I grow roses to harvest for rosewater, and lavender for multiple purposes. I'm lucky enough to live in the Deep South so we have a long growing season and while most of our garden is for food, I do plant extra heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers to puree and use in soaps. Whatever I can't use fresh, I freeze in icecube trays to have available in the winter months. I also keep big pots of lemongrass just outside of our doors...helps keep flies and mosquitoes from getting inside and smells lovely, not to mention being gorgeous! These plants grow like crazy, and you can dig out a root (along with the leaves) anytime you want to make Thai food without hurting the plant...I haven't used it in soap yet, but I'm thinking I might play around with it in my FO-scented 'Lemongrass Sage' soap.
As for other herbs...I grow rosemary, sage, oregano, mint, and both sweet and Thai basil year-round for cooking, but I don't use any of these in soap.
