Don't really have a favorite, Tend to move around as conditions and requirements change. I grew up on Cushaws ( C. mixta) because they were the easiest to grow in the south. Still grow them for pies, but they are really too big now. I can't eat like I use to and one squash will feed me through the winter. I like Hubbards especially the Chicago Green, but again too big, and they are difficult to grow in the south. Butternuts and their kin ( C. moschata) are a standby for me as they are both delicious and resistant to the squash vine borer. I like the butternuts in casseroles and the cheese types for pies. Currently growing two Thai cultivars , Beung Karn and Fagtong Sri Muang. Of course I also like a couple of acorns with baked apples in the center. favorite , Bush Table Queen) These are C. pepo, but the bush forms are not quite as susceptible to SVB. This one is African (Morocco) quite delicious, but gets too big for my uses.

For some of them, especially thyme, if you neglect it the lower stems can lose all their leaves; so if you were to cut it back hard, there'd be no leaves left. If that happens, give it a "haircut," which will stimulate new leafy branches to form below. After a few weeks, you can then give it a more severe pruning to restore it to bushiness.

I can't help with supplies, but if you can find winter savory instead, take it. The flavour is supposed to be a little coarser than that of summer savory, but I can't say I notice the difference. The beauty of the winter savory is that it's perennial, whereas summer savory is an annual. I have the lemon savory, which has a taste like lemon-pepper seasoning. It's a perennial, too. Any self-respecting herb nursery should stock all three!

I agree. We have too much humidity - along with fusarium and other fungal infections. 1 herb I've managed to keep alive for many years now is sweet marjoram. It's in a large terracotta pot, which seems to help the roots stay drier. It looks like a bonsai at this point. I move my pots around during the year too - full sun in the cooler months and afternoon shade in the hotter months.