Nicole's Take: Herbs are honestly the best place to start if you're new to gardening — they're forgiving, fast-growing, and you can tuck them into corners of raised beds, pots on a patio, or even a sunny windowsill, so there's almost no excuse not to grow them.

By Nicole Johnsey Burke: Founder of Gardenary and Author of Kitchen Garden Revival

9 Reasons to Add More Herbs to Your Garden

In addition to having my own herb garden planter, I grow herbs in the corners and along the edges of my raised bed kitchen gardens. I even plant herbs in my pollinator garden to spread the herb love with bees and butterflies.

I mean, what's not to love about herb plants? These are my top reasons to grow more herbs in your garden:

Reason #1: Herbs are easy to grow

Because herbs are so forgiving of their growing conditions (including sunlight, soil, and water), they're the perfect plants for beginner gardeners. In fact, the Gardenary path to gardening success is to start with herbs first, then leafy greens, then root crops, and then fruiting plants. Overall, herbs are so low-maintenance that your main tending task is just to harvest from them often to promote more growth.

Reason #2: Herbs don't need much space to grow

Herbs can grow in a small container or pot, or they can stretch to fill out an entire corner of a raised bed. They'll basically take whatever room you give them. I like to add herbs to the very corners and along the edges of raised beds to fill in around larger plants in the middle.

Reason #3: Planting a variety of herbs is an easy way to diversify your garden

Outdoor spaces filled with plant variety become healthy and thriving ecosystems in their own right. Adding just a few different herbs is such a simple way of avoiding the monocultures that are the typical American backyard.

Reason #4: Herbs smell great

If you're in need of a little pick-me-up, step outside and rub some rosemary or lavender between your fingers. I guarantee you'll feel better. While you're at it, snip some sprigs and take them inside for dinner.

Reason #5: Herbs don't require a ton of sun

If you have a shady space that gets at least four hours of sun, you could plant a little herb garden there. Herbs prefer receiving six or more hours of sun, but they'll continue growing with as little as four (you just might not get as much leaf production).

Reason #6: Herbs add beauty to your space

From the feathery leaves of a dill plant to the silvery velvet of sage, each herb is as attractive as the last. I love the look of trailing herbs like rosemary or oregano spilling elegantly over the side of a raised bed.

Reason #7: Flowering herbs attract pollinators to your garden

Bees and butterflies love when dill, parsley, basil, and other herbs flower. Growing organic herbs anywhere you can fit them in your outdoor space is a great way to ensure our garden good guys have healthy food to enjoy.

Reason #8: Herbs can be harvested from again and again

You can harvest from most herb plants on at least a weekly basis. It's actually best that you cut them regularly to encourage them to branch out more, instead of growing tall and leggy. Cutting just above a leaf node tells the plant to grow more stems and more leaves (the parts of herbs that we want). Even better, if you plant a mature herb in your garden, you can harvest immediately after planting.

Reason #9: Just-harvested herbs taste so much better than store-bought

Herbs that you cut yourself have so much more flavor and nutrients than the store-bought variety. If you're craving a more garden-to-table lifestyle, the easiest way to accomplish that is to pot up some herbs, create an herb garden outdoors, or add some herbs to your existing raised beds so that you can dash outside, cut some sprigs, and bring them indoors to toss onto whatever you're cooking.

Four Herb Garden Ideas to Help You Grow More Herbs

Here are four different ways you can add more herbs into your life, in order from super easy to okay, you gotta put some effort into this, but the results will be so worth it!

Level one: grow herbs in pots

The planter, pot, or container you pick to grow your herbs in needs to be at least 6 inches deep. Be sure to check on your herbs frequently since the soil in a small pot will dry out much faster than the soil in a raised bed or the ground.

I like terra cotta pots because they help regulate the moisture level and come with a nice, big drainage hole. They're also a great budget option but still quite attractive.

Learn more about how to grow herbs in a small space.

Level two: add herbs to a pollinator garden

If you already have an in-ground pollinator or wildflower garden, add some herbs to further delight the bees and butterflies.

Anise hyssop is a beautiful herb that sends up tall flower spikes to attract pollinators. Let your basil flower, and in the cool season, let cilantro, dill, and parsley linger so insects can enjoy their flowers, too. There's also chives, lemon balm, and bee balm.

Level three: fill in raised beds with herbs

If you already have raised garden beds, fill in the corner and any bare spots along the edges with herbs. I love to mix upright herbs with draping herbs for visual interest.

Level four: create an herb garden planter

If you're looking to maximize your growing space for herbs, I recommend putting together your very own rollable steel planter. It's an easy project, and once assembled, you'll be able to roll your herb garden around to chase sunlight. My herb planter is 2' x 6', so it's small compared to my raised beds, but you'd be shocked how many herbs I can grow and harvest from this little 12-square-foot bed.

Some of My Favorite Herbs to Grow

Here are some of the herbs I’ve got tucked throughout my garden and why I love growing them.

Rosemary 

You can grow a trailing rosemary over the edge of a raised bed or container, or grow an upright rosemary plant—either way, it's sure to smell heavenly. Rosemary makes a great dipping sauce for breads, like this herb garden flatbread. 

(Find five tips to grow rosemary here.)

Chives 

Chives were what got me hooked on the concept of growing your own fresh food, and they’re a great starter plant. Chive blossoms are both gorgeous and edible, and I like to use them to make chive blossom vinaigrette. 

Parsley

There’s Italian parsley, also known as flat leaf parsley, or curly leaf parsley, depending on your preference. I love tossing this herb fresh on dishes, but you can also cut it up, add it to oil, and freeze it to use throughout the winter. Sprinkle some parsley onto your spaghetti for a little pop of green. 

(Learn how to harvest parsley the right way to encourage your plant to grow more leaves.)

Lavender 

I wish you could smell my lavender through your screen! Once it blooms, you can cut whole sprigs to freshen up your bathrooms.

Chamomile 

Part of the Asteraceae family, chamomile produces cute little white flowers and releases the most amazing scent of apples in the fall. I dry the flowers to make soothing tea. 

Cilantro 

I love the taste of cilantro, and if you let your plants produce seeds, you get a second treat: coriander! Toss coriander seeds into salads or onto soups. 

Thyme 

Like oregano, thyme grows into a little carpet over your beds. I love cutting sprigs of thyme to use when I’m roasting vegetables. 

Basil 

I always have at least two varieties of basil growing over the summer. There are lots of types for you to choose from, but I recommend Genovese basil and Thai basil, a fun alternative to regular basil that holds up a little better while cooking. It’s super easy to start basil from seed or to root basil cuttings so you can get even more plants to spread throughout your garden.  

Marigold 

Marigold is often considered an herb for its edible flowers and medicinal properties — and it's one of the prettiest ones you can grow. It's an extra low-maintenance one at that. I love to make tea with them. 

Get Your Herb Garden Started ASAP!

Summer is the time to harvest from your herbs as much as you possibly can. Bring them inside and enjoy them fresh in the kitchen or dry them for the winter—there’s so much you can do with herbs. 

So here's to herbs! Let’s all find more spaces to put them in the garden! 

Herb FAQs

Why should I grow herbs in my garden?

Herbs are some of the easiest and most rewarding plants you can grow. They're forgiving of imperfect conditions, don't need much space, attract pollinators, and give you fresh flavor at your fingertips all season long. If you're new to gardening, herbs are always where I recommend starting.

What herbs are easiest to grow for beginners?

Chives, mint, rosemary, thyme, and basil are all great starting points. Chives and mint are especially forgiving — they'll grow in almost any condition and come back year after year. Just keep mint contained or it will take over everything around it.

Can I grow herbs without a raised bed?

Absolutely. Herbs grow beautifully in pots, containers, pollinator gardens, or tucked into the edges of existing beds. The only real requirement is a container at least 6 inches deep and enough sunlight — four to six hours minimum, more for sun-loving herbs like basil and rosemary.

How often should I harvest herbs?

Most herbs benefit from being harvested at least once a week during the growing season. Regular cutting encourages the plant to branch out and produce more leaves rather than going tall and leggy. Always cut just above a leaf node for best results.

Where can I buy a raised bed for growing herbs?

Gardenary's cedar raised beds are made in the USA from untreated kiln-dried cedar and are a beautiful, durable option for a dedicated herb garden. A raised bed is a great choice if you want to grow herbs and so much more!