What To Grow In Your Basic Herb Garden

If you’re new to herb gardening, you may worry about which kinds of herbs you should grow. Some are more complex than others to grow, but there are many varieties of herbs available. There are several kinds which are good for beginners because of their simplicity. Often, these are hardier plants and they don’t need a lot of attention or special work.

Easy Herbs For Your Herb Garden

Parsley – This is a pretty hardy annual herb in zones 2-11. It has two varieties, flat-leaf and curly, but both are easy to take care of and they grow quite well even without much extra care. It should have no more than a light shade, and it also does well in full sunlight. Its soil must be rich and well-drained, but moist. Heat tends to be problematic for it.

Cilantro – This annual herb is known in some circles as coriander. Its soil does not need to be particularly rich and it isn’t too picky about sunlight or shade—but it should probably be kept in full sunlight or a light shade anyway. It’s pretty easy to take care of, and it tends to grow well in nearly all zones.

Chives – These are a perennial herb. They grow well in nearly any soil with nearly any conditions—they grow better in a richer soil with full sunlight, but neither is necessary for survival. Some have seen chives growing in old gardens that nobody has touched in years! It’s hardier in zones 3-9. They have a rich flavor like onions and they’re a great addition to baked potatoes.

Oregano – This very popular herb tastes great as part of many kinds of food—often, it’s used in pasta dishes with tomato-based sauce, pork dishes, and chicken dishes. It grows well just about anywhere—raised beds, alongside a road or a path, in a rock garden, and more. It needs to be in full sunlight with well-drained soil—but it will actually grow better if you put it in some poor, rocky soil! It’s hardy in zones 5-9.

Thyme – This is another perennial herb. Hardier in zones 4-6, it’s small and shrub-like. It needs full sunlight with moist and well-drained soil. When in its standard zones, it’s very hardy, and rarely requires much care.

Basil – This is an annual herb that does best in warm weather. It needs hot and dry conditions if you want it to taste the best, but it’s hardy in almost any zone. It requires full sunlight with very rich and moist soil. All you have to watch out for with basil are slugs and cool weather—if you give it plenty of light and heat and let its soil dry between watering cycles, it rarely needs more care.

Bay – Even though this is technically a shrub, it’s really quite the herb for beginners. It is superbly hardy in zones 8-11, grows well between full sunlight and light shade, and needs rich soil that has been well drained. It tends to tolerate changes in its conditions pretty well. Remember, though, bay leaves taste best when dried, so you should press them between paper towels inside hefty books for several weeks before you use them in your food.

It’s important that you take note and care about the zones. Many of the herbs listed here are naturally hardy, but they’re much better in their hardiness zones. So long as they grow in their preferred zones, they’ll be quite easy to take care of and probably won’t need much extra work from you.

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