About 35 local people celebrate the spice of life -- herbs -- on a monthly basis.

Thyme for Herbs, a group dedicated to educating people about how to grow and use herbs, has been meeting since 1984.

"We're a little different than typical garden clubs," secretary Susan Caroleo said.

Each meeting features different herbal programs, focusing on the historical and practical uses of perennials, such as rosemary, thyme, tarra-gon or frankincense.

A love of gardening and cooking drove Caroleo, 62, of Irwin, to get involved with the group. She said each meeting includes a snack with different combinations of herbs.

"Herbs lend an awful lot to cooking," she said. "It's something you can't get from a mix or store-bought things -- there are just so many combinations and so much to learn."

Wanda Downing, 74, of Manor, has been part of the group for about eight years. She also joined to expand her culinary usage of herbs. Although she knew about some, being around other herbally minded people helped her learn more about the flavorful plants.

"If you've never cooked with herbs, you don't know what they taste like until you have the chance," she said. "There's nothing like a fresh herb."

Downing and Caroleo both grow their own herbs.

Although people tend to think growing herbs is a cumbersome task, Caroleo said, it is easier than most would believe.

"It's no more work to have some herbs interspersed in a garden than to have flowers around the house," Caroleo said. "My herbs tend to be right around the house, so when I'm cooking and need some, I just walk out the door and pick a few leaves."

Group member Barbara Ogrodnik of Delmont calls herself a backyard gardener who always has grown her own herbs. But joining Thyme for Herbs has helped her expand her herbal horizons.

"Hearing of others' successes encourages me to perhaps purchase something I would have never considered," Ogrodnik said. "One lady (in Thyme for Herbs) said she wouldn't be without hyssops (a plant in the mint family), so I bought some the other day.

"It's helped me grow in my herb adventures, as well."

Ogrodnik spends her summers working in her garden. She also prepares for the winter by harvesting, drying and canning or freezing herbs, such as parsley, basil or rosemary, which allows her to enjoy her crop year round.

"It's just like a fresh tomato -- fresh herbs have a different taste, and that makes all the difference," Ogrodnik said. "It also gives you the satisfaction of having grown these things, which is just delightful."

The group meets at Harrold Zion Lutheran Church in Hempfield Township and maintains a biblical herb garden there with plants such as frankincense, myrrh and rosemary.

"We try to include herbs that might have been in use during that historical period, Caroleo said.

In June, the group held its annual herb fair at the church to invite others on its herbal adventure. It was the best-attended fair the group ever has held, coordinator Sharon Tomb said.

The fair, which ran from 8 a.m. until noon, had about 200 people trying herbal treats and learning about uses of the plants.

"We're a nonprofit, so that will help keep our club going," Tomb, 47, of Penn Township, said.

The fair featured plants grown by club members and other local growers for sale, as well as demonstrations of how to make an herb wreath. Inside the church, members demonstrated how to make baked goods out of herbs and provided samples of dips and hot-pepper jelly.

"We basically want people to start using and growing their own herbs," Tomb said. "They make beautiful and useful perennials."

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Thyme for Herbs always is looking for new members.

From September through May, the group meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of every month at Harrold Zion Lutheran Church, 671 Baltzer Meyer Pike, Hempfield Township. Meetings in June through August take members on garden tours throughout the area, such as Sand Hill Berries in Mt. Pleasant.

For more information, call co-chairwoman Donna Merritts at 724-219-3018 or co-chairwoman Diana Lucia at 724-547-5123.