Author: Brenda Valdano
Source: ezinearticles.com

With an Italian herb garden in your backyard it is easy to bring a taste of Italy to your table. Italian flavor in a variety of dishes is possible when you simply add a little garnish or a sprinkle of Italian herbs to your pastas, sauces or meats. These tangy plants are some of the tastiest and most flavor filled herbs in the world. Here are just a few of the Italian cooking herbs you can grow in even a small size garden.

Basil is one of the culinary herbs used in the cuisine from many different countries. Although it Is often considered to be an Italian herb, the flavor of basil is a prized ingredient that has long been used by cooks in India, Africa, France and Asia. When you plant basil seeds in your garden you must make sure to sow them in soil that drains freely. These plants require at least a half day of full sun, and if you pinch off the flowers then fresh leaf production will continue for the length of the growing season. Basil is a beneficial herb that is often grown in a site that is located near peppers and tomatoes.

The common Parsley plant is well known as a garnish for many Italian dishes. You can chew this herb to freshen your breath and counter the odors of garlic. All parsley varieties are very easily grown and require almost no care at all. As a biennial plant you can count on the original parsley to produce edible leaves for two years before it will set seed. You can replenish your parsley needs with new seeds each year, but most parsley species will self seed readily.

Oregano is an attractive plant that is grown for its attractive looks as much as it is grown for its wonderful, tasty leaves. Plant oregano seeds in your garden and watch them grow in almost any type of conditions. Oregano prefers direct sunlight but these tangy herbs can grow just as easily in a lightly shaded area. Although oregano is more flavorful when freshly picked, the dried form of this herb is richly satisfying as well.

Fennel is an herb that can add beauty and texture to any Italian herb garden. The roots, leaves and seeds of fennel are all useful in cooking, but it is the licorice flavored seeds that are the most highly favored by chefs around the world. You will notice that many French and Italian cuisines use both leaves and seeds in a number of recipes. Asian, South American and Eastern Indian cooks also use fennel to produce many top dishes.

Rosemary is a fragrant addition to an Italian herb garden. A sprinkle of rosemary leaves is often noted in recipes with lamb, pork or venison as a main ingredient. Rosemary is also an herb that adds intense flavor to roast vegetables. Be sure to plant rosemary seeds or cuttings in dry soil where water will not collect. This perennial herb also needs to have full sunlight throughout most of the day.

Garlic is a favorite Italian herb and is used in a large number of dishes. Other countries value the flavor of this herb, but we tend to associate its use more with Italian pastas and breads. Garlic is easily grown by separating the bulb into individual cloves and burying them about 2 inches into the garden soil. Once the stalk flowers, withers, and turns brown it is time to harvest new garlic bulbs from each of the cloves that you have planted.

You can enhance the flavors of meats, soups, stuffing, and vegetables with savory sage. These perennial herbs will produce flavorful leaves for you to use for 3-4 years before the taste begins to decline. When you want to grow sage it needs soil that is on the dry side, and full sunshine. Maintenance of this herb is rarely required.

These are only a sample of some of the favorite herbs used in Italian cuisine. If you grow these plants at home you will have fresh ingredients at hand, and it will save you a lot of money because you do not have to pay grocery store prices for them.

The plants that you grow in an Italian herb garden are good for a variety of reasons besides just being used as cooking ingredients. Many of these herbs can be used to control pests such as ants, flies and fleas. You can also use these herbs as safe, natural remedies for a number of conditions from itchy skin to acne cures.

Brenda Valdano is a home herb gardening enthusiast and book author. For more information and tips, about growing your own Italian Herb Garden, visit http://www.herbgardenguide.net