A herb garden is often the gateway to a full-blown gardening addiction. Don't say I didn't warn you.
For many people, the food-growing journey begins with a few potted herbs on a windowsill, balcony or beside the back door. Herbs are relatively easy to grow, don't require much space, and offer the simple satisfaction of stepping outside to harvest fresh ingredients whenever you need them. If you've managed to keep a houseplant alive for a month, then you're already overqualified to grow herbs.
Herbs have so much more to offer than a convenient handful of greenery for dinner. They're a great introduction to growing your own food, opening the door to seed saving, preserving, perennial planting and eventually incorporating herbs into a larger, productive garden. Having fresh herbs on hand makes it easy to add flavour to your cooking, and once you get started, it's easy to see the benefits of growing your own.
Photo: herb garden
Pots, Patios & Possibilities
You don't need a huge garden, elaborate raised beds, or even a dedicated space. Herbs are also a fantastic way to start growing your own food if you're renting. Growing herbs in pots means you don't need to dig up garden beds or make permanent changes to a property that isn't yours. If you move house, simply pack up your pots and take your herbs with you.
Photo: patio
A Feast for the Senses
One of the things I love about growing herbs is that they're not just useful in the kitchen. Harvesting them is a sensory experience, from the fragrance released as you brush past them to the feel of the leaves between your fingers. I particularly love it when the kitchen window is open and a breeze carries that fresh herbal scent inside.
When starting a herb garden, the most important thing to consider is what you'll actually use. There's not much point growing a herb simply because it's easy if it's going to sit there untouched. Grow the herbs you cook with, the ones you love the smell and flavour of. Rather than planting twenty different herbs because they look pretty, think about what you regularly reach for in the kitchen.
Parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, dill, coriander, rosemary, mint and chives are all familiar starting points, but the best herb collection is the one you'll actually eat.
Mint is best grown in a pot—unless your lifelong dream is to own nothing but mint.
Photo: mint pot (corsican mint)
The Gift That Keeps Growing
Perennial herbs are a great place to start, particularly if you're new to gardening. This is where herbs really begin to earn their place in the home garden. Given suitable growing conditions and regular watering while they're establishing, herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, chives and perennial forms of basil can continue producing for years with relatively little fuss.
That means you aren't starting from scratch with annuals every season.
If you're not keen on sowing seed, buying established plants is a very easy option. Some herbs, such as parsley, can be a little trickier to grow from seed, especially when you're still learning the basics. Starting with established plants can help build your confidence while you discover what grows best in your garden.
Photo: variegated sage
Beyond the Basics
Even with common culinary herbs such as oregano and thyme, there's a surprising amount of variety to explore. There are different types of oregano, including Italian and Greek oregano, as well as golden oregano, which adds a splash of colour to the garden. Thyme has plenty of options too, from traditional thyme to lemon thyme, French thyme and varieties sold as pizza thyme.
Garden writers are contractually obliged to make at least one thyme joke, so here it is—you'll never have enough thyme.
Photo: Thyme
Basil is another great example of just how much variety exists within a single herb. It's not just a case of growing sweet Genovese basil. There are lemon and cinnamon basils, dark purple varieties such as Purple Ruffles, and large lettuce-leaf types with broad leaves that are perfect for harvesting in the kitchen. Thai basil is another favourite, with its distinctive flavour and beautiful purple flowers.
You can even grow perennial varieties of basil (in warm climates), so you're not limited to the usual annual types. There are so many options available that you could easily grow a dozen different basils alone, each with its own flavour, appearance and culinary use.
Once you start looking beyond the standard varieties, there's a whole world of herbs waiting to be explored.
Photo: basil varieties
Think Bigger
Herbs don't have to be limited to small, soft-leafed plants in pots. Once you've mastered a few favourites, it's worth thinking bigger.
Bay trees are a great example. They can be grown in large pots and pruned to keep them to a manageable size, giving you a steady supply of bay leaves without needing room for a full-sized tree.
Curry leaf trees are another excellent option, particularly if you enjoy cooking with fresh curry leaves, although they'll appreciate a little protection from the cold in cooler climates.
And let's be honest—there's something rather satisfying about casually wandering outside to pick a few bay leaves from your own tree.
Photo: bay tree
The World of Unusual Herbs
Santolina, sometimes called olive herb, has aromatic foliage and can add another dimension to your herb collection. Once you start looking beyond the usual culinary herbs, you'll discover an incredible range of plants with different flavours, fragrances and growth habits. Before long, your herb garden starts reflecting the way you cook, the space you have available and even your personality.
Photo: santolina
There are plenty of less common herbs worth exploring too, such as lovage, marjoram and bronze fennel. Bronze fennel is particularly beautiful, grown for its fine, feathery bronze foliage rather than the swollen bulb you'd harvest from Florence fennel. It adds wonderful texture to the garden while still earning its place in the kitchen.
If the gardening bug really bites, there's a whole other world of medicinal herbs waiting to be explored, should the breeze blow you in that direction. Plants such as calendula, borage and comfrey have long histories of traditional use and can also be wonderful additions to the garden, attracting pollinators and increasing biodiversity.
The wonderful thing about herbs is that there's always another one to discover.
Photo: lovage, variegated herbs
Waste Not, Want Not
It's also worth considering which parts of a herb you can use. Coriander is a good example. Most people only use the fresh green leaves, but the stems are full of flavour too... unless you're firmly in the "coriander tastes like soap" camp. You can even use the roots in cooking, so there's much more to the plant than just the leafy tops.
The same applies to herbs grown for their seeds. Just because an annual herb starts flowering and going to seed doesn't mean it's finished. Dill, fennel, caraway, lovage, cumin and coriander can all be harvested for their seeds as well as their foliage, each bringing something different to the kitchen.
Rather than seeing flowering as the end of a herb's usefulness, it's worth asking yourself what else the plant has to offer.
Photo: fennel seed
The Edible Bloom
Many culinary herbs produce edible flowers, adding another dimension to growing your own herbs. From the delicate flowers of thyme and oregano to the purple blooms of basil and chive flowers, they can add colour and flavour to salads, garnish meals or finish off a dish.
Some flowers even taste quite different from the leaves.
Allowing a few herbs to flower also brings more life into the garden, attracting bees, beneficial insects and other wildlife. Rather than removing every flower as soon as it appears, let a few bloom and enjoy everything they have to offer.
Photo: Fennel flowers
Herbs That Plant Themselves
Some herbs will happily do the work themselves. Parsley, dill, chervil and fennel can all produce generous amounts of seed. If you allow a few plants to flower and set seed, nature may do the rest, with new seedlings appearing in seasons to come.
It's one of the few times you'll be happy to find volunteers in the garden.
Letting a few plants go to seed isn't necessarily the end of the harvest—it can be the beginning of the next one.
Parsley is a good example. Although it's technically a biennial rather than an annual, it self-sows quite freely in the right conditions. Once it's settled into a spot it likes, new seedlings often appear as older plants finish their life cycle. Before long, you can have a continuous supply growing in the same place year after year without buying another packet of seed.
Even annual herbs can produce an astonishing amount of usable harvest over a single season, particularly if they're picked regularly before putting all their energy into flowering.
Photo: chervil
Pick the Perfect Pot
You can grow herbs in almost any container that has drainage holes and enough room for healthy root growth. Everything else is just fashion.
Timber, fabric grow bags, plastic, fibreglass, metal tubs, terracotta, hanging baskets, or even upcycled household objects—almost anything goes. Your herbs won't care whether the pot cost $5 or $50. They care far more about good drainage.
Growing herbs in terracotta pots always looks beautiful. However, terracotta can be a little trickier because it's porous, allowing moisture to evaporate through the sides of the pot. If the pots haven't been properly seasoned, they'll usually need watering more often than glazed alternatives.
For beginner gardeners, I'd recommend starting with glazed pots. They lose less moisture, making it much easier to maintain consistent soil moisture during the warmer months when containers can dry out surprisingly quickly.
Photo: pot oregano
The Secret Is in the Soil
Water and potting mix are two of the biggest factors in growing healthy herbs.
Depending on the weather, you may need to water potted herbs every day—or even twice a day during hot spells. Pots have an uncanny habit of drying out just after you've told yourself, "They'll be fine until tomorrow."
Choosing a quality potting mix is equally important. I'd lean towards a premium vegetable and herb mix rather than a basic potting mix, as they're designed specifically for edible plants. Look for a mix that retains moisture while still draining freely.
Some potting mixes also contain wetting agents, helping water soak evenly through the mix rather than running straight through once it becomes dry.
Photo: basil terracotta
Right Plant, Right Soil
Not all herbs enjoy the same growing conditions, so matching the plant to the soil will usually reward you with healthier growth and better flavour.
Broad-leafed herbs such as parsley, basil, mint and lovage are heavier feeders that appreciate rich, compost-filled soil. Without enough nutrients and consistent moisture, they can become tough and bitter.
Herbs such as dill, bronze fennel, coriander, chives, lemon balm, marjoram and caraway prefer moderately fertile soil. Feed them too generously and they'll often produce plenty of lush foliage, but much of the concentrated aroma and flavour comes from plants that aren't overindulged.
Mediterranean herbs—including thyme, oregano, rosemary and sage—are quite different again. They're happiest in free-draining, sandy or sandy-loam soils with relatively low fertility. Rich, heavy soil can encourage soft growth, reduce flavour and, in some cases, even cause plants to rot.
If rosemary could talk, it'd probably ask you to stop feeding it quite so much. Sometimes, less really is more.
Photo: rosemary flowers
Location, Location, Location
Although many herbs are labelled as full-sun plants, you'll often find they perform just as well—or even better—in part shade.
This is particularly useful when growing herbs in pots, as they'll dry out more slowly when protected from the harsh afternoon sun. Full sun doesn't necessarily mean eight or ten hours of direct sunlight every day. For many common culinary herbs, a few hours of morning sun followed by afternoon shade is more than enough.
In my own garden I've found that many herbs perform better this way. Intense afternoon sun often scorches the leaves, stresses the plant and encourages it to bolt prematurely.
Around three to four hours of morning sunlight is often all that's needed to keep herbs healthy while protecting their tender leaves from the hottest part of the day.
Every garden is different, so don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes moving a pot just a metre or two can make all the difference.
Photo: thyme terracotta
Pick, Eat, Repeat
Herbs are wonderfully generous plants. The more you harvest, the more many of them seem to reward you with fresh growth.
Rather than picking individual leaves from the sides of the plant, try harvesting the growing tips. This encourages the stems to branch from the nodes below the cut, creating a shorter, bushier and far more productive plant.
Regular harvesting doesn't just keep your herbs looking tidy—it gives you a constant supply for the kitchen while encouraging even more growth.
Photo: group herbs
Fresh, Frozen or Dried
One of the great things about herbs is that you rarely need to use the entire harvest at once.
They can be enjoyed fresh, air-dried for later use, frozen into handy herb cubes, blended into pesto, stirred through herb butter or turned into marinades and sauces. The possibilities are almost endless.
Unlike growing a giant crop that suddenly needs eating all at once, herbs let you harvest little and often, exactly when you need them.
Photo: applemint
More Than a Herb Garden
Once you've graduated from a few pots, herbs can become an integral part of the veggie patch, particularly perennial herbs.
Year after year they provide structure, fragrance and a reliable harvest with very little fuss. Whether growing in permanent pots or tucked throughout the garden, they soon become part of the landscape rather than just another crop.
They also play an important role in the garden ecosystem. At the end of the season allowing herbs such as parsley, dill and basil to produce flowers will attract bees and beneficial insects, while low-growing herbs like thyme and oregano provide shelter for small creatures, including lizards.
Perennial herbs bring a sense of permanence to the garden. They add texture, fragrance and structure while always being there when you need a handful for dinner. There's something immensely satisfying about brushing past rosemary or thyme and catching that familiar fragrance as you wander through the garden.
Photo: permanent pots
Groundcover with Benefits
Once you're growing fruit trees, vegetables and other perennial crops, herbs don't have to live in a separate little herb garden.
Low-growing herbs such as thyme and oregano make excellent living groundcovers beneath larger plants, helping shade the soil, reduce moisture loss and make use of space that might otherwise sit bare.
It's another reminder that herbs can do far more than simply flavour your dinner.
Photo: thyme groundcover
Less Distance, More Flavour
Growing herbs at home shortens the journey from soil to plate.
Instead of buying a pre-washed bunch that may have travelled hundreds or even thousands of kilometres, you simply step outside and pick exactly what you need.
Even if it's only a few pots beside the back door, or on your windowsill, you are reducing food miles while enjoying herbs at their freshest.
And as every gardener will happily tell you, food somehow tastes better when you've grown it yourself.
Photo: parsley bunch
A Final Thought
Perhaps that's why herbs are where so many gardening journeys begin.
They ask for very little, yet give back in abundance—fresh flavours, beautiful fragrances, buzzing pollinators and the simple pleasure of stepping outside to pick something you've grown yourself.
Before long, those few pots of herbs often become the first chapter in a lifelong love of gardening.
Photo: Borage
