These are some of my favorite herbs to use in cooking. Most herbs are are easy to grow and many will overwinter, depending on your zone. I put rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme and chives in a cold frame last fall and they are all starting to grow now!
Parsley – Biannual – grows in cool weather, long tap root so does not transplant well. Sow seeds where you want this plant to grow. It loves full sun. Very pretty and tasty herb. Grow extra for the butterflies, this is the preferred choice of food for Swallowtail and Monarch butterflies.
Rosemary – Annual in zone 5 and lower. I’ve seen plants in warmer parts of the USA that are so big because they don’t die out. Amazing.
Rosemary is such a wonderful herb, I use it all the time in many ways.
Thyme – This is a perennial plant, just adding a bit to your cooking adds a lot of flavor, again, one I use all the time. Very small leaves, makes a nice ground cover.
Oregano – Also a perennial. Doesn’t grow from seed, but plant will overwinter zone 5. Used in many Italian dishes. Makes a nice ground cover too.
Sage – Perennial with protection. Usually buy plants, its not grown from seed. There are many different varieties of sage, as there are for almost all herbs. White sage is one of the sacred herbs and is used for smudging bad vibes away. Also wonderful in poultry dishes.
Dill – Annual, but reseeds sometimes. Who can live without dill pickles and dill with seafood. You can use both the foliage and the seeds. I have a couple of really good dill pickle and dill relish recipes you might want to give them a try. Dill is very easy to grow, direct seed in the ground once it has warmed a bit. Makes a fern-like plant. Very nice herb. A cousin to fennel.
Marjoram – Annual herb. Another of my favorite herbs, similar to oregano, but a bit milder. I love this with rosemary in egg dishes.
French Tarragon – Annual, delicate herb. Does not grow from seed. Unique flavor. Used in many french dishes. Also makes a wonderful herbal vinegar
Lemon Verbena – Annual, delicate. Makes a delicious tea. Does not grow from seed. Smells and tastes like lemon sherbet. Very good.
Basil – Grows from seed as an annual. Many many different varieties. Great for Italian dishes and Pesto. Here is a good pesto recipe. Dries good for winter use.
Cilantro – Love it or hate it. Annual. Grows from seed. Used in Mexican dishes. Tastes like soap to some people. (that’s me). I use parsley instead in my Salsa recipe.
Mint – Perennial, grows from underground runners, so only plant mint where you don’t care if it fills in the area or in pots or containers. There are many varieties. I prefer all but Spearmint for some reason. The chocolate and peppermint are great together.