Herb gardens are awesome. They don’t require a ton of space, they are perfect for beginners, and, they have a ton of culinary and medicinal users {read: they will turn your cooking up a notch}, and can help deter pests {like mosquitoes} and attract beneficial insects/bees to your garden. Best of all, besides a little sun and water, you basically have to do nothing for them to thrive. They are delightfully forgiving.
Growing herbs requires very little time and investment. You can incorporate them into your landscape, grow them in pots {my personal favorite method}, or plant them directly into your garden beds {they are great for companion planting}.
To start an herb garden, decide where you want to plant them. Make sure you plant them in a nice, sunny well-drained location. For containers, start with a high quality potting soil {I like to make my own potting soil}. In deciding what you want to plant, think about the recipes you make the most. What do they call for? Start your herb list there.
Deciding on whether to buy herbs or grow them from seed totally depends on your preference. It has been my experience that herbs from seed take a little longer than some other plants, so if you plan on starting with seeds, you’ll want to start them indoors a month or two before it’s time to plant them outside. On the upside, starting from seed allows you to get much tastier varieties than what is available at standard nurseries.
Once you have decided what to plant and where, all you really need to do is plant. Provide plenty of sun, consistent water, an occasional dose of organic fertilizer and you are good to go.
If you really want to keep it simple, several varieties of herbs are actually perennials. Here’s a list of the most common, if you looking to go as low maintenance as possible:
- Mint. Just be warned, unless you drink mojitos like every second of every day, mint can become a real pain in the butt if you don’t plant it in pots. It spreads like a weed, and goes from awesome to a thorn in your side pretty quick. So, I guess I am saying, plant this one in a pot and enjoy the heck out of it that way.
- Oregano. This is an herb garden must-have.
- Lavender. Lavender has so many uses, both in the kitchen and the garden that I think it should be in every yard–and who doesn’t love to look at purple flowers?
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
- Tarragon
- Marjoram
- Savory {make sure to select a winter variety}
There are actually a ton more that will volunteer year after year, but those are the most commonly found in recipes.
Do you plan to grow an herb garden this year? What will you be planting?
~Mavis
Kristina says
Basil of course. Camomile, which also makes a nice and fragrant ground cover and yummy tea.
Rebecca says
I’ll be planting basil, thyme, parsley, and chives. Chives are a perennial to add to your list. I dry the basil, parsley, and thyme (with my dehydrator) to use all winter long. I find that drying my own herbs is so much better than buying from the grocery store. And if you have any friends who are foodies, they really appreciate gifts of herbs fresh or dry!
I also want to plant garlic in the fall (which will be a first for me).
randi says
I’ve planted basil this year and have overwintered thyme, 3 types of mint (all in pots!), oregano that I use as a border, rosemary, sage and lavender. I grew lemon verbena last year which smelled AMAZING but didn’t know what to do with it. It did not survive the winter.
my favorite last year was catnip (catmint). I don’t have a cat but ‘share’ with the neighborhood ones (with owner permission of course).
Cecily says
You must really like tarragon since you listed it twice! 😉
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Cecily, I just fixed it. 🙂 🙂
Veronica says
Fair warning: oregano spreads like mint.
Brooke says
I’m loving our volunteer dill. I planted it 2 years ago, and the past 2 years it has seeded and just pops up!
Marcy says
In 2003, I started my raised bed garden with four five sided herb beds. I filled the beds with a mix of top soil, sterilized cow manure, and a compost/mulch mix. All of the products were bagged and bought at a big box store. I planted Rosemary, oregano, bronze fennel, lavender, several thymes, and lemon balm, as well as peonies, in the beds. Twelve years later, those beds are still thriving and, really, I’ve never added another thing to them. No compost, no fertilizer, nothing. The lemon balm and oregano long ago escaped their beds and now own one corner of the garden. The lavender owns the opposite corner, with the thyme filling in wherever it can find a spot. The big dog, though, is the Rosemary; the bush is easily four feet wide and the creeping Rosemary completely covers the aisle. Last spring I finally finished filling the rest of the beds and I’m growing annuals like basil, cilantro, marjoram as well as longer lived herbs like tarragon, sage, and parsley. The soil for these beds is richer and more organic, and the plants love it. I have mint everywhere, but I take its abundance as a sign that I should have mint tea and mojitos daily. LOL
Ronnica, Striving Stewardess says
Basil is my favorite…I didn’t grow enough last year, so I’m upping it this year. I’m also trying oregano, dill, thyme and rosemary. I think I need to get some lavender and sage, though before it gets too far into the season.