Nothing – and I mean nothing – smells better to this gardener than that first oh-so-distinctive fragrance of tomato foliage wafting into the nostrils from the tiniest tomato seedlings. Before they barely bear their first set of true leaves, the darling little gems conjure up their trademark aroma, delivering confidence that there is light at the end of the I’ve-lived-through-yet-another-winter-of-bland-tomatoes-from-the-grocery-store tunnel.

Step aside roses, move away pinks, fragrance need not be sappy sweet to delight the gardener. Ah, (inhale here) tomatoes! Let the scent infuse every cell of your body … clean, invigorating, luscious. The soil couldn’t warm soon enough. Plump, bronze Sun Gold or deep scarlet Supersweet 100s: come our way!

Transplanting those itty-bitty seedlings this time of year … it’s their fragrance that causes the gardener’s taste buds to yearn for fresh produce. Tomatoes aren’t the only fragrant seedlings. Herbs, of course, yield fragrance, even from seed. Dip your nose into a package of basil seed and you’ll smell just what I mean. Carefully contained by its rugged seed coat, the fragrance of the herb still escapes. Smell the seed, taste the pesto.

Herbs have their own special fragrances that make them endearing and useful. Borage smells like fresh cucumbers, anise like licorice, and lavender, well, its unique scent is the most popular fragrance in the world. When one transplants tiny seedlings this time of year into successively larger pots, one enjoys the miraculous fragrance emanating forth from the precious plants.

Naturally, homegrown seedlings aren’t the only source of herbal fragrance in spring. Once the leaves of mint, bee balm, lavender, hyssop, oregano, yarrow, catmint and lemon balm burst through the chilly soil out in the perennial garden, we can enjoy those as well.

These fragrant herbs are useful and have been for centuries. Recently, herbal supplements have gained popularity as preventatives or cures for health ailments. According to a 2002 issue of The Journal of the American Botanical Council, herb sales in mainstream (culinary) markets have declined in recent years, while sales in the form of nutritional supplements via natural food stores have increased solidly. Sales increased about 10 percent between 2001 and 2002. Herbal supplement sales in 2002 totaled about $135 million.

Wouldn’t it be more pleasant to grow your own herbs rather than ingest a pill that contained the essence of the herb? In fact, for thousands of years, people have been doing just that!

Ancients believed that it was either or both the fragrance and the inherent chemical properties of herbs that helped heal the body. Some herbs, such as lavender, had multiple uses – some were practical, others medicinal. Named from the Greek word “lavare,” which means “to wash,” lavender was added to wash water because its clean, fresh scent was invigorating and masked unpleasant odors. Native to the Mediterranean region, the plant’s blossoms long have been used in sachets, perfumes and bouquets, but its aromatic leaves were and still are used in southern European cooking. For centuries, the leaves have been used medicinally to alleviate insomnia, nervousness, dizziness, fainting and depression.

Lavender is but one plant that produces unique oils that offer a range of human benefits. In general, herbs are so easy to grow it would be a veritable crime for the home gardener to not reap the benefits. If you can commit to growing four easy plants this growing season, perhaps the following simple recipe will inspire you to experiment with the wonder of herbs. Grow lavender, rosemary, lemon balm and mint in containers or in the garden and harvest a bit for this refreshing tea: Mix 1 teaspoon dried leaves of each of the four herbs. Infuse 1 teaspoon of the mixture in 1 cup of boiling water. Steep five to 10 minutes.

Relax in your favorite garden spot and enjoy!

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941 or e-mail dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.