If you only have time or room to plant one type of garden this year, let it be herbs. Herbs are easy to grow, they are pest and disease free, they will grow in almost any soil, they don't care for too much fertilizer and they don't demand a lot of water or care.

Herbs will grow in any garden soil as long as it has good drainage and is cleared of large rocks and other debris. Herbs thrive in a full sun location meaning they should get at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.

Now is the time to plant your herb garden. there will be no more frost damage and you can plant the tender annual herbs like basil and dill along side the winter hardy perennial herbs like thyme and savory.

Herbs are also very inexpensive. You can buy a full culinary herb garden for thirty or forty dollars. But like any garden, you need to do a little soil preparation first.

Dig the soil to a depth of six inches in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Spread a 1 to 2 inch thick layer of compost over the area, sprinkle on five pounds of granular slow-release organic fertilizer per 100 square feet, dig that in and rake it all smooth. Now you are ready to plant.

Make sure you give the plants plenty of room. They may look small in the nursery container, but they will grow much larger.

Water the seeds or transplants every day until they get established. Mulch the garden with a one inch layer of compost, shredded bark or peat moss. Water only as needed during dry periods.

Here are some of the herbs I like to grow, although there are hundreds more you can choose from.

Anise Hyssop -- (Agastache foeniculum)

Two and one half foot tall bushy plant with heart shaped leaves covered with and pale lavender blue flowers. Attracts bees. Hardy perennial. Set transplants out after all danger of frost has passed. Prune back in fall and divide roots in spring.

Liquorice flavored leaves good in tea. Flowers good in salad. Don't confuse with ordinary hyssop which lacks the anise flavor.

Basil -- (Ocimum basilicum)

Many varieties from eight-inch-tall bush basil to one-foot-tall purple leaf opal basil to two-foot-tall Genovese, Thai, or tiny leaf Piccolo basil. Green leaves and white flowers.

Set out plants after all danger of frost has passed. Plant to stand two feet apart. Pinch off flowers to encourage bushy leaf growth.

Fresh leaves good in salads and pesto. Dried leaves used in sauces and stews. Especially good with tomatoes. Dries well.

Chervil -- (Anthriscus cerefolium)

Low-growing fern-like plant with feathery leaves. Fast growing hardy biennial that prefers a rich moist soil and little shade. Sow seeds directly in the ground in early spring. Keep watered until germination. Let the plant go to seed in late fall and seeds will sprout next spring.

Extremely popular with French chefs. Good substitute for parsley. Anise flavored leaves wonderful in potato salad.

Cilantro -- (Coriandrum sativum)

Also know as fresh coriander and Chinese parsley, cilantro has feathery leaves growing on 14 inch stems.

Tender annual. Sow cilantro seeds directly in the soil as soon as the ground can be worked. Sow small patches often because cilantro is quick to go to seed and turn bitter.

Harvest cilantro leaves often and use in Mexican salsa, Indian curries and Chinese dishes. Does not dry well. Seeds of the cilantro plant are the spice coriander which is good in cookies and curry powder.

Dill -- (Anethum graveolens)

Feathery fern-like plant with deep green leaves. Grows two to three feet tall and produces tiny clusters of yellow blooms that yield dill seeds. Look for Finnish Dukat dill which has more leaves and fewer seeds.

Annual. Sow dill directly in a rich well drained soil in early spring. Dill goes to seed quickly so plant several small batches over the spring and then again in late summer for a fall crop.

Harvest dill leaves for soup, cucumber and tomato salads, creamy dips, and fish dishes. Especially good on poached or grilled salmon. Seeds are necessary for making dill pickles.

French Tarragon -- (Artemesia dracunculus)

Two and a half foot tall plant with branching stems covered with long narrow green leaves. Be very careful to get French tarragon, not the tasteless Russian tarragon.

Hardy perennial tarragon does not grow well from seed. Buy potted herbs and place in sunny dry location. Dig up every two years and divide roots to make new plants. Prune back in late fall and cover with light mulch for winter.

Tarragon is best used fresh because it does not dry well. Has a peppery anise flavor that is a classic in bouillabaisse seafood stew, roasted chicken, tarragon flavored vinegar for salad dressing and other French dishes. .

German Chamomile -- (Matricaria recutita)

Twelve to twenty inch tall daisy like plant that spreads like a carpet in a sunny location. Blooms in mid summer.

Annual. Grow from seed sown directly in the garden in full sun after all danger of frost has passed.

Harvest leaves and flowers in summer to make soothing chamomile tea. The Swiss put chamomile in herbal cough drops.

Greek Oregano -- (Origanum heracleoticum)

Low growing 12-inch-tall mat of small greenish gray leaves topped with tiny white flowers. Be sure to avoid Origanum vulgaris which does not have the true oregano flavor. Both types of oregano do make excellent ground cover.

Hardy perennial that grows in poor well drained soil. Set potted plants in the garden about two feet apart. Dig up and separate plants every two years. Prune back and mulch over winter.

Harvest leaves and stems just before flowers appear. Use fresh on homemade pizza, in Mexican dishes and in salads. Drying seems to bring out the pungent flavor of this true oregano.

Rosemary -- (Rosemarinus officinalis)

Woody shrubs from one to three feet tall with needle like leaves that give off an oily pungent fragrance.

Rosemary is a hardy perennial in southern states but must be treated like an annual in the north. Set potted plants out two feet apart in sandy dry soil in full sun after all danger of frost has passed. Water rosemary only once or twice to get it established then let the rain take care of it.

Toss rosemary branches on the barbecue to flavor meats and fish. Use fresh or dried to flavor roast pork, chicken or lamb. Excellent in flavored oil for salads dressing.

Sage -- (Salvia officinalis)

Bushy one to two foot tall plants with pebbly gray leaves. Very aromatic.

Hardy perennial. Sage prefers a sunny, dry, poorly fertilized soil. Space potted plants two feet apart after all danger of frost has passed. Harvest leaves throughout the season and prune back in fall.

Sage leaves are the classic Thanksgiving turkey flavor, but they are also very ornamental in fresh or dried wreath arrangements. Look for fruity flavored pineapple sage.

Salad Burnet -- (Poterium sanguisorba)

Dainty green leaves cover a compact 14-inch tall plant that shoots up delicate red flowers in summer.

Salad burnet can easily be started from seed indoors or sown directly in the garden soil in spring after all danger of frost has passed. Pick the leaves often to keep the plant bushy and young leaves coming in.

Cucumber flavor adds a nice touch to salads and vegetables. Use it fresh for it does to dry that well.

Thyme -- (Thymus vulgaris and others)

Scrubby little plant with woody stems, tiny green leaves and white flowers. Look for scented thyme and ornamental wooly thyme. Thyme thrives in rock gardens.

Hardy perennial. Buy potted plants and set them in the garden two feet apart after all danger of frost has passed. Likes full sun, dry sandy soil. Harvest often to produce bushy plant. Prune back and mulch for winter.

Fresh or dried leaves add meaty flavor to marinated steak, roast chicken and grilled lamb.