For a basic kitchen garden for two people, I would say 2 parsley, 4 basil (2 now and 2 later), 1 thyme, 1 sage, 1 oregano, 1 rosemary, 1 sweet marjoram, 1 chives would get you off to a great start. Buy a book on culinary herbs to learn about others you might want to try.

I always suggest starting small and letting your garden grow in size with your experience and passion for gardening.

And kudos to wanting to grow herbs in the ground. We get so many people on this forum only wanting to grow herbs indoors or in containers that I was beginning to wonder if anyone besides me grew things in old Mother Earth herself any more. ;)

Of note, rosemary will not overwinter for you. I can't manage it even with "arp" which is the hardiest of rosemary varieties and you are my neighbor to the north across the Great Lakes. I don't grow sweet marjoram but I seem to recall that was more tender as well. Check the zones for it. Basil is annual and parsely is a biennial but treat as an annual. Plant those where you can replant easily each year. Sage and thyme both need lean (not overly rich) and well-draining soil. Drainage during the winter is key to having them survive the winter temps, snow, and ice. Oregano can survive nearly everything. Definitely find a good book to fill in the rest!

FataMorgana

By the way, if you are lucky enough to live near Richter's Herbs in Goodwood, Ontario, pay them a visit! They are a mecca of herbs in North America (together with others like DiBaggio's in Virginia) and will inspire you with every herb you can think of.