How to Start Growing Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide

There’s something disproportionately satisfying about growing herbs at home.

Perhaps it’s because they ask for so little. A pot, some sunshine, a bit of water – and in return you get to wander outside with a pair of scissors and come back with something for dinner.

There are the small pleasures too - the smell of rosemary left on your fingers after you brush past it, or a pot of chives suddenly covered in purple flowers. Then there's mint - popping up with such enthusiasm that you begin to suspect it has plans for the rest of the garden.

If you’re new to gardening, herbs are a lovely place to start.

Start with what you eat

My first piece of advice is simple: resist the temptation to buy one of everything.

Start with three or four herbs you actually like to eat:

• Chives are wonderfully easy and return year after year.

• Parsley is useful in almost everything.

• Thyme and rosemary are hardy, fragrant and love a sunny spot.

• Mint is almost impossible not to grow. In fact, the greater challenge is persuading it to stop – so give it a pot of its own.

• And then there's basil. A little more temperamental, perhaps, but on a warm summer's day the smell of freshly picked basil is surely reason enough to forgive it.

Give them the right home

Herbs are perfectly happy growing in containers, so you don't need a large garden. A sunny windowsill, balcony or a few pots by the back door can become a perfectly respectable little herb garden.

Keeping them close to the house is useful too. Herbs tucked away at the bottom of the garden have an unfortunate habit of being remembered just after you've finished cooking.

One thing worth knowing is that not all herbs want the same thing.

Rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano come from Mediterranean growing conditions. They generally like sunshine, excellent drainage and don't need particularly rich soil.

Mint, parsley and chives prefer things a little more moist.

We call them all herbs because of how we use them. The plants themselves don't get a say. We'll look at who likes living with whom later in this series.

Give their roots somewhere to breathe

You don't need special herb pots. Almost any container will do, but it must have drainage holes. Roots need oxygen as well as water. Compost that stays permanently waterlogged has less air in it, which is one reason plants can struggle when we lovingly give them just a little too much water.

For most herbs, a good peat-free multipurpose compost is a perfectly good starting point.

For Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and thyme, adding a little horticultural grit will help water drain through more freely.

Water when they need it – not because it's Tuesday

It's surprisingly easy to kill a plant with kindness. So this is one of the most useful habits you can learn as a gardener: Put your finger into the compost. If the top couple of centimetres feel dry, your herb may need a drink. If the compost still feels damp, leave it and check again later.

Mint and parsley prefer not to dry out repeatedly, while rosemary and thyme are much happier with drier conditions.

The plant, the weather, the size of the pot and the time of year all make a difference.

Your finger is often a better watering guide than the calendar.

And then… pick them!

Once you've successfully grown something, cutting bits off it can feel terribly wrong.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Regular harvesting encourages many herbs to produce fresh growth. Pinching out the growing tips of basil, for example, encourages side shoots and creates a bushier plant.

Pick little and often.

And remember that not every herb is supposed to live forever. Basil is an annual, completing its life cycle within a growing season. Parsley is a biennial, while rosemary, thyme, mint and chives are perennials that can live for several years.

Sometimes a plant dying isn't a horticultural disaster. Sometimes it's simply finished.

Start small and see what happens

Grow what you like eating. Give it some light. Make sure water can escape from the pot. Check the compost before you water.

Then pay attention.

You'll start noticing when a pot suddenly feels light because it's thirsty. You'll recognise the slightly droopy look of a plant asking for water. You'll discover which corner of your garden basil loves and where parsley seems happiest.

That's gardening, really.

Not knowing everything – just noticing.

And perhaps that's why a few pots of herbs are such a lovely place to begin.

Nature. Nurtured.

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From Garden to Kitchen: Easy Herby Butter

This is a great first recipe because there aren't really any rules.

Mix 100g of softened butter with about two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon and a little black pepper.

Parsley, chives, basil and thyme all work well – alone or mixed together.

Spread it on warm bread, melt it over new potatoes or vegetables, or use it with fish.

Any leftover butter can be rolled into a sausage shape, chilled and sliced as you need it.

It freezes beautifully too. There is something rather wonderful about opening the freezer in the middle of winter and finding a little bit of your summer garden waiting for you.

And just like that, those few little pots by the back door have become dinner.

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Next time: Can You Really Grow Supermarket Herbs?  Why those lovely pots of basil, parsley, coriander and mint can go from magnificent to miserable remarkably quickly – and what you can do about it.