Grow a fully stocked herb garden in a small space

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Cumin – The strong spicy flavor of cumin is used all over the world, but especially from the Mediterranean region to China. It is an annual and easy to grow.

Perfect partner: coriander.

Goes well with beans, spicy cheeses, chicken, lamb.

Essential to the Cajun spice blend.

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dill – This annual does double duty. It’s good for cooking and it attracts beneficial insects to the garden.

Perfect partner: Salmon.

Goes well with seafood, potatoes, carrots, celeriac.

Essential in dill pickles.

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Horseradish – A large perennial plant that does not hesitate to cut a piece of root from time to time. Grate and sprinkle with lemon juice to use.

Ideal partner: Roast beef.

Goes well with celery, cream, vinegar, dill, yogurt.

Indispensable in Apfelkren (horseradish, grated apples, lemon juice).

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Lavender – Perennial lavender prefers full sun and dry, poor soil. Its pungent smell is sweet but medicinal. Always use it sparingly.

Ideal partner: sugar (for desserts, pastries).

Goes well with sauvignon blanc, chocolate, custards.

Essential in Herbes de Provence (with thyme, savory, rosemary).

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mint – Perennial mints like moist soil, where they can be invasive. One of the most popular flavors in the world with all sorts of uses.

Ideal partner: Chocolate.

Goes well with cumin, cardamom, carrots, peas, potatoes.

Indispensable in mojitos.

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Oregano – This perennial member of the mint family is native to the Mediterranean region, where it is widely used.

Perfect partner: Tomatoes.

Goes well with chicken, corn, duck, eggplant, rosemary, thyme and basil.

Essential in pasta and pizza sauces.

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Marjoram – Closely related to oregano, but with a milder, sweeter flavor that gets lost quickly in cooking, so add it at the end.

Perfect partner: Salad ingredients.

Goes well with mozzarella and mild cheeses.

Indispensable in marjoram sorbet.

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Parsley – If you could only take one herb with you to a desert island, it would be the indispensable, biennial, beautiful parsley. Flat-leaved Italian parsley is best for cooking.

Perfect partner: Eggs.

Goes well with tomatoes, most vegetables, garlic.

Indispensable in Fine Herbs.

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Rosemary – A perennial bush with woody stems, pretty little blue flowers and the apparent ability to grow without water. Strong, so use sparingly.

Perfect partner: Lamb.

Goes well with apricots, eggplant, garlic, parsnips, winter squash.

Essential with Herbes de Provence.

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sage – Perennial sage is a huge category covering hundreds of plants. For the kitchen, we will favor Salvia officinalis. It’s powerful, so use it sparingly.

Ideal partner: Fatty meats (pork, goose, duck).

Goes well with apples, beans, cheese, onions, tomatoes.

Essential in Thanksgiving turkey stuffing.

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Savory – There are two kinds of savory: the annual summer savory and the perennial winter savory. We will focus on the summer. Savory is known as bean grass because it complements shell beans so well.

Perfect partner: snap beans.

Goes well with eggs, fish, legumes, potatoes.

Indispensable in a bouquet garni with roast pork.

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Tarragon – Be sure to get French tarragon with a distinct anise flavor. Otherwise, you will be growing a plant with no flavor and no culinary use. It is a tender perennial.

Perfect partner: Chicken.

Goes well with artichokes, asparagus, eggs, potatoes, chervil, parsley.

Indispensable in Fine Herbs.

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Thyme – This hardy perennial loves our Mediterranean climate, where it grows wonderfully powerfully. It is widely used in Western and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Perfect partner: Rabbit

Goes well with chicken, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes.

Indispensable in beef stew.