I absolutely love my herb and spice cabinet because it lets me whip up delicious meals whenever I want. While I often buy herbs in bulk when they’re dried, fresh herbs can get pretty pricey at the store. But here’s the good news: starting an herb garden is super easy, and you can grow your own herbs right by your front door.
An herb garden is a fantastic starting point for beginner gardeners since most herbs are tough, affordable, and require little care. Planting an herb garden means you’ll always have fresh herbs right outside your home. Fresh herbs offer the best nutrition and medicinal benefits since they’re most potent when they’re new, so growing your own is the way to go. Plus, you can dry any extra herbs to use later when your outdoor garden isn’t thriving.
If you rent or don’t have a lot of yard space, you can still grow herbs indoors. Consider using patio containers or any windows that get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight a day, or you could use a grow light.
Indoor herb gardens are convenient, but for a bigger harvest, an outdoor garden is essential. Here’s how to get your herb garden started:
Even though these are basic steps, each herb has a few unique needs. Pick the herbs you’ll use the most and find out their specific requirements.
Choosing which herbs to grow can be a bit daunting, so here are some of my top picks that are useful both in the kitchen and for their medicinal properties:
Sage comes from the Mediterranean and has a pine and citrus flavor, often linked with Thanksgiving dishes. You can grow sage easily from seeds or cuttings, and it tolerates drought well. Just let it dry out before watering again. When harvesting sage, be gentle if you’re in a region where it grows perennially.
Oregano is another Mediterranean staple, perfect for tomato sauces and Italian or Greek cuisine. It can start from seeds or cuttings and is also drought-tolerant. For the best flavor, harvest oregano when the flower buds are just forming.
Rosemary is a woody herb with a distinct pine taste and retains its flavor well when dried. It’s a Mediterranean herb that thrives on minimal watering. It’s best started indoors, and once grown, it needs a lot of space.
Thyme offers a subtle, floral, and slightly minty flavor, often used with poultry, lamb, fish, and egg dishes. It is best grown from cuttings or small plants as it can be tricky from seed. It maintains its flavor throughout the season.
Peppermint has a bright and distinctive taste and doesn’t grow true from seed because many varieties are hybrids. It’s best to buy a plant or get a cutting. It spreads easily, so keep it in a pot or a container in the ground.
Basil is essential for Italian and Thai dishes and can be preserved by making pesto. It thrives in sun, water, and good soil. Start seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost and encourage it to bush out by regularly pinching off leaves.
Dill is great for cold dishes and fermentation. It doesn’t transplant well, so sow seeds directly after frost risk. You can use dill seeds after it bolts.
Parsley is versatile with a mild flavor and is tough to germinate, so start indoors before moving outside a few weeks before the last frost. Harvest it when leaf stems have three segments.
Cilantro, popular for its citrusy flavor in various ethnic dishes, grows fast and goes to seed quickly. Plant seeds every few weeks after frost for a steady supply. Trim the plant to allow regrowth and save the seeds for recipes.
Growing an herb garden ensures you have fresh, healthy herbs all season long. If you’re just starting, begin with a few herbs and gradually expand your variety as you get more confident. Always remember to consult with a health professional if needed.
What herbs do you enjoy growing and using?
