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Herbs are a great choice if you are looking for a hassle-free gardening project with low-maintenance plants or are new to gardening. They not just add greenery to the garden, but also provide flavorful and aromatic foliage that you can add to different dishes, to bring your cooking to a whole new level.
Getting a bunch of fresh herbs from your indoor or outdoor garden is very rewarding. Herbs tend to cost and buying from your local store might mean the herbs are not all that fresh but also you have to buy a whole bunch when at times you only need a few leaves. Herbs are easy to grow both indoors and outdoors depending on what works best for you.
We have listed 10 easy-to-grow herbs that need little care and maintenance. Let’s get started.
Mint
Mint is an herb that can grow invasively in a short time and can even survive some neglect. It keeps growing and might even take over any plants growing nearby. It is best to grow mint in a pot and pinch any buds so that you have more foliage than leggy plants.
Mint loves to grow in moist soil but can also survive a little bit of drought. You can grow mint using seeds, but the preferred way is to grow from stem cuttings or small plants.
- Sunlight needs: partial shade or full sun
- Soil type: loam, sand, chalk, or clay
- Soil needs: moist, rich, and well-drained
- Size: 1-3 feet high
Basil
Basil is a popular herb due to the variety of dishes it can be added to all because of its great taste. It is an easy-to-grow herb that grows fast and is good to grow even in a pot.
When your basil plant reaches a height of 6 inches, trim the top leaves so the plant becomes bushy rather than leggy. The leaves stay flavorful if you keep harvesting leaves and pruning the plant by pinching the leaves on a regular basis. To promote healthy growth and prevent pest infestation, keep the plant in a sunny place.
- Sunlight needs: full sun
- Soil type: loam or sand
- Soil needs: well-drained, rich, medium moisture
- Size: 1-2 feet high
Chives
Being hardy herbs, chives can survive cold winters and are easy to grow. Belonging to the onion family, chives bloom pretty globe-like purple or pink flowers in the early summer. They have pointed, slender leaves and continue to multiply at a rapid pace. Chives grow into large clumps. They need to be split and replanted separately to rejuvenate the plant or it will become weak. So, to maintain their vigor, keep on dividing mature clumps from time to time.
- Sunlight needs: partial or full sun
- Soil type: chalk, sand, loam, or clay
- Soil needs: well-drained, medium moist
- Size: 1 foot high
Dill
Dill is a hardy herb that is highly resilient to pest or disease problems and can even survive a cold snap during the spring. The green leaves add flavor to soups, salads, and rice, and the foliage blooms beautiful yellow flowers in summer.
The leaves are usually harvested in summer and spring, and the brown and ripened seeds can be stored to be used whole or ground into a powder for spice mixes. The seedlings don’t grow well if transplanted, so when planting dill, remember to plant it where you will leave it to grow without having to move it later.
Provide a lot of sunlight exposure and don’t let heavy winds destroy the plant.
- Sunlight needs: full sun
- Soil type: loam, sand, or chalk
- Soil needs: rich, well-drained, and medium moist
- Size: 3-5 feet high
Fennel
Fennel is seen as a weed in most countries just because its dried flowers will fall and start new plants which then becomes out of control. Remember to pick the dried flowers from the soil and don’t let them grow into new plants unless you want them to grow.
It is an easy-to-grow and long-lasting plant that blooms vibrant yellow flowers in early summer and brings a soft, and nutty kind of aniseed to different dishes. The leaves can be harvested in the spring and autumn and can be used to flavor fish dishes and salads. All parts of the fennel plant are edible.
- Sunlight needs: partial shade or full sun
- Soil type: loam, sand, clay, or chalk
- Soil needs: well-drained, moist soil
- Size: 4-6 feet high
Rosemary
You can let this evergreen herb plant grow like a large shrub or an upright tree. This easy-to-grow herb should be brought indoors during cold winters. It can be sensitive to excess water so to prevent roots from rotting, remember to avoid overwatering it.
You can pick rosemary leaves all year around and use them to flavor meat and soups and make flavored and herbal tea for health benefits. To keep the plant compact and full, prune dried stems after flowering.
- Sunlight needs: full sun
- Soil type: Loam, sand, or chalk
- Soil needs: well-drained, dry to medium moist
- Size: 1-2 feet high
Parsley
Parsley grows as a biennial herb, having two growing seasons in its life cycle. But many people avoid overwintering the plants and grow it as an annual herb.
Parsley loses some of its flavor and aroma when it enters its next growing season. Growing from seeds can take some time for seeds to germinate. Speed up the process by soaking the seeds in water overnight. When the seeds start growing, you need to give them little care. Just keep the soil moist and never let it become entirely dry.
- Sunlight needs: partial shade or full sun
- Soil type: loam
- Soil needs: well-drained, moist, and rich
- Size: 1 foot high
Coriander
For a consistent harvest of coriander, sow seeds every couple of weeks since coriander is a short-lived plant. Trim the stems so the plant has bushier foliage. You may be able to harvest coriander within a month of sowing seeds. Coriander or cilantro is used in a multitude of dishes, from all over the world.
- Sunlight needs: partial shade or full sun
- Soil type: loam, sand, or chalk
- Soil needs: well-drained, average, and medium-moist soil
- Size: 1-2 feet high
Oregano
These easy-to-grow herbs do equally well when planted in gardens and in containers. Being speedy growers, trim the stems when the plant becomes 4 inches high to make it appear bushy and fuller.
The only problem with oregano is root rot, so remember to never let the soil become soggy, otherwise, it can thrive in lean and dry soil. Oregano blooms lovely pink flowers, and you can harvest the leaves on a regular basis.
- Sunlight needs: partial shade or full sun
- Soil type: loam, chalk, or sand
- Soil needs: well-drained, dry to medium-moist
- Size: 1-2 feet high
Sage
Sage is an easy-to-grow herb with little growth requirements. The only thing you need to care about is growing sage is how you water it. Remember to never let the soil become too wet as this will allow the roots to rot. Even if you forget to water it for some days and the soil completely dries out, the plant thrives.
Grow sage in a sunny spot with dry soil. Trim the stems from time to time to get a fuller plant and harvest leaves frequently. Sage is an evergreen plant, which allows you to have flavorful leaves any time of the year.
- Sunlight needs: full sun or partial shade
- Soil type: loam, or clay
- Soil needs: well-drained, average, and dry to medium-moist
- Size: 1-3 feet high
Wrapping Up
It is an awesome feeling to harvest fresh herbs from your own garden. Whether you plan to grow your herbs indoors or outdoors, it will be very useful in the kitchen. Our list of 10 easy to grow herbs are only some of many varieties which you can try.
Check the requirements of each herb and consider the herbs that grow well together. Now that you have all the information why not start on your herb garden and transform your ordinary everyday cooking into something finger-licking good!
