If you’re looking for easy herbs for your garden, then look no further. This list of the easiest ones is perfect for beginners, and will give you the best success. You’ll be enjoying your very own garden-fresh bounty in no time.
For some reason, many new gardeners think that herbs are hard to grow. Well, if you’re new to it, then I have some great news for you! There are lots of easy herbs to grow, so you’ll have plenty to choose from.
If you’re on the hunt for the absolute easiest herbs to grow in your garden, then this list is perfect for you!
You might even be surprised to find that some that you thought would be difficult are on this list.
What Makes These Easy-To-Grow Herbs?
Before we get to our easy garden herbs list, I want to take a minute to explain how I chose them. I based my decision on a few different things…
- Extremely low-maintenance
- Fast-growing plants
- Tolerate a range of sunlight and shade
- Not too picky about soil or water requirements
- Most are easy to grow from seed
Keep in mind that, even though these are easy-to-grow herbs, some do need more care than others. Also, you’ll find that a few of these will do so well that the hardest part will be keeping them from taking over your garden beds.
Related Post: 17 Easy Vegetables To Grow In Your Garden
11 Easy Herbs To Grow In Your Garden
Below is my list of the easiest herbs to grow in the garden. I also included few quick planting and care tips, so you can choose the ones that will work best for you. Here are my top picks.
1. Dill – If you love homemade pickles, then you definitely need to plant this one in your herb garden – YUM! It’s a super easy herb because it’s not very picky, and can grow just about anywhere.
Plus it doesn’t need a lot of space, and does equally well in partial shade as it does in the full sun. Find out how to grow dill here.
2. Oregano – Another versatile herb, oregano can grow in many different locations in your garden. Plant it in full sun or shade.
Either way, it will perform beautifully. Oregano matures quickly, and prefers the soil to dry out between waterings. Just make sure you harvest it frequently to keep it compact. Learn how to grow it here.
3. Chamomile – A popular herb for making tea, German chamomile gets cute little white and yellow flowers. It’s such an easy herb to grow that you have to keep an eye on it.
Deadhead the flowers regularly so it doesn’t spread seeds. It is drought-tolerant, but still needs to be watered if the soil is dry. Learn all about how to grow it here.
4. Chives – There are two main varieties of chives: regular and garlic. They both need similar conditions, and will come back every year.
They are great herbs for beginners, and require very little maintenance. Just pinch off the flowers after they fade to prevent it from spreading seeds. Learn how to grow them here.
5. Mint – There are tons of different varieties of mint, and all of them require the same care. Plant them anywhere from partial shade to sun in a location that has well-draining soil.
Mint can be a pretty aggressive spreader though, so you may want to keep it in a pot rather than planting it directly into your garden.
6. Parsley – While it is fairly slow, it also requires minimal care. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, and allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
Pinch off the sprigs as you need them for your recipes. Bonus: parsley is actually a biennial plant, which means it will come back again next year! Learn all about how to grow it here.
7. Lemon balm – The wonderful lemon flavor of this easy-to-grow herb makes it the perfect addition to teas and desserts.
Lemon balm is related to mint, which means the care is very similar between the two (and it’s pretty aggressive too). It will do great anywhere from shade to full sun, and is not too picky about the soil.
8. Basil – Another easy herb for beginners, basil loves the sun, but it will also tolerate part-shade. It likes moist, but fast-draining soil.
Basil grows quickly, so be sure to harvest it regularly to keep it from getting too leggy. You can also pinch out the flowers as they form to prevent bolting. Learn how to care for it here.
9. Sorrel – Sorrel has a lemony flavor, and looks more like a salad green than an herb. The leaves do indeed make a great addition to your salads.
The smaller the leaves, the tangier the taste. Like most of the plants on this list, sorrel does well in anywhere from part to full sunlight.
10. Cilantro (aka Coriander) – If you love making homemade salsa, then cilantro is a must in your garden! Plant it in shade or full sun, and water it when the soil dries out.
Allow it to go to seed so you can also harvest those too. Be sure to plant your cilantro early in the spring, because it will bolt as soon as the summer heat kicks in. Learn exactly how to grow it here.
Related Post: 15 Herbs To Grow In Your Shade Garden
11. Catnip – If you have cats, then they will go nuts over garden-fresh catnip. It is related to mint, so you may want to put this one in a pot as well.
Catnip is not picky about its location or soil, and will thrive pretty much anywhere you plant it. It doesn’t like soggy soil though.
Choosing easy-to-grow herbs will give you a much better chance at success, and make it fun for you too. Once you get the hang of these easy herbs, then you’ll have the confidence to try any types in your garden that you want!
More Herb Gardening Posts
- How To Grow Herbs Indoors: The Ultimate Guide
- How To Grow Ginger Root Indoors Or Outside
- 15 Perennial Herbs To Grow In The Garden
- How To Fertilize Herbs In The Organic Garden
- 13 Best Herbs To Grow Indoors
What would you add to this list easy herbs to grow? Share your top picks in the comments section below.
Capt. Brigg Franklin says
I am growing chives in a flower box on my back deck and while they grow well, I have acquired little black bugs, probably aphids, on the stems. Is there a formula for a safe spray for the bugs, or some other way to get rid of them? I’ve tried wiping them off but there are too many chives stems and too many bugs to collect them all.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, sorry to hear your chives have aphids. Here’s a post that will help answer your questions… How To Get Rid Of Aphids On Plants.
Erick Styron says
I love growing my own cilantro! It’s an acquired taste for some but I love it in any Mexican dish. It’s great in my homemade guacamole.
Would love to try some of these others
Amy Andrychowicz says
I love cilantro too! It’s one of those flavors that people either love or they hate. LOL! Yes, give some of these other easy herbs a try, and let me know how well they grow for you. 🙂