9 Best Herbs to Grow in a Herb Garden

There are many reasons to grow a herb garden. Herbs have many health benefits. There is nothing like the flavor of freshly harvested herbs. It is extremely easy to harvest and dry your own herbs for winter use.

A productive herb garden planter can be grown in a small space. Herb garden planters make great patio gardens, adding a beautiful addition to any patio. I grow my herb garden just steps away from my kitchen on my back deck in a cedar planter. I was able to get a stunning custom cedar planter made locally by YYC Planters in Calgary.

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Best Herb Garden Herbs

Here is the list of the best herbs to grow in a herb garden:

Parsley

Parsley can be grown easily from seed by starting it indoors. Parsley adds great flavor to many dishes and can be easily dried for winter use. Whether you decide to grow flat leaf or curled leaf parsley just depends on personal preference. Both varieties of parsley do well in herb planters.

According to Medical News Today parsley is beneficial for cancer prevention, protecting from diabetes and for bone health.

Basil

Basil - Basil is a favorite herb of mine. There is nothing like the flavor of fresh basil in pasta, capris salad or home made garlic scape pesto.

There are all kinds of fun varieties of basil, but my personal go to is the common Genovese variety.

Note that basil is very sensitive to cool temperatures and can be slightly temperamental. Find Tips for Growing Basil from Seed here.

Health Benefits of Basil 

Basil is packed with vitamins and natural antioxidants that help protect your body from everyday damage and support heart health. Just two tablespoons provide nearly all the vitamin K you need each day. Vitamin K is essential for strong bones and healthy blood clotting. Basil also contains natural compounds that may help support your immune system and promote healthy digestion.

Dill

Dill grows very easily from seed and can be direct sown (no need to start it indoors). You only need to buy dill seeds once, as dill seeds are easy to harvest and store yourself.

A great variety of dill to grow in a herb planter is this Ella Dill from West Coast Seeds, which is a shorter variety of dill.

Health Benefits of Dill

According to Richter's Herbs, Dill has been known to improve digestion, can be beneficial for cancer prevention, calming the mind, headache relief and can help with insomnia.

Thyme

Thyme makes a beautiful addition to any herb garden. It adds an amazing flavor to soups, pasta sauce and meat.

I have found thyme to grow quite slowly when grown from seed. My preference is to grow it from cuttings. This year I grew mine from cuttings from a herb packet purchased at the grocery store! I just trimmed the stems so they had fresh ends, stripped the leaves off the bottom half and dipped them in a rooting hormone. I was very pleased with how well they took.

Rosemary

Rosemary tends to be slow growing, but is a wonderful herb garden herb. This desert herb can be overwintered by brining it indoors over the winter season. If I am going to purchase a herb for my herb garden vs. grow it myself, rosemary is one I would consider purchasing. It can be grown from seed, but just like thyme, tends to be slow to germinate and takes some time to establish. Cuttings can also be taken from rosemary, but I did not have as good of a success rate as I did with thyme when taking rosemary cuttings.

Rosemary tastes especially amazing on chicken and potato dishes!

Mint

If you would like to grow mint in your herb garden, there are a few things you should know before planting it.

• There are many different varieties of mint. Peppermint or spearmint are the most common. My favorite variety of mint to grow in a herb planter is mojito mint. It has a milder flavor than peppermint and does not overwinter in zone 3. (Yes, this is a good thing - see next tip). Chocolate mint can also be a fun variety for herb gardens.

• Mint can be ++invasive. Many gardeners that plant mint in their gardens end up deeply regretting it. To avoid mint taking over your garden you can choose to grow mint in a pot by itself, you can keep mint in a pot and plant the whole pot into the garden, or (my favorite) you can purchase a variety that is not a perennial in your growing zone.

Cilantro

Pico de guio anyone? Yes please for me! Cilantro is lower down on my list of herbs for herb gardens because I know not everyone is a fan. Personally, I am a huge fan of cilantro! Health benefits of cilantro include its detoxing affect and its antiparasitic effect.

Cilantro grows easily from seed and can be direct sown. Cilantro does well succession sown as it does not do the "cut and come again" well.

Green Onions

When considering herb garden herbs, keep the easy to grow green onions, shallots, or chives on your list. My favorite way to grow green onions in my herb garden planter is to save the bottom part of green onions purchased from the store in March or April. Simply set them in a cup of water and let them root for a few weeks, then plant them into your herb garden. Green onions handle frost well and unlike cilantro, they are great at cut and come again.

Chives are a perennial (come back each year) when grown in the ground, but will most likely die over the winter when grown in a herb garden planter.

Sage

I love to grow sage to add to stock and chicken dishes. This herb drys well and can be dried and kept for winter use. Sage grows rather slowly but can be grown from seed, or, if you use a lot of it, you may want to purchase a large established plant.

Ideas for Other Plants to Plant in Herb Garden Planters

There are SO many fun plants to add into your herb garden. Some of these ones are considered herbs and a few I love to add in just because. Here are some plants to consider adding if you have the space:

• calendula - a beautiful pop of color and a useful herb

• lavender

• marigolds (also a beautiful pop of color)

• lettuce (I like to add a single head of romaine for quick use to add to things like sandwiches)

• kale - not only useful but can be very pretty with its curly texture

• radishes - can be planted early in the season and harvested before other herbs fill in the planter

I hope this has inspired you to grow your own, beautiful herb garden! Have fun with it and don't be afraid to try new things.

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