Gayle, yes, the fresh is so much better than the dried. You can grow you own Bay Tree in a pot...
The variety you want to grow is Laurus nobilis. I'm sure you can find plants on the internet, or at a specialty nursery. Bays thive in containers, making them ideal for a patio. I have three of them, and if a hard frost threatens, I move them inside to a cool room. They are very suited to being indoor plants in the winter, and they like to be pot bound. Try Google for more information.