How to start a herb garden

Starting a herb garden seems like a pretty daunting task – especially after doing a Google search on the topic! Our mission is for everyone to love herbs as much as we do and that starts with making them accessible. With that mind, here’s a back-to-basics guide on where to start when you’re piecing together the how’s, why’s, where’s and when’s of starting off!

Where to make my herb garden?

Who said gardens needed to be outdoors?! Your kitchen garden doesn’t have to be set in large amounts of space – actually, these days, that’s a far cry from what most of us have access to! We believe any space, every space, can be utilised. Patios, balconies, windowsills, that teeny bit of space just outside the front door… everywhere is useable! We’ve got lots of information coming up on indoor growing but for the purposes of this blog, we’re looking at herb gardens outside.

Herbs like sun. As much of it as they can get. Find the sunniest, warmest spot in your garden and start from there. They don’t like being exposed to the elements too much either so try and find a nice sheltered spot too where they’re not going to get too windswept. (It sounds alright being a herb so far!)

Can I grow my herbs in pots?

Yes, is the simple answer! In fact, we’d go as far to say growing herbs in pots or containers is the easiest way in this country. Herbs don’t like being too wet so growing in pots or containers gives you a bit more control over how well drained they are. We particularly like terracotta pots for growing in but as long as your pot has drainage holes in the bottom of it, it doesn’t matter too much.

Herb Hack – don’t forget to place your pot on a saucer or tray if its indoors, it’ll prevent any water damage on your window sill or table.

How much should I water my herbs?

This is always a tricky one to answer definitively but we can certainly start you off with some handy tips. Less is more when it comes to herbs, they really do not like being overwatered. Never let anything sit in water for very long. Your ‘softer’ herbs - things like Basil, Coriander, Parsley – can be revived quite quickly with a little water if they’re looking droopy. Sat on a window sill in the summer months, your herbs may well need a little bit of water every day. In the colder months and in winter, you might only be looking at once a week for things like Rosemary and Lavender.

Watering your herbs can seem daunting but remember herbs are some of the most forgiving plants out there! Aim to keep the soil moist and try and check them once a day, just to make sure they’re doing alright. Remember too, that part of the joy of herbs is learning to care for them; nurturing and caring for our green friends should be a pleasure, not a stressor!

What does good drainage mean?

You might come across the term ‘drainage’ when learning about looking after your plants. It crops with herbs a lot because, well, drainage is important to a herb! Providing good drainage for your herbs will be most important when planting them outside or into another container. Using a good, peat free multi-purpose compost will provide most herbs with sufficient drainage but to cover all bases we do advise mixing a little ‘grit’ into any compost you’re using. This just means things won’t be too moist for your herb.

You can buy grit from lots of different places online and garden centres will sell it too. You’ll often see it labelled up as ‘Horticultural Grit’.

Some people also use bits of broken stones, rocks or old terracotta pots at the bottom of containers. This will have a similar effect and just make sure your herbs aren’t sitting in too much water.

It isn’t all that catchy but it’s definitely worth remembering…. a happy herb is a well-drained herb!

Do I need to feed my herbs?

Generally, no, your herbs shouldn’t need feeding. As you may have gathered from all of the above, they’re relatively tolerant plants and don’t need to much fussing over. If you’re growing your herbs outside and plan to establish a little area for your herb garden, you could give your herbs an all-purpose liquid feed, once or twice a year. Having said that, this is definitely not essential.

With the basic questions covered above and a wonderful range of herbs on our shop to choose from, we hope you feel you’ve got all the tools to give growing SEASON herbs a go! Remember, so much of the pleasure of growing comes from learning so don’t be afraid to give things a try.

Please do let us know if you’ve got any further questions on how to start a herb garden – you can comment below or drop us a line on our ‘Contact Us’ page. We love seeing your herb photos too, feel free to connect with us on Instagram and Facebook too.