"Sandie Hudson" wrote in message r.com...
My husband's veggie garden has done so well this year that I
plan to encourage him to keep it going every year. This
leaves me with a small square near the patio where I used to
grow a few tomatoes. I think I would like to try to grow
some herbs there. What advice do you have? I would like
perennials or self seeders that love sun and are easy to
care for. Which ones to plant and when?

Thanks

I suppose you are in North Carolina. I strongly encourage you to grow
a couple square yards of herbs, a pinch of them can enlighten a whole
dinner. Some herbs are quite invasive and will suffocate lesser herbs.
The list below are herbs I have, and I list them most important first
(based on versatility, length of season, and productivity). All herbs
listed below are perennial in your area.
Oregano, sorrel and mint tolerate some shade, not so the rest.

1) oregano. Will eventually ground cover a large area. best tomato
herb, which will give you early and late in the season.

1) Thyme. Also a groundcovering herb, excellent salad herb, remains
viable well past the first fall frost.

1) Sage. Get a hardy variety. Excellent with all types of meats, and
makes good tea (I mix the dried leaves with dried blackberry leaves).

4) Mint. Extremely invasive, it is the base for most of my teas
(alone, with lemon balm, or linden). I grow a couple square yards of
it, and four different varieties. The two best varieties end up in
meat marinades or pesto for potatoes.

5) Sorrel. Extremely early and late, very productive, and great for
soups and omelettes (sorrel potato soup lifts the spirits in spring
and late fall). Otherwise I don't think it is that great.

6) lemon balm. Very productive, makes a very nice tea.