It makes sense to grow herbs that you would like to use frequently, but if you’re not a big cook you might not know what those are. Start with the basics: rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano. Parsley is also very easy to grow. If you like Mexican food, add cilantro and epazote. If your food tends to an Asian flare, keep the cilantro and try lemongrass if you have a yard (it doesn’t do as well in containers) or thai basil. Chives are another great, quick-growing herb you can use on potatoes, in salads or with pasta.
These herbs all like a lot of sun and well-watered soil. If you notice that the herbs start wilting (basil especially will let you know when it’s unhappy), move the plants out of direct sunlight for at least part of the day.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to keep your herbs over the winter or you may have to replace some each year. Basil, thyme and sage tend to die after a frost. Rosemary is somewhat more hardy but will die after a hard frost. The tender grassy herbs will die back in cold weather, but if you allow some of the plants to go to seed (the herb will flower and make seeds, which will eventually fall to the soil) you might be surprised to find the plants come back on their own each year.
If your rosemary, thyme or oregano plants freeze, you can still use the herbs. They basically freeze dry and are still fine to use even though they will have lost their color. If you want to preserve other herbs at the end of the season, cut long stems of the herb and hang them upside down in a cool dry place for a couple of weeks until they are dry, then harvest the leaves and store them in an airtight container.