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75 days from sowing. Packed with flavorful oils, this is the true Neapolitan favorite, used in so many types of cooking. The large, glossy leaves are strongly scented and simply delicious, whether harvested individually or dried for spice. This well-branched, vigorous plant reaches 18 to 24 inches high and 12 to 15 inches wide. Great in the vegetable garden, too! Packet is 100 seeds.

30 days for leaves; 45 for seeds. Slow to bolt and very fragrant, this richly flavored plant is the source of fresh leaves (cilantro) and seeds (coriander). You can begin picking the foliage leaf by leaf as soon as one month after transplanting it into the garden, or let the whole plant mature, pinching off flower buds, and harvest it all at once. For coriander seeds, let the blooms open, then tie a paper bag around them and shake it periodically, until you hear the loose seeds rattling. Easy! Packet is 100 seeds.

55 days. Two sources of seasoning in one: the feathery, fragrant leaves are exquisite dill weed for fresh use, while the autumn seeds offer robust flavor and a chewy bite. Dill is often said to combine the flavors of caraway and parsley, and it is a big helper in the garden. Its strong scent attracts the beneficial insects that eat aphids. If you want to harvest the foliage longer, pinch off the flower buds as they appear. 3 feet tall, 1 foot wide. Packet is 100 seeds.

90 days. A woody perennial that will produce delicious leaves for about 5 years before needing to be replaced, thyme is a godsend in the vegetable and flower gardens as well as the parterre and kitchen herb bed. The wonderful fragrance helps bring in good bugs and chase out bad, while the flowers -- if you let them bloom -- are lovely. 12 to 18 inches high and about 2 feet wide. Zones 4-8. Packet is 100 seeds.

80 days. Every part of the garden deserves a stand of chives, from patio pots to the perennial border to the foundation! This onion relative has a pungent aroma that deters pests, and every part of the plant is edible, from the spicy green stems to the beautiful pink blooms! About a foot high and not quite as wide, this long-lived perennial will become one of your favorites. Zones 3-9. Packet is 100 seeds.

60 days from transplanting. More nutritious than curly-leaf types, this refreshing annual herb reaches just 10 to 12 inches high and wide, a good size for pots as well as the garden. Harvest it leaf-by-leaf or let the plant mature and cut it all at once. Packet is 100 seeds.

80-90 days from sowing. A mainstay of Mediterranean cooking, this perennial is a must-have for its delectable foliage and its bright two-tone purple blooms. reaching 12 to 18 inches high and wide, it lives for several years, and will re-seed itself if you allow the flowers to dry on the plant in fall. The foliage is delicious fresh off the plant, but the flavor intensifies even more when it is dried for use as a spice. Zones 5-10. Pkt is 100 seeds.