Herbs have been with humans since the dawn of recorded time and before. They have been used in a wide variety of functions and new uses continue to be found for them in the present day. Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from 40 to 60 herbs to choose from and most of them are very simple to grow and use.

The reason that herbs can be used in so many different functions is because they come in different varieties. For instance, there are aromatic herbs that are grown purely for the scent they give off. The oils from these herbs can be found in candles, perfumes, and many other cosmetic and skin care products.

By far the most popular of herbs is the culinary herb. In fact, most people are familiar with only this kind of herb. Many gardeners grow a few varieties of culinary herbs such as basil, dill and chives. The beauty of some of these herbs is that you don't need plant them every year since some of them are annuals and will appear without needing to be replanted.

Some herbs are considered ornamental as they are basically just grown to look at. These herbs may be used to make fresh or dried arrangements and they are often found in and amongst the flowers in a flower garden.

Finally, some herbs are considered medicinal and are used to treat a variety of ailments to this very day. While not necessarily embraced by the Western medical community, herbs remain an important remedy to ailments in many cultures and their effectiveness is still being studied by scientists.

Again, most people are familiar with the culinary herbs and it is a fact that our foods would be quite bland and tasteless without them. Herbs are used to create marinades and to imbue foods with a subtle, yet pronounced, flavor that enhances a great many dishes. Fortunately, even in economic hard times, most people manage to keep culinary herbs on hand even if they are forced to grow them.

Growing herbs in your garden is a fairly simple and painless process. But before you start laying out your garden and planning where what gets planted where, be aware that herbs are available as annuals, perennials, and biennials. This means that the herbs will be coming up at different times in the year so you will have to keep track of where you plant what herb and what its growing cycle is.

Most of the culinary herbs do quite well in soil that has been well drained but still remains fairly fertile. You have nothing to worry about if space happens to be limited outdoors because herbs do great when grown indoors as well. No matter where you intend to plant your herbs, be sure not to plant them too deeply in the soil or they may not have a chance to grow. When harvesting herbs, try to do so in the mornings because this is when the precious oils in the herbs are at their concentration and precisely when you want to pick them.