Awesome herbs

As I mentioned, herbs are everything. Based on the results from my garden, here is the "top list" of herbs that produce well, taste good, and are easy to grow (especially in PA).

Oregano
This is a great herb. It has taken over the pot we planted it in. It makes pretty white flowers. We use it in everything from salad to pasta. It comes back every March, and it grows prolifically until the first hard frost. It also dries well so we have enough for the winter. I have started adding oregano to everything I cook.

Chives
Chives are another plant that come back every March with a vengeance. These things put up shoots when there's still snow on the ground. I started 6 chive plants from seed. Now I have 9 large plants that are 18 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter. They just keep growing. They also put up lovely flowers which are also edible (I have blue, pink, purple, and white). Again, this tastes good in everything from salad to pasta to potatoes. You can harvest pretty hard, and they just come right back. They thrive on neglect. They even flowered when they were in full shade and clay soil.

Parsley
Good old Italian parsley. Unfortunately, it's an annual, but it does produce a lot of leaves. There is a clear difference between home-grown and store-bought parsley. It is extremely strong when grown at home. Be careful with how much you use.

Rosemary
I couldn't start rosemary from seed, and it definitely does better in sun. Not as prolific in PA, but it is a woody perennial and gets bigger every year. We discovered (by accident) that if you pile it over with leaves in November, the plant will remain green underneath. Just uncover it again in April.

Basil
Another annual. This one needs full sun. It's definitely the most finicky of those I've lsited, but hey, everyone can use basil. We also learned that they don't like too much water. Ours nearly drowned this year.

Cinnamon Basil
What's better than basil? Cinnamon basil. Nice spicy scent. Smaller leaves, but the plant is bushier and tolerates part-shade.

Mint
Mint thrives on neglect. At our house, it grows in a bed with terrible soil, and we never water it. Do NOT plant this in a garden, as it will take over! Pot it or put it in a bed by itself (ours grows under the privet hedge). I don't really use it that often, beyond adding it to water, but it does grow well.

We also have lemon thyme, dill, cilantro, and sage at home, but these haven't done quite as well as the above plants.