Today, many gardeners are interested in producing their own herbs. Growing herbs in the home garden can ensure that the herbs are fresh, available when you need them, and the entire experience can be fun, especially if you use them in your cooking.

Herbs can be classified according to their use — culinary, aromatic, ornamental or medicinal. Some herbs may fit into one or more groups.

Culinary herbs are probably the most useful and most widely grown, since they are used in cooking. Because of their strong flavors, culinary herbs generally are used in small quantities to add flavor to food or drinks.

For drinks, just think of the movie “Gone with the Wind” and the famous mint julep. It contains sprigs of fresh mint. Mint also is considered a symbol of hospitality.

Commercially, parsley is produced in the largest amount. It’s used as a garnish but is also a great breath freshener.

Next in popularity is sage, an important flavoring in pork sausage. Other herbs grown in home gardens are chives, thyme, savory, marjoram, spearmint, peppermint, rosemary, oregano and basil.

Aromatic herbs have some novel uses and are not as widely grown. The oils from herbs in this group can be used to produce perfumes, eau de toilette and various scents. For home use, the plant parts are used intact, often to scent linens or clothing. When dried, many aromatic herbs will retain their aroma for a considerable period.

Ornamental herbs have brightly colored flowers and foliage. Many have whitish or light colored flowers. Valerian has crimson blossoms; borage and chicory are blue-flowered forms. Herbs such as variegated thyme, mint, lavender and chives produce variegated foliage.

Medicinal herbs have long been thought to have curative powers, as recorded in early botanical records. With our present medical knowledge, we know that some plants do indeed have medicinal value. However, the healing properties ascribed to some herbal preparations may be highly overrated. Medicinal herbs should be used carefully. It would be wise to do some reading and investigation into the use of medicinal herbs. This is an expanding area in the medical field and there is a tremendous volume of literature developing on medicinal properties of herbs.

Bill Lamont is a professor and extension vegetable specialist in the department of horticulture at Penn State. He can be reached at wlamont@psu. edu.