Whether you’re creating a formal kitchen garden, tucking herbs between ornamental plants, sneaking them into patio crevices or filling pots with purpose, this list will have your garden blooming with happy bees and your taste buds buzzing too.
Annual (or Biennial) Herbs
Fast-growing, often sown each spring. Some may self-seed.
- Basil (Ocimum basilicum) – needs heat, brilliant in pots
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) – short-lived but flavour-packed
- Dill (Anethum graveolens) – light, feathery, needs space
- Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) – prefers cool, shady corners
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) – technically a biennial, best treated as annual
- Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis) – peppery, underused gem
- Rocket (Eruca sativa) – fast and furious flavour
- Borage (Borago officinalis) – cucumbery leaves, edible flowers
- Cress (Lepidium sativum) – perfect for windowsills or microgreens
- Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) – warm-weather herb
- Mustard greens (Brassica spp.) – spicy leaves
- Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) – edible leaves, flowers and seed and great for salad enhancements
Perennial Herbs
Keep coming back year after year. Great for permanent beds and containers. These guys love free draining soils.
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – compact, drought-tolerant, just make sure you snip it regularly so it doesn’t become woody
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare) – Mediterranean classic, looks beautiful in flower too
- Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) – evergreen, sculptural and pick a few sprigs to make a bbq basting brush
- Sage (Salvia officinalis) – loves sun, stunning cultivars available
- Mint (Mentha spp.) – prolific and spreading – best contained
- Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) – citrus-scented and relaxing, perfect for making tea
- Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) – French variety is culinary gold. Great with chicken
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) – grassy tufts with edible flowers
- Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) – similar, but with a garlicky kick. Spreads if happy so you’ve been warned!
- Marjoram (Origanum majorana) – softer than oregano, technically tender perennial
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – tall, dramatic, and edible root just be careful as it can seed everywhere if left to flower
- Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) – sharp citrusy leaves, not my favourite but you may like it
- Bay (Laurus nobilis) – evergreen, shrub/tree form
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) – old-school, pretty and punchy
Best Herbs for Containers
Ideal for patios, balconies, or close to the kitchen door. Keep well watered and feed with diluted liquid seaweed fortnightly between april and september.
- Basil – tender, thrives in warmth with regular water
- Mint – must be confined or it’ll take over
- Parsley – constant cropping makes pots ideal
- Chives – keeps tidy, re-sprouts easily
- Thyme – loves a free-draining pot
- Oregano – compact and easy in containers
- Rosemary – upright or trailing varieties
- Sage – looks fantastic in terracotta
- Coriander – pots help control bolting
- Tarragon – French tarragon prefers the good drainage of pots
- Chervil – shade-tolerant, neat growth
- Lemon Balm – easily divided, but best tamed in a pot
- Bay – slow growing, architectural, great in large pots
Herbs for Shade or Partial Shade
These tolerate less direct sun, making them ideal for north/east-facing spots or dappled areas.
- Parsley – happy in part shade, slower to bolt
- Chervil – prefers shade in summer
- Mint – shade-tolerant and moisture-loving
- Lemon Balm – lush and leafy in part shade
- Coriander – bolts less quickly in cooler spots
- Chives – will still thrive in part shade
- Sorrel – great woodland edge herb
- Lovage – tall and architectural, grows well in dappled shade
- Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) – loves a shady woodland setting
- Oregano ‘Hot & Spicy’ – copes surprisingly well in part shade
- Tarragon – happy with morning sun and afternoon shade
- Fennel – tolerates part shade but will be leggier