It goes without saying that creating your own Italian herb garden provides you with a great opportunity to improve your own culinary prowess

If you’ve ever been to Italy, you know the value of their cooking. And if you know a native Italian, it is most likely that you know someone who knows how to cook. Some of the best cuisine comes from Italy and it is due in large part to their use and knowledge of herbs.  Some of the tastiest and best known herbs should be included in an Italian herb garden.

	Basil is king! It is a well know Italian herb useful in many Italian recipes. Basil will not only add flavor to many Italian dishes, it is useful in the garden to other plants. Did you know that planting basil next to your peppers and tomatoes will actually improve their flavor? Besides, basil repels flies and mosquitoes.
Italian parsley More flavorful than its curly leafed cousin and is relatively hard herb plant to grow, but it is essential in not only Italian cuisines but many other dishes as well. Before breath mints it was found that eating fresh, raw parsley after a meal was excellent for eliminating bad breath left over from flavorful meal. It is still traditional to use parsley as a garnishment with certain meals.
	Oregano A member of the mint family, it is both decorative as well as flavorful. When it is fully mature it will sprout lovely purple flowers. Oregano should not be harvested until it has flowered because this is when the plant is most flavorful.
Fennel Famous for its seeds that grace and enhance the flavors of Italian sausage. An interesting fact about fennel is that it loses much of its flavor as it matures. It is a perennial plant that should be divided and replanted every few years to restore its flavor.
	Rosemary Like basil, it is an Italian herb that is beneficial to the garden. It grows into a large shrub that spouts pretty blue flowers. It helps the garden by attracting bees. Although it is a tough evergreen perennial, it is sensitive to frost.
Garlic No Italian herb garden would be complete without garlic. It is probably the most used herb in Italian cuisines. Garlic cloves can be planted and will thrive in just about any garden with very little attention. They are easily stored to for later use. After harvesting they can be frozen or pickled then stored in the refrigerator.
	Sage Another member of the vast mint family, is versatile and easy to grow. The leaves are used fresh or dried to flavor a variety of dishes including beef, pork, poultry and salads. New shoots are the most flavorful. Keeping them trimmed encourages the new shoots to grow so it is recommended not to let sage plants to get to woody. Sage should be harvested after it blooms.

Although there are so many more herbs that can be included in an Italian herb garden, these are the most common and they are a good place to start your Italian herbal garden. Italian herbs not only add flavor to food but they also make amazing additions to landscape designs. They can be displayed for color and their aroma. By planting Italian herbs with your other plants, you will be graced with the sweet fragrances straight from Italy. It will be like taking a stroll on a Toscana hillside.