@butterfly:
Most herbs do very well in our area. Some perennials that I grow are thyme, sage, chives, tarragon, peppermint and spearmint. Lemon balm also grows very well (be careful...it will spread) and makes a very nice tea. Parsley (all types) is a biennial, but it's best to grow it as an annual. I grow the Italian flat-leaf.
The annual herbs that I grow include cilantro (the dried seed of this plant is called coriander), Sweet Genovese basil (good variety for pesto) and a beautiful Thai basil that has purple stems and leaf veins, called Siam Queen.
The basils like rich soil, but most other herbs will produce better in poor soil. In fact, the worse the soil is, the better they will do. Just be sure they are getting enough water.