Within the world of gardening, my favorite group of plants has always been herbs. They’re easy to grow in pots or in the ground. They’re rarely bothered by pests or diseases. They can be eaten fresh or dried and stored for months. And best of all, they taste terrific and enhance the flavor of culinary creations.

Herbs can be grown from seed or transplants, although I must admit that in most cases I prefer transplants. That’s partly due to a need for instant gratification, but mainly it’s because I grow most of my herbs in pots (just a few steps from my kitchen door), and sticking a transplant in a pot is about as simple as gardening gets. 

Many culinary herbs are native to the Mediterranean, and they often grow wild in what many of us would consider less-than-ideal soil. Aside from regular watering, a shot of nutrients during the growing season, and at least a half day of sun, herbs pretty much thrive on neglect.

So which herbs should you grow? Stick with the ones you like. Here’s a list of my favorites, in alphabetical order, all of which do best with at least six hours of sun a day.

There are a dizzying number of choices when it comes to basil – more than 60 varieties currently, and the list keeps growing. I would urge you to try them all, but at the end of the day, you may discover (as I did over 30 years ago), that it’s hard to beat good-old Italian sweet basil. It makes the tastiest pesto, and even tastes great raw in salads. If you’re into Asian cooking, you should also try Thai basil.

In pots, you’ll likely need to water basil daily during the summer months. Pinching the terminal growth as the plant grows will produce a bushier plant. Basil is an annual, and a tender one at that, so don’t get in too big a hurry to plant. Wait until overnight temperatures are consistently in the 50s. 

Chives, with their mild, oniony flavor, are one of the easiest herbs to grow, and certainly one of the tastiest. And by the way, the flowers are edible as well, and give a nice kick to salads. Chives are also perennial, and one planting will last for decades. Mature clumps can also be divided and replanted in early spring in pots or in the ground.

Cilantro is two herbs in one: the leaves are harvested as cilantro, and the seeds are harvested as coriander. In this area, cilantro can be tricky to grow because of its tendency to bolt or go to seed in warm weather. You may find that you have better luck growing it as a fall crop. Of course, if what you want is coriander, you’re in luck.

Oh, do I love dill. Maybe that’s because I also love salmon, and the two go together beautifully. Growing dill from seed is easy, and although it’s an annual, it will often reseed in the garden (if allowed to flower and go to seed, of course). Like basil, it’s a tender annual, so don’t set it out too early.

Native to Southeast Asia, lemon grass is a perennial in the tropics, but here it’s grown strictly as an annual. It’s a beautiful ornamental grass, reaching a height of nearly three feet. Lemon grass grows well in the ground or in pots provided it gets plenty of sun and moisture. The cut stalks add a clean, bright lemony flavor to all sorts of Caribbean and Asian dishes.

Marjoram is a cousin of oregano, but with a milder, slightly sweet taste, or at least that’s my take on it. I actually prefer it to oregano for that very reason, but the truth is I grow them both. It’s a tender perennial that will often survive the winters here, but I prefer to grow it as an annual because it overwinters as a tangled mass of ugly stems, and I’m a bit of a neat freak. Give it a spot in full sun.

A word of caution regarding mints: They’ll spread like wildfire. For that reason, it’s best to grow mint in a pot. There are all kinds of mint to choose from, and I would encourage you to experiment with those that pique your interest, but at the end of the day you may conclude (as I did many years ago), that spearmint gives you the most bang for your buck owing to its versatility. I honestly think spearmint is one of the most underused culinary herbs. It’s great with lamb, it livens up all kinds of green and fruit salads as well as veggie dishes, and, lest we forget, it’s essential for making Mojitos!

Everything I said about marjoram holds true for oregano, although with the latter you have more choices, including Italian, Greek, and Mexican varieties. There are subtle differences among them, although the Mexican variety is the mildest of the bunch.

If I could grow only one culinary herb, it would be parsley. It’s tricky to grow from seed, so I strongly suggest you start from transplants. I’ve always been partial to the flat-leaf, Italian-style parsley for its brighter, more robust flavor, but the curly stuff is great too, and not just as a garnish.
 
Parsley is a biennial, which means it’ll flower its second year, and at that point it doesn’t taste all that great (although the roots are edible). Parsley will tolerate more shade than most herbs – up to a half day. The larvae of the swallowtail butterfly will devastate your parsley plantings, but the caterpillars are so cute I refuse to harm them. Instead, I just plant a lot more parsley than I know I’ll need, and I move the caterpillars from plants I want to save to a couple of plants I use as trap crops.

Rosemary is as easy to grow as it is tasty to eat. It’s not the least bit demanding so long as it gets plenty of sun. Most varieties are perennials in these parts, and established plantings can get quite large, but you can prune them regularly to keep their growth in check. Toss the prunings into the fire of your charcoal grill to flavor chicken, lamb, or veggies. Or use the stems as skewers for shrimp or scallops.

People tend to use sage only when preparing stuffing at Thanksgiving, and that’s a shame. Sage is extremely versatile when used fresh or dried. It’s also awesome cooked in hot oil until crispy, which takes only a few seconds, and crumbled onto veggies or pasta dishes. 

Beyond tasting great, sage is very ornamental, especially golden, purple, tri-color, and pineapple sage, all of which look great in flower gardens.

For years, I grew only English thyme, the culinary standard. Then I discovered lemon thyme, which I now consider a must have. I just love the combination of herbal and citrus flavors, especially with fish and veggie dishes. Thyme prefers fairly dry soil, so don’t overwater it.

The main reason I grow nearly all of my herbs in containers is convenience. Rather than trek out to my garden to harvest, I just walk outside my patio door where I have all my containers within easy reach. I tend to use mostly terra cotta pots, but plastic, concrete, and even fabric containers work well.

For decades, I’ve used Southwood’s Custom Potting Mix for just about anything and everything I grow in pots, from deciduous trees to conifers to perennials. And herbs are no exception. It drains well but at the same time holds moisture and isn’t too heavy. There are plenty of other good choices out there, but you can’t beat this stuff.

The list of fertilizers that are ideal for herbs is a long one, from various Espoma formulations, fish and seaweed emulsions, worm castings, blood meal, and more. Need help picking the one that’s right for you? Just ask Jenn or Elie in our Solution Center.