Low effort, high reward: Readers share herb garden tips

• Hardy herbs like sage, rosemary, cilantro and thyme can survive Denver winters and thrive in containers indoors, according to local gardening pros.

What they're saying: "The beauty of herbs is that you don't need to grow a large crop for them to be useful," Cheesman Park resident Cindy Wolf says.

• A few sprigs here and there is all you need to dress up your home cooking.
• They can also make great gifts. Denver-based Mary Hilken dries her herbs and jars them for holiday gifts.

The biggest learning curve is knowing which herbs can be planted together — and which don't work for your setup at all, Wolf says.

• For example, rosemary and basil don't like any other herbs. Parsley only likes sage. And thyme isn't compatible with mint, basil and chives.
• Oregano and chives work well together, and mint and tarragon get along with most other herbs.

The bottom line: There's never a bad thyme to start your own herb garden.

Editor's note: This story was corrected to remove cilantro as a perennial herb. It is an annual plant.