How to grow a herb garden (indoors or out)

A packet of herb seeds costs very little, and a single healthy plant will give you far more fresh herb than a supermarket packet ever could. Growing your own also cuts the plastic packaging from shop-bought herbs and means the herb is actually fresh — picked minutes before you use it, not days.

Why herbs are the best beginner crop

If you've never grown food before, herbs are where to start — for several reasons:

• Fast results. Cress, chives and basil can be ready to harvest in a few weeks from seed. You see progress quickly, which matters when you're learning.
• High value for the space. Fresh herbs from a shop are expensive per gram. A pot of basil you grew from seed costs a fraction of a shop packet and keeps producing.
• Tiny footprint. A 15 cm pot on a windowsill is enough. You do not need a garden, a balcony, or even outdoor space.
• Cuts packaging. Shop-bought fresh herbs almost always come in single-use plastic. Growing your own eliminates that entirely.
• Forgiving. Most herbs — chives, mint, thyme, rosemary — are resilient. They bounce back from neglect far more readily than most vegetables.

Where to grow herbs

The main requirement for most culinary herbs is sunlight. Everything else is flexible.

• Sunny windowsill: south- or west-facing in the northern hemisphere, north- or east-facing in the southern hemisphere. At least 4–6 hours of direct sun daily is ideal for most herbs. Basil wants the most; mint tolerates the least.
• Balcony or patio: excellent — more light, more space. Use pots or troughs with drainage holes.
• Outdoors in beds or borders: Mediterranean herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage) thrive in free-draining, slightly poor soil in a sunny spot. They can be more productive outdoors in summer than on a windowsill.
• Grow bags and window boxes: work well for leafy herbs like parsley, chives, coriander and basil, especially outdoors in warm months.

For more ideas on growing food without much space, see our guide to growing food in small spaces.

The easiest herbs to start with

Here are the most reliable herbs for beginners, with notes on their habits:

• Chives — nearly indestructible. Perennial (comes back each year). Tolerates lower light than most. Snip leaves with scissors; they regrow. Produces pretty edible purple flowers. Ideal first herb.
• Mint — very vigorous, but spreads aggressively if planted in the ground. Always grow mint in its own pot to contain its roots. Perennial. Tolerates partial shade. Dozens of varieties (spearmint, peppermint, apple mint).
• Parsley — biennial (lives two years, then flowers and dies). Slow to germinate from seed (can take 3–4 weeks — don't give up). Very productive once established.
• Basil — annual (dies at end of season or with cold). Wants heat and a genuinely sunny spot. Do not overwater. Very rewarding when conditions are right; temperamental when they aren't. Not suitable for cold windowsills in winter.
• Coriander/cilantro — annual. Bolts (flowers and goes to seed) quickly in heat; sow little and often rather than one big batch. The seeds are also a useful spice.
• Thyme — perennial. Very drought-tolerant. Needs good drainage and sun. Excellent in pots outdoors. Woody stems, harvest from the tips.
• Rosemary — perennial shrub. Can get large. Needs sun and excellent drainage — will rot in waterlogged soil. Slow-growing but long-lived.
• Oregano — perennial. Easy and unfussy in a sunny spot. The dried herb is actually more intensely flavoured than fresh.

From seed, plug plant or supermarket pot

There are three ways to get started, each with trade-offs:

• From seed: the cheapest option by far. A seed packet costs very little and contains dozens of seeds. Best for: basil, parsley, coriander, chives. Requires a little patience — most herbs take 1–4 weeks to germinate.
• Plug plants: small seedlings sold ready to pot on. Available from garden centres and online in spring. More expensive than seed but saves time and gives a head start. Good for thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano, which are slow from seed.
• Supermarket herb pots: a pot of basil or parsley from a supermarket is cheap and gives you an instant plant. The catch: these pots are usually crammed with many seedlings grown fast for quick sale — they're not meant to last. Pot them on (split into 2–3 smaller groups if necessary, or thin them out), give them better compost, a larger pot and more light, and they'll survive and thrive. You can also propagate many herbs from cuttings — a sprig of basil, mint or rosemary in water will often root in a week or two.

How to care for herbs

Most herb failures come from overwatering, underfeeding on light, or letting plants flower without picking them back. Here's what actually matters:

• Light: this is the biggest factor. Give herbs the brightest spot you have. If you're growing indoors in winter, expect slow growth — many herbs rest in short days.
• Watering: the most common mistake is watering too much. Check the top centimetre of compost — if it's still damp, wait. Mediterranean herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage) prefer to dry out between waterings. Basil and parsley like more consistent moisture but still need drainage.
• Drainage: pots must have drainage holes. Waterlogged roots are the most common cause of herb death, especially for rosemary and thyme.
• Harvest little and often: regular picking keeps the plant productive. For leafy herbs, always take from the top — cutting back encourages bushy growth rather than bare stems.
• Pinch out flowers: when a basil, parsley or coriander plant starts to flower, pinch the flower bud off. Once a plant goes to seed, it stops putting energy into leaf production and the flavour often declines.
• Feeding: for long-term container plants, a liquid feed (seaweed-based or general purpose) every few weeks in the growing season helps maintain vigour.

Start a windowsill herb: step by step

1. Choose a container with drainage holes. A 10–15 cm pot is fine for a single herb. Terracotta breathes well and is less likely to hold excess moisture, but plastic works too. Place a saucer underneath.
2. Fill with good-quality peat-free compost. Fill to about 2 cm below the rim. For thyme, rosemary or lavender, mix in some grit or perlite to improve drainage.
3. Sow seeds or plant your plug/supermarket pot. For seeds: sow thinly on the surface, cover lightly (check packet depth — some herbs need light to germinate), and water gently. Label with the herb name and date.
4. Place in the best light you have. A south- or west-facing sill is ideal. Avoid cold draughts from windows in winter — basil especially will sulk.
5. Water when the top centimetre of compost is dry. Water at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves where possible. Empty the saucer after 30 minutes so roots don't sit in water.
6. Start harvesting once the plant has several sets of leaves. Take small amounts from the growing tips. Never strip more than a third of the plant at one time.
7. Pinch flowers as soon as they appear on leafy herbs. For chives, you can let some flower — the flowers are edible and attractive.

Preserving a glut

A healthy herb plant often produces more than you can use fresh. Here's how to save it:

• Freeze in oil: chop fresh herbs (basil, parsley, coriander, chives) and pack into ice cube trays with a little olive or neutral oil. Freeze, then pop the cubes into a bag. Drop a cube straight into soups, sauces and stews.
• Dry: tie bunches of woody herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage) loosely and hang in a warm, airy spot out of direct sun. Once dry and crumbly, strip from the stems and store in a jar. Works less well for leafy herbs like basil, which lose much of their flavour when dried (freezing is better for those).
• Herb salts and pestos: blending herbs with salt or oil extends their life and creates a flavourful condiment.

For more on preserving food, see our food preservation guide.

Herb garden checklist

• Choose a spot with at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day.
• Start with 2–3 herbs: chives and one of basil, parsley or mint.
• Use pots with drainage holes and good-quality peat-free compost.
• Water only when the top centimetre of compost is dry.
• Never leave pots sitting in water-filled saucers.
• Grow mint in its own separate pot.
• Harvest little and often from the growing tips.
• Pinch flower buds off leafy herbs as soon as they appear.
• Freeze or dry a glut rather than let it go to waste.