If you want a garden that will provide more than just a visual feast, consider a container herb garden. Many herbs can tolerate harsh conditions and a bit of neglect. Most also love sun, needing six or more hours of direct light a day. They will grow vigorously from spring until fall and, if moved indoors to a sunny spot, will retain their vibrancy until Columbus Day or thereabouts.

Plants: A large selection of herb plants is available from Shepherd's Garden Seeds (860-482-3638, www.shepherdseeds.com).

Planting Tips: Herbs can be planted one to a pot or mixed several to a large pot as long as all have similar needs for water and sun.

Containers: Woody-stemmed herbs like thyme and rosemary prefer dry soil and do well in terra-cotta pots. Others, like flat-leafed parsley, are thirstier and prefer glazed ceramic, metal, or plastic containers, which help the soil retain moisture. Read tags to familiarize yourself with water requirements before you choose a pot.

Soil: Choose a sterilized potting mix that contains a sphagnum-peat-moss base, a wetting agent, perlite, and some composted organic matter (like aged, pulverized bark). Since you'll be eating the herbs, choose a mix without fertilizer. But look for one with moisture-storing polymers to help the soil retain water. (If you can't find a mix with polymers, add them separately.) In the East, South, and Midwest, look for Pro-Mix Hanging Basket & Planter Mix with moisture crystals. In the West, try Whitney Farms Premium Potting Soil (add your own polymers, such as Soil Moist Crystals).

Watering: To make watering easier, make two groupings: thirsty plants (check them daily) and more drought-tolerant ones (check them every couple of days).

Fertilizer: Fertilize every two to three weeks with an organic fertilizer. Try Wegener's Liquid Organic Growth Promotant, available from Garden Tools by Lee Valley (www.leevalley.com).