People who are into natural health often try to grow as much of their own food as possible. Many people raise their own cows or goats for milk and meat and have beautiful vegetable gardens. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at your supper table and knowing that you contributed to the bulk of the harvest there. Herbs are no different and they are easy to grow.

Herb gardens date back as far as the 15th century. Just as herbs have many different uses, so did the types of gardens grown. Every monastery, estate and farmhouse had an herb garden in some form. Herb gardens were a way of life for most people. The midwives had gardens that would contain herbs helpful to women, housewives had gardens that grew the herbs needed for cooking, and English estates had elaborate gardens that graced the property both visually and aromatically. Below are some of the most common types of herb gardens:

Aromatic: This type of herb garden is grown mainly for its aromatic qualities. The flowers are used in floral arrangements, or dried, or the oils extracted for perfume or candles. Some plants you might use are rosemary, lavender, and peppermint.

Culinary: This category probably springs to mind automatically. We cook with herbs everyday and many of them are very easy to grow. Basil, oregano, dill, sage and parsley are just a few herbs common to culinary herb gardens. Rosemary can also be included in this category.

Medicinal: For ages, people have been growing herbs for their medicinal qualities. Herbs like garlic, chamomile, catnip (just make sure the neighborhood cats don't discover it!), and, echinacea all have medicinal benefits.

Ornamental: These types of herbs are grown simply because they look pretty! Although, there are some herbs that are functional too and cross over from the other categories (lavender, echinacea and rosemary all have lovely flowers when in bloom).

When making your herb garden remember that this is your own self expression. There are no rules that say you cannot mix a culinary garden with a medicinal garden, or make an aromatic garden ornamental as well. Do some sketches and make some plans as to how you want your garden to look and what you want it to do. You can add fountains and statuary, or enhance the natural elements of your yard. There are no limits. It all depends on how ambitious you are and how green your thumb is!