The latest buzz on herbs: not only can they be a delicious and refreshing addition to culinary creations but some doctors also suggest that many herbs yield surprising health benefits, like lowering bad cholesterol or fighting viral infections. There also is the undeniable aromatherapy value of simply ambling through a patch of fragrant rosemary or lavender, regardless of if the foliage makes it to the table. Even if you’re a first-timer, you can plant an herb garden that’s also a treat to the eyes. Follow our simple steps to grow a romantic herb circle and, come harvest time, be treated to the most rewarding “pruning” job ever!
Illustration: Sally Mara Sturman

Romantic Herbs in the round
You Will Need: Stakes, string, bricks, pebbles or woodchips, herbs (plants, not seeds), flowers (optional)

1. Measure a square area to contain the circle (we recommend a minimum of 4 square feet of space) and mark the center of the square with a stake. Attach a string to the stake to make a circle (its width will depend on your space).
2. Edge and turn soil as needed to prepare it for planting.
3. Using more stakes and strings, mark a cross shape in the circle and follow it to create a footpath (at least 12 inches wide).
4. You should now have four wedges. Use stakes and string to bisect each as a guide for bricks.
5. Set bricks (old salad plates will work, too!) around perimeter and through bisecting lines of wedges.
6. Lay pebbles or woodchips over footpath.
7. Plant herbs (and optional flowers—this plan features a center of marigolds) in a bulls-eye or random pattern.
8. Finish with a pot of mint in the center—it’s best grown in a
contained environment, since it spreads like a weed.

Get Creative with Clippings
Once you’ve got your garden established, reap its fragrant and delicious rewards. Here are some unusual ways to use the bounty:
• In a large, sturdy bowl, muddle (pound) mint leaves with a tablespoon of sugar. Add a few cups of warm water to help sugar dissolve. Strain, pour into ice cube trays, add a fresh mint leaf to each cube and freeze. Use
in iced tea or lemonade.
• Starting with 10 (or more) sprigs of rosemary, remove spikes from stems and, in a food processor or blender, whiz together with a cup of sea salt. Store in an airtight container and use to season poultry, or add to a hot bath.

Preserve herbal essences
by using them to infuse oils and vinegars..
Pair milder herbs with white wine vinegar and more robust flavors with red wine vinegar. A simple starter: Pack 2 handfuls of tarragon and 4 roughly chopped garlic cloves loosely into a wide-mouthed jar and fill with a pint of white wine vinegar. Seal and store in a dark place for 4–6 weeks. Strain and pour into decorative bottles, adding a few sprigs of fresh tarragon. Seal.

For herbs left at the end of the season,
clip and dry stalks upside-down, and then bundle them in cheesecloth to flavor soups, or scent drawers and
closets. Or, crumble your favorites to roll around small balls of goat’s cheese for an
easiest-ever hors d’oeuvre. •