use in beef, potatoes, lamb, eggs, teas, and soup. 

Rue-  Perennial, hardy to 20 degrees, full sun.  Use in landscape.

Sage- Perennial, hardy to 30 degrees.  Requires well drained soil; likes full sun.  Use in lamb, meat stuffings, sausage, cheese, and roast goose.

Savory-  Annual and perennial, full sun.  Use with meats, fish, eggs, beans, and in soups. 

Scented Geranium- Perennial-   Plant in clay pots or hanging baskets where it will get the morning sun or a south window.  Let plant dry out between watering.  Use the leaves for potpourri, jellies, fruit salads, cakes, and teas.  Has small flowers in spring time only.

Sorrel-  Perennial.  Pinch the leaves back to the base of the plant to use in salads, soups and vegetables. 
Southern woodSouthernwood-  Perennial, hardy to 10 degrees, sun to partial shade.  Use in salads, egg dishes, cheeses, vinegar, and fish.

Tarragon-  Perennial, hardy to 10 degrees, sun to partial shade.  Use in salads, egg dishes, cheeses, vinegar, and fish.

Thyme-  Perennial, hardy to 20 degrees, full sun.  Use the leaves in cheese, chicken, beef, fish, potatoes, salads, soups, sauces, and vinegars.  Requires very sandy soil.

Wormwood-  Perennial, hardy to 30 degrees, full sun.  Use for culinary, fragrance, landscape.