Having a kitchen garden filled with delicious herbs to use in your cooking is the dream, isn’t it? Last time we looked at how to grow them inside, but what are the best herbs to grow in pots outside?
Let’s have a look at the best herbs that you can grow – the easiest, the tastiest and the most versatile.
Garden Mint
Mint is a huge family of plants, and all are equally fragrant and beautiful, and all are great at attracting pollinators. It is also an incredibly easy plant to grow – in fact, it is best to keep it in a pot to stop it from spreading and taking over your whole garden!
It likes to grow in light, well draining soil, and can grow equally as well in clay or sand. It will need full sun to partial shade to grow to its fullest potential, and it will require a sheltered position out of the way of strong winds.
Sage
Sage is a large family, but the majority of the cultivars have identical growing conditions. It is a small, compact plant with short spikes of flowers in the summer through to the autumn – great for those insects!
As a little tip, if you cut back those flower spikes it will encourage more flowering. Sandy soils are best, and the growing medium will need to be moist yet well-draining. A little bit of fertiliser once a year will work wonders for this one, and it likes a full sun position with a little shade. You won’t need to water too much once your sage is established.
Basil
Basil is annual, or sometimes a short-lived perennial, and it can be a little trickier to grow in cooler climates. It has bright green foliage, and you may see some white or pinkinsh flowers on hairy spikes as the season continues. Basil can reach up to a metre tall, but it generally won’t achieve this in pots in your garden – you may need to pop it in a greenhouse if you want some really vigorous growth.
Sandy or loamy soils are best for this one, and it will need as full as sun position as you can give it. The soil should be well draining but it will need to be kept moist in order to thrive.
Thyme
Thyme is a creeping plant that grows along the ground in a mat, rather than putting its energy into growing tall. It generally only reaches a height of 10cm, but can spread for much further; up to 1.5 metres.
It has small green leaves, generally covered in tiny hairs, and it will produce pale to deep purple flowers in the summer. Thyme prefers a slightly poorer soil, either sandy or loamy, and it will need and alkaline to neutral pH. It will like full sun, and it can also tolerate drought conditions.
Oregano
This bushy perennial has tall, upright stems with small leaves and will produce large tubular pink flowers in the summer and autumn – great news for our pollinating friends! Remember to trim back the old, woody stems in the spring to encourage more flowers.
Well draining, sandy soil is the best for this one, and it can handle a range of different pH. Oregano is fairly hardy, and although it will prefer a good bit of sunshine, it can also tolerate some shade. You won’t need to worry so much about keeping it protected, as it is fairly able to cope in exposed conditions.
Chives
Chives are not only great to use in cooking, but they are wonderfully easy to grow. The leaves have a slight aroma and taste of onion, and the round umbrellas of purple flowers are not only pretty to look at but great for bugs and pollinators.
They like moist, well drained soil and can grow in the majority of types from chalk to sand (if you have clay soil, add some grit to allow that water to drain away). Chives like full sun to partial shade, and you will notice that they bounce right back when you harbest them for cooking.
Rosemary
This evergreen shrub can reach over 2 metres tall, so take care when placing it in your potted garden, and make sure it has a pot big enough. Its pretty leaves grow in spike shapes, and are intensely aromatic. The tiny flowers attract pollinators, insects and even birds.
Rosemary likes poor or slightly fertile soil, which will need to be well draining. A full sun position is best for this one, although it can handle some shade. It is worth noting that some people can show skin reactions after handling rosemary, so it would be wise to wear gloves and protective gear if you have sensitive skin.
Bay
The evergreen bay tree is pretty distinctive, with its glossy dark green leaves and tiny reddish pink flowers that appear in the spring and summer. Bay can get pretty large; reaching up to 2.5 metres – though this level of growth can take up to 10 years.
It prefers clay or loam soil, with an acid pH – and, as with most plants, the soil needs to be well-draining. They can tolerate shadier positions than many, though they will appreciate a spot where they can get some sun for at least part of the day. Mulching in the spring with leaf mould is a helpful tip to keep your bay healthy.
Lemon Balm
This wonderfully aromatic herb is a lovely one to plant in your garden pots – not only for its attractive nature and how much the pollinators love it, but the scent is really something else. You will love breathing in the aroma on summer evenings.
It will need well drained soil, but will be happy in most types from acid to neutral. This plant likes full sun but will tolerate partial shade, and as long as it is protected from excessive moisture in winter it should thrive for many years to come.
Parsley
This biennial is a great addition to any kitchen garden. There are a few different types you can grow, and while they are fairly small, they will add a great dimension to your kitchen garden.
The soil will need to be kept moist but well draining, and parsley will appreciate a fertile soil so dig in some mulch or compost. Full sun is the best, but partial shade will also be tolerated, and will survive a winter – but bear in mind that the leaves will be coarser the second year, and that you should remove the flowers unless you want to collect the seeds.
Final Words
So there you have it – a great breakdown of some of the best herbs to grow in pots outside, to make your garden not only pretty but also practical.
As long as you make sure that their basic needs of water, sunlight, good soil and nutrients are met, you should be able to enjoy your potted herbs for years to come.
