CAMOMILE (Anthemis nobilis) The English variety of camomile makes a beautiful ground cover, for it grows low and spreads gracefully over the earth.
It blooms from midsummer until the first frost, producing small white and yellow daisy-shaped flowers.
It has light green pinnate, or feather-shaped, leaves, and should get plenty of sun even though it does fairly well in shade.
Plant seed, and camomile will self-sow from then on.
CARAWAY (Carum carvï) With its delicate finely cut leaves and small creamy flowers growing in umbrels similar to Queen Anne's lace, caraway is quite lovely.
Dry the seeds for use in cakes, rye bread, kraut, cabbage, pickles, cheese and stews.
Bake a sprig of caraway with fruit.
It grows to about 2 feet, but if planted in the spring, it will only reach 6 to 8 inches the first year.
If sown in the fall, seed may be harvested early the next year.
Buy your first seed and it will self-sow thereafter.
CATNIP {Meþeta cataria) Catnip produces downy, heart-shaped leaves which are green on top, grey underneath.
It has purplish flowers.
Catnip tea is still used medicinally, and you may also want to grow a clump of this herb for the delight of your cat.
The plant is rather weedy and does best in a rich soil without lime.
Start catnip from seeds in the spring or the fall.
(I) CHERVIL (Antkriscus cerefolium) For culinary use treat chervil as an annual.
Even though it is really a biennial, replant it each year.
Chervil produces flowers like those of miniature Queen Anne's lace, with foliage similar to parsley.
If allowed to flower, chervil will set seeds in the second year of growth.
If kept from flowering by cutting, the anise-flavored leaves can be used until the frost.
Start chervil from seed and give it a shady spot in which to grow.
CHIVES (Allium schoenoprasum This plant is a "must" for it is delicious in any food which is enhanced by an onion taste.
The slender tubular leaves of chives grow in clumps; its flowers are handsome lavender pompoms.
Use chives fresh.
Just cut off a few bits whenever you need them.
Start chives from bulblets or plants (from the grocery) in a rich soil and in a sunny place.
CICELY, SWEET (Myrrhis odor aid) Sweet cicely is often called giant sweet chervil.
It has small white umbrels of flowers but it is more to be admired for its downy fernlike leaves.
It has a licorice taste, similar to that of fennel.
Older plants form a decorative mass of lacy foliage up to 3 feet high, a graceful background for the lower-growing herbs.
The hard, large seeds should be planted early in the fall to assure germination in the spring.
Also, the roots of old plants may be divided in the spring.
Sweet cicely thrives best in semi-shade.
CORIANDER {Coriandrum sativum) This may have been one of the first herbs ever used in cooking.
More than 5000 years ago the Chinese ate the root boiled and used the seed for flavoring.
Although the seeds are unpleasant when fresh, they are delicious when dried.
Use them in meats, cheeses, soups, salads and cookies.
The foliage is fernlike, the pink flowers fragile.
Coriander can be started from seed and will do well as long as it gets enough sunlight.
COSTMARY (Chrysanthemum balsamita Costmary is also known as "Bible leaf" and "sweet Mary.
" It is hardy, a large, decorative plant with light green leaves nearly a foot long.
The flowers are small and yellow; the leaves taste minty.
Use them to season meat, cake and in teas.
A good background plant, growing as high as 5 feet, costmary requires thinning.
It does best if partially shaded.
Although you can start costmary from seed, root division is the best method of propagation.
CRESS or LAND CRESS (Lepidum sativum) Garden cress is also known as "peppergrass.
" It does, indeed, have a peppery taste and its small dark green leaves give a nip to salads.
If you have a canary, give him some garden cress.
It blooms from midsummer until the first frost, producing small white and yellow daisy-shaped flowers.
It has light green pinnate, or feather-shaped, leaves, and should get plenty of sun even though it does fairly well in shade.
Plant seed, and camomile will self-sow from then on.
CARAWAY (Carum carvï) With its delicate finely cut leaves and small creamy flowers growing in umbrels similar to Queen Anne's lace, caraway is quite lovely.
Dry the seeds for use in cakes, rye bread, kraut, cabbage, pickles, cheese and stews.
Bake a sprig of caraway with fruit.
It grows to about 2 feet, but if planted in the spring, it will only reach 6 to 8 inches the first year.
If sown in the fall, seed may be harvested early the next year.
Buy your first seed and it will self-sow thereafter.
CATNIP {Meþeta cataria) Catnip produces downy, heart-shaped leaves which are green on top, grey underneath.
It has purplish flowers.
Catnip tea is still used medicinally, and you may also want to grow a clump of this herb for the delight of your cat.
The plant is rather weedy and does best in a rich soil without lime.
Start catnip from seeds in the spring or the fall.
(I) CHERVIL (Antkriscus cerefolium) For culinary use treat chervil as an annual.
Even though it is really a biennial, replant it each year.
Chervil produces flowers like those of miniature Queen Anne's lace, with foliage similar to parsley.
If allowed to flower, chervil will set seeds in the second year of growth.
If kept from flowering by cutting, the anise-flavored leaves can be used until the frost.
Start chervil from seed and give it a shady spot in which to grow.
CHIVES (Allium schoenoprasum This plant is a "must" for it is delicious in any food which is enhanced by an onion taste.
The slender tubular leaves of chives grow in clumps; its flowers are handsome lavender pompoms.
Use chives fresh.
Just cut off a few bits whenever you need them.
Start chives from bulblets or plants (from the grocery) in a rich soil and in a sunny place.
CICELY, SWEET (Myrrhis odor aid) Sweet cicely is often called giant sweet chervil.
It has small white umbrels of flowers but it is more to be admired for its downy fernlike leaves.
It has a licorice taste, similar to that of fennel.
Older plants form a decorative mass of lacy foliage up to 3 feet high, a graceful background for the lower-growing herbs.
The hard, large seeds should be planted early in the fall to assure germination in the spring.
Also, the roots of old plants may be divided in the spring.
Sweet cicely thrives best in semi-shade.
CORIANDER {Coriandrum sativum) This may have been one of the first herbs ever used in cooking.
More than 5000 years ago the Chinese ate the root boiled and used the seed for flavoring.
Although the seeds are unpleasant when fresh, they are delicious when dried.
Use them in meats, cheeses, soups, salads and cookies.
The foliage is fernlike, the pink flowers fragile.
Coriander can be started from seed and will do well as long as it gets enough sunlight.
COSTMARY (Chrysanthemum balsamita Costmary is also known as "Bible leaf" and "sweet Mary.
" It is hardy, a large, decorative plant with light green leaves nearly a foot long.
The flowers are small and yellow; the leaves taste minty.
Use them to season meat, cake and in teas.
A good background plant, growing as high as 5 feet, costmary requires thinning.
It does best if partially shaded.
Although you can start costmary from seed, root division is the best method of propagation.
CRESS or LAND CRESS (Lepidum sativum) Garden cress is also known as "peppergrass.
" It does, indeed, have a peppery taste and its small dark green leaves give a nip to salads.
If you have a canary, give him some garden cress.