Herb Garden at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Adjacent to the pavilion and barbecue is an herb and vegetable garden. “We've created this beautiful, natural herb garden with sage, butter lettuce, oregano, cilantro and sweet peas,” Hernandez said. “It is close enough to the barbecue that you can just reach out and grab some fresh herbs as you cook.”

There are certain plants that instantly provide a garden with a ready-made theme. If you like the idea of a themed garden, perhaps you should try one of these. The advantage is that you don't actually have to plan very hard—once you've made the initial decision, the plants take over and do the rest for you. THE MOST obvious theme garden, perhaps, is the herb garden. This not only looks lovely—so fresh and green—but it also smells fragrant and is always a delight to sit near or walk through. Most important of all, it also has a practical use, particularly if you are a keen cook as well as gardener. Develop your interest in herbs and extend your collection to include some of the more unusual ones. Like your gardening, your cooking will soon know no limits.

A herb can be defined as any type of plant—annual, bulb, perennial, ever) or shrub—grown for its culinary and medicinal qualities as well as for its aromatic and decorative contribution to the garden.