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How To Grow an Herb Garden

Herbs are low-maintenance plants that make a great addition to any kitchen or garden. Their shallow root systems and resiliency make them easy to grow, even for beginners. Growing your own herb garden is a great way to add more flavor to your cooking, and it provides an opportunity to teach children about the plant life cycle.

Before you start your garden, it is important to understand what makes herbs grow best and what your options are when planting.

Seeds vs. Plants

When you begin your garden, you have the option to plant seeds or seedlings. Seeds are less expensive than seedlings; however, they will take more time (and nurturing) to become full herb plants. Seedlings—or young herb plants—give you more control over where your plants will grow and have a higher likelihood of making it to maturity—if transferred correctly. Your decision, however, may be determined by the variety of seeds and seedlings available at your local nursery. Typically, more seed varieties are available than seedlings.

Indoors vs. Outdoors

Herb gardens can be grown indoors or outdoors. Your herbs can be started indoors in early spring when it is too cold to survive outside. Because they don’t need significant sunlight to grow, this is a great option if you live further north. However, herbs grow better the more sun they get, so once the last hard frost of the season has passed, we recommend moving herbs outside.

Pots vs. Ground vs. Raised Bed

Herbs don’t like sitting in water, so drainage is very important for them. Whether you keep your herbs in pots, a raised bed, or the ground, make sure water can easily drain from the bottom. Pots and raised beds are great options because they drain well and allow you to move them indoors if cold or severe weather arises. While the ground is a natural environment for plants to grow, you are more limited in your control over how much water they receive and how well they drain.

Annuals vs. Perennials

Annual herbs—like basil, cilantro, dill, and fennel—live for one season, so they will need to be replanted every year. Perennials—like mint, oregano, sage, and thyme—will grow for many seasons if they are cut back in the fall. While one is not better than the other, it is important to know if your herbs are annuals or perennials to better understand their life cycles.

Prune, Water, Repeat

While not a decision, one important factor to consider when planting is the time it takes to nurture your herbs with pruning and watering. Remember, prune early and often to help your herbs thrive. Watering should take place as needed based on the herbs you are growing and how much water they are absorbing. Make sure not to over-water or over-prune your plants.

Once you have made your decisions regarding how you want to grow your plants, you can start planting.

Things You’ll Need:

Planting

Growing

Storing