In addition to parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, Jean Riggs of Sunshine Farm and Garden in Commerce Township recommends these eight herbs to get you started:

Basil: Fragrant basil leaves have a rich, spicy-sweet flavor similar to licorice and cloves. Basil varieties include lemon and cinnamon. Sweet basil and the smaller-leaved bush or globe basil are the most common forms of this spicy, scented summer herb. Basil is the basis for pesto sauce, and chopped basil goes well in tomato sauce and soup, as well as meat, poultry, pasta, rice and egg dishes. Add whole basil leaves to a green salad or arrange them over a pizza. Basil loses its unique flavor when dried.

Chives: This grassy member of the onion family grows well outdoors or in windowsill pots. Regular clipping is all that's required to keep chives flourishing. The mild onion-flavored leaves are used fresh in salads as well as in cheese, egg and vegetable dishes. Snip the purple blossoms on top of salads for taste and color.

Dill: Feathery dill leaves can dominate a recipe, but heat quickly weakens their flavor. Dill is snipped fresh into salads, sauces and spreads, and paired with carrots, cucumbers and green beans. Dill is delicious with fish, particularly salmon, and is a staple in potato salads and fresh cucumber dishes. Dill is also a great addition to homemade chicken noodle soup.

Marjoram: This versatile, small-leaved plant can be used fresh in the summer and dried in the winter. Often described as a meat herb, it also goes well with fish, cheese, tomato and egg dishes. Wild marjoram has a stronger flavor than its Italian cousin oregano, an essential seasoning in pizza and many Mediterranean specialty dishes.

Mint: There are many varieties of this refreshing herb, from apple mint to cologne and lemon mint. Used in teas, drinks and candies, it is rarely used in Western cooking, but amply utilized in Eastern foods. Mint specialties and spices often combine to flavor meat, chicken and, of course, lamb.

Oregano: Small, oval oregano leaves have a hot, peppery flavor common in Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Chopped oregano enhances cheese and egg dishes, as well as tomato sauce and pizza. Oregano combines well with lemon, garlic and olive oil. Add chopped fresh oregano to meat loaf, meatballs and grilled burgers.

Savory: There are two types of savory, summer and winter. The more sensitive summer savory is typically used freshly minced for flavoring beans and meat dishes and is more flavorful. The hardy, winter savory is often found dried. Both have a strong flavor but the summer savory is the recommended variety, especially when added to some steamed green beans.

Tarragon: The delicate aniseed-flavor of tarragon highlights classic bearnaise sauce and provides the key flavoring for salad dressings and egg dishes. Long cooking decreases the strength of tarragon's flavor, and it is typically added to dishes near the end of cooking or in the raw completely.

From Healthy.net