I tasted my first herbal harvest this morning, and wanted to give a review. Siam Queen Thai Basil, is a lovely shot of color, with its green and purple hues, tall, upright habit, and smaller, more stylish leaves, this basil would be great in a windowbox or container garden. The taste has licorice overtones and fills my mouth with that warm, spicyness that basil offers. It seems to weather a little more dryness and, like my other varieties, has not been attacked by any insects yet. I would like to taste it in pesto-the taste would pair very well with peanut noodles with green onion. Oh, I know what I am having for dinner tonight!

I hope you can find some of this variety of basil this year. I know you can find the seeds at Richters .

There is not a garden around, that wouldn't benefit from the the addition of polymer moisture crystals. These often undervalued additions to the gardener's arsenal against dryness and compacted soil, have a place in any size garden.

Polymer crystals are safe for edibles, can last up to five years, and although seemingly expensive at the outset, are used in such small amounts that they are really quite invaluable to a container gardener. I really like them a lot for my mother-in-law's special flower containers, so she doesn't have to worry about watering so often.

Oh yes, spring has it's delicate treats for any gardener's senses. Today I made violet flavored sugar. This is the perfect addition to any civilized tea tray. Violets are much easier to clean than dandelions, and their taste is just as unique. The nicest thing about making violet infused sugar, is that you can make as much or as little as you have petals. I try to at least gather a full cup of blossoms for a small jar of the resulting sugar.

Be sure to write and let me know how yours turns out!

Our containers are planted and we are waiting for the first crop of herbs. Let's pass the time by sharing photos of our gardens! Please, take a picture of your container or windowbox garden, and I will post the photos for everyone.

I am anxious to see what everyone is doing this year!

Once the garden is planted, the number one problem is keeping it watered. A growing trend is to plant an herb garden in a self watering container. This takes away the issue of remembering to water daily or overwatering. Organic gardeners can still apply an organic fertilizer, by combining fish emulsion or compost tea to the water when you refill it.

My article on self watering containers also includes a do it yourself link for all you herb gardeners, who are also handy with tools. Take a look!

If you are hesitant about growing kitchen herbs that you will actually use, oregano might just be the herb for you. Its familiar scent and well loved taste, makes it a family favorite.

I am enjoying the comments and emails! Thank you for the feedback. I am working my way down my own personal list of herbs. Is there any herb you would like to see featured? I would love to hear from you!

I am off to purchase jelly jars. Herbal jelly is a great way to use introduce others to the delicious tastes of fresh herbs. This jelly is super easy and I can promise that your friends have probably never tried anything other than mint. On the menu this afternoon, is dandelion jelly. My recipe tastes more like dandelion and less like plain sugar. I hope you enjoy!

Today, I bring you news from the garden channel. Things here, are planted, watered and now we wait. Meanwhile, let's look at how others are faring.

I believe that all gardeners have a frugal, eco-friendly streak in them. I especially like to find unique objects, and create container gardens out of them. Some of my favorites from past years have been:

• A metal sink , found in a ditch when spring cleaning the yard
• A toilet
• Old workboots
• A rusty woodcook stove that weighs a ton

Marie Iannotti, About.com's Gardening Guide, is talking about recycling as well. She would like to see some photos of how gardeners are using recycled objects in their gardens. I will only add that I wish would take more photos of things that I garden. Unfortunately, I always seem to be outside, while my camera is inside.

Did you ever think back to some gardening thing you had done in the past and just cringe? I certainly did, when I read About.com's Guide to Landscaping, David Beaulieu's blog, about the invasive nature of the burning bush . I think of how many of these that I convinced customers to purchase, and it makes me so embarrassed. See? You never know enough about gardening, no matter how long you do it.

If you are looking for an easy way to create a successful garden, Colleen Vanderlinden, About.com's Guide to Organic Gardening, helpfully explains what the lasagna gardening technique is, what might go wrong and how to fix the problem. All in all, after reading, there is no reason you can't get out there and lasagna garden a new herb garden!

If all this talk of digging, mulching and growing is making you feel overwhelmed, you have to visit About.com's new Guide to Small Farms: Tamara Lujan. She has created a simple list to help you prioritize your Spring Chores. That way, you will still have time to enjoy a glass of lemonade. Or herbal tea, perhaps?

Herbs are grown for their beauty as well as their useful nature. Visit About.com's new Guide to Trees and Shrubs: Vanessa Richins, as she shares a beautiful bush that will attract hummingbirds to your garden. It creates a lovely backdrop to some of my favorite herbs.

I hope you have enjoyed this meander around the gardening channel. If you would like to see this month, please feel free to comment!

Now, get out there and plant something!

I am always looking for ways to use organics in my gardening. Especially when growing edibles like herbs. I recently noticed a new, organic potting soil at my local hardware store. The word organic caught my eye, and I wondered if the price difference was worth the results. I am conducting a small test to see the difference between organic, generic and regular, pre-fertilized potting soils. I invite you to check back as I post my results.

Meanwhile, I am furiously posting conversation starters to my herb forum, if you are taking a break from planting your herbs, I invite you to stop by!