Most Herbs Thrive at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

MOST HERBS thrive in the same conditions, despite their diversity in size, shape and habit. So they can be grouped together in a special herb bed, formal or informal, which will delight all year round. Variegation is an attribute of many herbs, adding a further visual dimension to these invaluable plants. Golden marjoram makes splendid little tussocks, but is apt to scorch in full sun. Thymes come in both silvi golden-edged forms. But do not forge flowering ability of many herbs: chive: produce fluffy pink flower heads, bora deep blue flowers, nasturtiums and marigolds have flowers ranging in colo golden-yellow to dark orange and, of c lavender has spikes of highly scented p flowers which are attractive to insects.

Care and Storage. The tongue can tell whether a substance is sweet, sour, salt, or bitter. It cannot detect aroma, which comes to us through the sense of smell. The volatility that gives herbs and spices their distinctive taste and aroma also makes them perishable. Once volatility is lost through age or careless storage, the product has little, if anything, to offer. One should date the labels of new spices as they are purchased. They should be kept handy but should not be stored over oven heat or in direct sunlight. Containers should be closed immediately after use. At least once a year the shelf should be checked and all "fainthearted" herbs and spices discarded. Cooking time is too valuable to waste on tired spices. See also articles on individual herbs and spices.

An attractive and novel way of growing herbs is to construct an herb "wheel" using either brick, which tends to look rather formal, or stone, which is more natural in appearance. The individual compartments between the "spokes" help to confine the more invasive herbs. First, mark out a circle by hammering in a peg in the center of the site and marking the circumference with a stick and length of string.