Herbs are used in all types of world cuisine, and French cooking uses some of the most fragrant and attractive herbs to plant in an herb garden.
The fresh herb selection at most grocery stores is often limited to the most common culinary herbs, like oregano, parsley, cilantro and basil. If you’re experimenting with French cuisine, you’ll need a whole new arsenal of herbs to provide the right flavors to your dishes, and the best way to ensure a steady supply of these flavors is to plant them in your own garden.
In addition to the familiar rosemary, basil and chives, your French herb garden should include fragrant lavender and tarragon, as well as savory, sage, bay, chervil and marjoram. The French staple dried herb blend, herbes de Provence, contains a combination of these herbs, at the cook’s discretion, of course.
Like most herbs, French herbs enjoy full sunlight and can be grown indoors or out. One of the easiest ways to get started with a French herb garden is with a kit that contains seeds for all the herb varieties you’ll need.