I am by no means an expert on herbs, but I've been working on getting a few for a border in front of my foundation shrubs.

Hidcote Lavender and Arp Rosemary are supposed to be very cold-tolerant.

I had Thyme and Rosemary at the other house, and they were perennial for me. Don't know which cultivars I had of those, though.

Rosemary grows well for me, too--and has survived at least 6-7 years. I don't know the variety, but I probably bought it at HD or Lowe's.

Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Oregano, Thyme are good returning perennials for me.

Rosemary is wonderful, have had mine for 6 years, also Oregano. Basil, I have to replant every year, but well worth it.
Recipe: Thick sliced tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil, little salt and pepper, chopped up Basil and a few splashes of Balsamic Vinegar. Let marinate until cold.

columbiastock, that recipe sounds soooo good i can't wait until my tomatoes are in. Just blossoms now. I put my rosemary in a pot because I thought i couldn't overwinter it here- i wonder if i could put it in bed and see how it does? Basil is an annual, but worth it!! Mine's taken off amongst tomato plants, sweet basil and thai basil.

Thanks so much for all the info! I went with thyme, lemon thyme, & rosemary for my perennials, but I also planted dill, Italian parsley, cilantro and basil for use this year.

Good choices. I grow a bunch of herbs both perenniel and annual. like to keep them close to the house so I can run out and snip them fresh when I am cooking. I also dry Basil, chives, parsley and cilantro (if i don't eat it all fresh LOL!)Rosemary too. Of course, lavendar is so wonderful to place where you can brush the plants when you walk through the garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: gardening tips, birding, plant and art articles

Oh, yes, I forgot I planted chives, too! Plus I picked up the St. John's Wort I mentioned in another thread & lavender (although not for cooking, of course). I'll have to try some Thai basil, sage, oregano and lemon balm next year. I love having the fresh herbs to throw into whatever I'm cooking.

Garlic Chives & Lemon Balm would be what i'd recommend. Speaking of Lemon Balm, why the heck is mine flowering?!?!? lol...got it from the MTPS. I've already picked leaves from it a few times. Do I need to remove these flowers to avoid it "going to seed" or whatever? Please let me know...any & all help appreciated. =)

Thanks - Steve

Blurry pic (lol):

All the plants above are good. I have found out to avoid tarragon since it takes over all the space you have.
I love rosemary but our black lab eats every one I put out.
I notice a lot of people like to grow basil. I've found out the last two years that Globe Basil will self-sow. I always started it from seed until last year. I was going to buy some plants but I noticed the seedlings coming up in late May. It starts late but grows very quickly. I bought one plant this year but the seedlings have already gotten bigger than the one I bought.

Just wanted to add...

I bought a TEENY little Arp Rosemary from Hewitt's this spring. I was looking at it the other day, and it has more than quadrupled in size!! I cannot believe how well it's growing! It has gotten very little attention from me, as at the moment it's surrounded by perennials that I'm holding till fall.

I put mine close to the house, too. :) It's right outside the front door. I love the smell. Love to cook with it too, but unfortunately hubby doesn't like it.

Don't forget sage! Culinary sage is a reliable perennial for me, in pots. And definitely rosemary. Also mint, IF you have it in containers -- it's invasive in the ground.

I am starting a rock bed herb garden. One thing I do w/ mint is instead of putting it straight in the ground I plant it in a rusted out vintage pot sticking a couple in. above the ground. You could also cut the bottom off of a plastic plant container.

I saw my message back near the top, and I just wanted to update what I've found.
Pineapple Sage, Sage, Rosemary, Lavendar, Chives and Lemon Balm have been perennial for me.
This year I found that my curly parsley returned, but I'm not sure if that's usual.
My thyme & lemon thyme came back one year but not the next. Are these bi-annuals?
I plant dill and basil each spring and really enjoy adding those to dishes.
Anyway, they look beautiful this year, and I'm very pleased with my herbs.

You've made great choices! Curly parsley is a bi-annual, but it usually manages to produce plants every year. I've had good luck with thyme but not the lemon thyme. It seems to be a little bit more picky about where it will establish. It doesn't seem to like the heat. Also what came back the next year in my garden no longer had lemon flavor.
Have you tried pineapple mint? It's very pretty and not invasive like other mint varieties.