5 Easy to Grow Herbs Every Home Gardener Should Grow
Growing your own herb garden has never been easier! These popular herbs are great for experienced and novice gardeners alike. Easy to grow and quite prolific, they will have your kitchen herb garden bursting to life each season. They make a great addition to recipes, flower arrangements, and more.
Fresh herbs are one of my favorite things about summer.
Don’t get me wrong, I love getting to see my cut flower garden burst to life every year (you can read more about that here). But, as someone who loves to be in the kitchen, having delicious and easy to grow herbs for use in recipes is an absolute must.
Whether or not you are confident in your gardening skills, you really don’t have an excuse not to grow fresh herbs. They can be easily grown in the ground, in raised beds, or a small pot on your front porch (great for those who garden in small spaces). They can also thrive indoors in a sunny windowsill during the winter months. (I don’t know about you, but having a little bit of something green to look at and tend to helps get me through the dreary winter days).
I have compiled a quick list of some of the easiest herbs to grow, but there are many others out there that are both low maintenance and pretty prolific when treated right!
5 Easy to Grow Herbs
These easy herbs made my top 5 list not only for their forgiving nature in the garden, but because they are some of the most versatile herbs to use in recipes, flower arrangements, and more!
- Parsley
- Basil
- Mint
- Chives
- Rosemary
Again, know that there are many, many others out there. This is just a quick list of some personal favorites that I always have booming success with. There are also many different varieties of each type of herb out there. From sweet basil to Thai basil, spearmint to chocolate mint… the options are pretty much endless! Fun, right?
How to Grow Herbs Successfully: Quick Tips
- Most herbs will do best in a spot with full sun to partial shade in order to put on the most growth. I typically see at least 4-6 hours of sunlight recommended for most herbs. Although some, like basil and lavender, can tolerate (and even thrive!) with much more sun.
- Plant herbs outdoors in late spring to early summer, when all danger of frost has passed. Herbs will only begin to put on fresh, new growth once warmer temperatures arrive.
- For best results, most herbs will perform well in rich, well-draining soil that has been amended with some sort of organic matter and organic fertilizer. I typically amend with compost in all of my garden beds and containers, and prefer to use Espoma fertilizers and soil amendments when I do my initial planting. I also fertilize regularly throughout the growing season!
- When it comes to basil, harvest leaves while they are still small and tender for use in recipes. For cut flower arrangements, use when the stems are tougher and more rigid, or whenever little white flowers begin to form. It makes a beautiful filler in flower bouquets, and you can’t beat the scent!
- If there is any herb that is perfect for its own container, its mint. Although I do find that mint can be a beautiful addition to the garden (I have mountain mint growing in my flower beds) it can be a bit of a bully in the garden and will quickly take over. You can read more about growing mint here.
- There are a number of both annual and perennial herbs out there. This will depend on your growing zone! I garden in zone 7a, so there are a few herbs out there that have a chance of coming back each year for me (such as mint and sage). Most are considered annual herbs because they are more susceptible to cooler temperatures. If you’re curious about your growing zone, you can easily find it here.
- Basically all herb plants can be grown indoors under a grow light! You can read more about setting up your own indoor seed starting space in this post.
- If growing herbs in containers, ensure that the container has enough drainage holes. If a container doesn’t have good drainage and is given a lot of water, it can quickly lead to root rot.
Where to Buy Herb Seeds
I buy and grow a variety of flower, herb, and vegetable seeds each year. By far, my favorite resources are Johnny’s Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They both offer a huge variety of herb seeds, both organic and non-organic. Be sure to check with your local garden centers too! The back of all the seed packets will provide a lot of helpful growing information for each variety. For more information on indoor seed starting, you can read this post here.
Ideas for Using Fresh Herbs
Although recipes are a great way to use up fresh herbs, they aren’t the only way! Here are a couple creative ideas for using some of the most popular herbs out there.
Recipes Using Fresh Herbs
Other than their typical use in pesto or pasta sauce, fresh herbs can be used in a variety of ways when it comes to cooking and baking. I have a number of yummy recipes using fresh herbs here on the blog if you’re interested. Check them out below!
Pin it For Later!
I hope you found this post helpful! The five herbs mentioned above truly are some of the best herbs out there for gardeners of any skill level.
If this is your first time growing herbs, what are you most excited to grow? Let me know below!
