Which Herbs Can I Plant Together?
There is something very appealing about a big pot overflowing with herbs.
A little rosemary standing proudly at the back. Thyme tumbling over the edge. Perhaps some parsley, mint and basil tucked into the gaps.
It looks beautiful.
Unfortunately, nobody has asked the herbs whether they actually want to live together.
We tend to group plants according to how we use them. To us, they're all herbs. But each one has evolved to grow in particular conditions – and some have rather different ideas about what makes a happy home.
So, when deciding which herbs can be planted together, the secret is simple: choose plants that like the same things.
Meet the sun lovers
Rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage make particularly good neighbours.
These are Mediterranean herbs, adapted to sunny conditions and soils that drain freely. Their roots don't want to sit in wet compost and, once established, they're quite comfortable with things being a little on the dry side. Look closely and you can actually see some of those adaptations.
Rosemary has narrow, almost needle-like leaves.
Oregano and Thyme's leaves are tiny.
Sage leaves are soft and slightly woolly.
These aren't just attractive little details. Smaller, narrower or hairy leaves can all help plants reduce water loss.
I love things like this.
Once you know what you're looking at, a plant starts giving away little clues about where it would like to live. Put these herbs together in a sunny container with good drainage and everyone is starting from roughly the same page.
Then there are the thirstier ones
Parsley and chives appreciate more moisture and richer growing conditions than our Mediterranean group.
They'll still need good drainage – very few plants actively enjoy sitting in a swamp – but they don't want their compost repeatedly drying out either. They can therefore make good pot-mates.
Basil likes similar moisture but needs plenty of warmth, so it can join them during the summer. Just remember that basil is much less impressed when temperatures start dropping.
So rather than thinking herb pot, think:
What sort of pot is this?
A sunny, drier Mediterranean pot? Or a slightly richer, more regularly watered leafy-herb pot? Suddenly choosing what goes together becomes much easier.
And then there's mint
Mint would probably happily live with everybody. But everybody may not be quite so pleased about living with mint. Its underground stems spread outwards and produce new shoots as they go. In the right conditions, one innocent little mint plant can become quite a determined empire. This is why you'll often hear gardeners say that mint should be grown in a pot.
I agree.
Give it a nice generous container of its own, keep it watered and let it be as ambitious as it likes.
What about coriander?
Coriander is slightly different again.
It likes reasonably fertile soil and regular moisture, but it's naturally short-lived and can quickly bolt – horticultural shorthand for suddenly producing flowers and seed rather than the lovely leafy growth we were hoping to eat. Warm, dry conditions can encourage this.
Because coriander comes and goes relatively quickly, I find it makes sense to give it its own pot or space where it can be replaced or resown without disturbing everything else.
Sometimes good neighbours are simply neighbours with their own front doors.
A simple way to remember it
If you're standing in the garden centre holding six herbs and wondering what on earth to do with them, try this:
Sunny and drier: Rosemary + thyme + oregano + sage
A little richer and thirstier: Parsley + chives + basil in warm weather
Room of their own: Mint + coriander
It isn't an unbreakable botanical law. Gardens rarely work like that. It's simply about making life easier.
When plants sharing a container need roughly the same amount of water, light and feeding, you're not constantly trying to keep one happy at the expense of another.
Look at the leaves
And here's something you can try even when you don't know what a plant is. Look at it:
Small, tough, silvery, narrow or hairy leaves often suggest a plant that has adapted to conserve water.
Large, soft, lush green leaves are more likely to lose water quickly and may appreciate more moisture.
There are exceptions, of course – plants enjoy making sure gardeners never become too confident – but it's a lovely habit to develop.
Rather than immediately reaching for your phone to find out what a plant wants, spend a moment looking at it first. The answer may be sitting right in front of you.
From Garden to Kitchen: A Very Green Salsa Verde
This is exactly the sort of recipe to make when several herbs need a haircut.
Finely chop a generous mixture of parsley, basil and mint and mix with:
A tablespoon of capers
A small clove of garlic, finely chopped
A squeeze of lemon
A good glug of olive oil
A little salt and black pepper
If you have some chives, throw those in too.
Taste it and adjust until you like it. More lemon? Add it. More herbs? Absolutely.
Spoon it over fish, roasted vegetables or new potatoes, or simply mop it up with good bread.
And perhaps there's something rather pleasing about this particular recipe.
The herbs don't necessarily want to share a pot.
But they're perfectly happy sharing a plate.
Next time: The Best Herbs to Grow in Pots – we'll look at choosing containers, compost and the right-sized home for your herbs, plus some lovely combinations for a little herb garden right outside the back door.
