What's the Difference Between an Herb and a Vegetable?

Herbs differ from vegetables in that they are primarily used as an accompaniment and not served alone. Vegetables can be eaten alone, cooked or raw. Many herbs can be raised with vegetables, and they can make good pairings to promote a pest free growing environment. Herbs are commonly resistant to pests because they have strong flavors and aromas that many pests avoid.

Because they are hardy and often native to poor soils, herbs are easier to grow than many vegetables. Be careful when combining them to make sure that they don't grow so successfully that they crowd everything else out. Keep them cut back for the best results.

As you can harvest herbs as soon as they mature, and then regularly throughout the remainder of the season, pruning is a good reason to get in the garden and snip a weekly supply of basil for pesto, cilantro for tacos, oregano for pizza, or dill for salmon.