COOKING : Fresh Herbs, Free Advice at Heard’s Country Gardens

Sweet cicely. Pennyroyal. Opal ruffles. No, they’re not characters from a fairy tale.

These quaint monikers belong to some of the 150 or so varieties of herbs sold at Heard’s Country Gardens in Westminster, just off the San Diego Freeway and tucked behind an industrial park.

This little bit o’ country in the middle of suburban industry also features plots of perennials and what appears to be an oversize wooden shed where such things as dried flowers, herbal bath products, books and magazines on gardening are sold.

But the real appeal here for cooks is the incredible selection of herbs--seven varieties of rosemary, 13 of mint, 11 of thyme, 20 of basil--well, you get the picture. You won’t find many of these sold in the vegetable department in your local supermarket, nor will they be this fresh.

They’re sold as starter plants, some as seeds, groomed organically and tended with loving care by business owner Mary Lou Heard. If you don’t understand why anyone would bother growing his own herbs rather than keeping the bottled, dried variety in the shelf on the ready, let Heard explain:

“Fresh herbs aren’t anything like they have at the grocery store. Nothing quite compares with going out to the garden and making a snip or two and putting it on top of your soup.”

People who teach cooking classes in the area understand this; some shop here for their own herb gardens.

And why would anyone want more than one variety of basil? Consider that entire cookbooks have been devoted to basil recipes alone. And besides, one of anything that tastes this good is not enough, especially for someone who likes to experiment.

Heard’s herbs have a reputation for being as fresh as the dawn (the starter plants that don’t sell right away are thrown out as soon as they start to droop, she says). Most of her herbs come from Southern California suppliers. If she can’t find a source, she starts them herself from seeds.

Heard is also eager to nurture novice growers with advice, tip sheets and general hand-holding. Herbs can be plunked down in the ground, in individual pots or in window boxes, she advises. Most don’t need a lot of room to flourish.

Recipes and flavoring ideas are swapped back and forth between Heard and her customers, who may like the exotic sound of a herb but haven’t a clue what to do with it.

Heard will tell customers, “Try this in a soup, throw in a couple of leaves,” and then they’ll come back and tell her how it worked. Thus, a new recipe is born. If it doesn’t quite work, the store sells an ample supply of herb cookbooks to consult.

Herbs are essentially seed plants used as medicine, seasoning or flavoring. They’ve been cultivated for at least several thousand years. The resurgence in fine cooking and the search for alternatives to traditional spices such as salt have renewed interest in them in recent years, Heard speculates.

But for those still pondering whether to fuss with growing one’s own, Heard makes this simple observation:

“Flavors and tastes this fresh just can’t come out of a bottle.”

HEARD’S COUNTRY GARDENS

14391 Edwards St., Westminster.

(714) 894-2444.

Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open some Sundays from noon to 4:30 p.m.