Most of us know that herbs, especially when picked fresh from the garden, add flavor and color to any dish.

There's the classic pairings of rosemary stuffed into a roast chicken, and basil scattered on top of fresh tomato slices and mozzarella.

But did you know flower petals, pomegranate seeds and geranium stems are herbs, too?

Karen England, propietor of Edgehill Herb Farm in Vista, does. "My definition is 'a useful plant, one used for crafting, medicine or cooking,'" she said, citing Webster's. "That's what makes an herb."

Not limited to the standard parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, England loves to sprinkle nasturtium and calendula blossoms in her salads and to flavor her homemade vinegars with rose petals.

"I thought the rose theme would be a fun thing to try," said England, 48, of her rose vinegar (see recipe) which she has been making for seven years. "But don't use distilled vinegar," she admonished. "Keep that for your windows."

Sometimes a passion can start simply. In England's case, it began more than 30 years ago when she started work at her cousin Ron Martin's nursery, Sunshine Gardens in Encinitas, where she said she soon became the resident "herb expert."

A flower girl at Martin's wedding, she loved the smell and feel of herbs even as a child. But it wasn't until she married 18 years ago, she said, that she started to learn to cook with them. "I realized I could grow all the stuff for spaghetti sauce, and it mushroomed from there," she said.

A frequent speaker at garden clubs, church groups and festivals all over North County, England said she enjoys spreading her extensive knowledge of herbs. "I find that people want to start using herbs, but they don't know how to start," she said. "Here's the thing. I tend to use herbs that I like, but other people like different things. I would say, start with flavors that you like. If you like spaghetti sauce, start with basil or oregano."

Or if you like Provencal flavors? Start with lavender, rosemary or lemon-scented plants. Asian flavors? Try lemon grass, cilantro and mint.

England sells soaps, sachets and potpourri online and makes all sorts of cooking oils, vinegars and teas for friends and family using different blends of herbs from her garden. After years of experimentation, she said, she has found out certain little things, such as: parsley and carrot go well together; flowers generally yield a gentler taste because the bloom is sweeter than the plant; flavors mixed in threes often work nicely; and if you don't like the scent of something, you probably won't like its flavor.

"For vinegars," she said "you can experiment using smaller jars, and see what you like. Vinegar isn't expensive, so you can just throw it out if you don't like it."

England said she often tells cooks and would-be herb gardeners to take the time and bend over to sniff the plants. "I noticed that when the dogs were waiting for me to go on a walk," she said. "Their tails would beat up the scented geraniums. You have got to beat them up to release the essential oils. Lots of herbs don't smell until they are crushed in your hand."

Five years ago, she and her husband, David, a lineman with San Diego Gas and Electric for 17 years, bought their Vista home, which sits on two acres, with the intent of starting an herb business from home.

"We were looking for property zoned agricultural," she said. "At some point, I'll have a shop to sell supplies and products and a display garden."

Already, England has an extensive herb garden outside with at least 30 varieties of scented geraniums, 700 different roses and a dozen different lavenders, five or six rosemary varieties and just as many kinds of thyme, sage and basil, as well as camomile and valerian.

"Herbs need to be out in the garden; in the house, they won't be as successful," she said, as she wanders through her kitchen garden, clipping from bush to bush. "Everything can be grown in a pot, and it's good to put like ones together."

While most of cooks wouldn't consider skipping salt and pepper, England thinks we should begin by putting fresh herbs on our list of essential ingredients -- particularly at this time of year. "A lot of the common herbs are blooming now through summer," she said. "You can make pastes with them and freeze them in ice cube trays. Jams, jellies and pickles, too, can be made much nicer with herbs."

At the end of last summer, she said, she made her friends pretty jars of her favorite seven-basil vinegar for gifts at Christmas time. "If you don't put anything like onion or garlic or anything that grows underground in the vinegar, it will last for a very long time."

Karen England

Edgehill Herb Farm, 2360 Edgehill Road, Vista

(760) 214-3685; www.edgehillherbfarm.com

Karen England's handcrafted soaps and other items are also available at Antiques on Main Street in Olde Downtown Vista.

Karen's Favorite Herb Vinegar

Actual amounts depend on the size jar used (England used a 1/2-gallon one):

Fill one-third full with rose-scented geranium flowers and 5-inch stems, loosely packed

Fill one-third with scented (preferably red, like Don Juan) rose blooms, ends trimmed, loosely packed

One-third with rosemary stalks

Fill jar with white undistilled, white wine, or unseasoned rice vinegar to the top.

Steep on a sunny window for about two weeks before straining herbs from liquid. If made with red rose blooms, the vinegar will have a rosy red blush.

"This vinaigrette is adapted from the 'Our Favorite Vinaigrette' recipe in 'The Silver Palate Cookbook' by Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins (1979)," said England.

HERB VINEGAR VINAIGRETTE

1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons herb vinegar

1/2 tablespoon sugar, optional

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or to taste

1/2 cup good quality olive oil

Mix all but the oil together first in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until thickened. Makes one cup. Store any leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator.

For the salad, Karen used pre-washed mixed greens and added two rose blooms (High Hopes), 12 lime-scented geranium blossoms, 2 calendula blossoms and 4 to 5 nasturtium blossoms to the bowl. (Note: Never use flowers that have had commercial pesticides sprayed on them.)

Contact staff writer Ruth Marvin Webster at (760) 740-3527 or rwebster@nctimes.com.