If you regularly buy supermarket herb pots only to see them fade fast, there’s a more sustainable solution. Growing your own herbs at home provides months – even years – of flavour, supports pollinators and cuts down on packaging and air miles.
With the right choices, you don’t need a large garden to enjoy a generous harvest. Many herbs grow easily from seed or cuttings, need little feeding, and thrive with minimal watering. In summer, the flowers of sage, mint, oregano and savory will hum with bees, while in winter you can still enjoy fresh pickings or preserved harvests.
**Give Mediterranean herbs the right conditions
**Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, rosemary, thyme and sage are ideal for a sunny, sheltered spot with free-draining soil. They dislike heavy, poorly drained clay that stays wet through winter, but in gravelly soil they flourish with very little input.
In dry summers especially, these sun-loving herbs prove their value — thriving without constant watering and providing structure, scent and pollinator-friendly flowers when other plants struggle.
**Keep Vigorous Herbs in Check
**Mint is a kitchen favourite, available in a wide range of flavours from lemon to chocolate. While some varieties are well-behaved, common garden mint can quickly spread if planted in open ground, particularly in moisture-retentive soil.
The simple solution is to grow mint — and lemon balm — in containers. A recycled plastic or terracotta pot filled with garden soil mixed with multipurpose compost works well. Position in semi-shade and you’ll have an abundant supply without the risk of it overwhelming neighbouring plants.
**Harvest All Year Round
**Growing your own herbs reduces food miles and unnecessary packaging. Freeze surplus herbs in ice cube trays at the end of summer to enjoy fresh flavour through winter. Mint, lemon balm and chives freeze particularly well.
You can also lift clumps of parsley, mint or chives in autumn and grow them on a cool, bright windowsill indoors, giving you easy access to fresh pickings during colder months.
**Propagate from Cuttings
**There’s no need to buy multiple plants to expand your herb garden. In late spring or early summer, take softwood cuttings from rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage, oregano or mint. Insert into gritty compost, cover to retain moisture and keep warm and bright until rooted. By the end of summer, you’ll have strong young plants ready for planting out.
**Save Seeds and Feed Naturally
**Allow herb flowers such as chives, coriander and oregano to set seed and collect them once dry for sowing the following spring. This is especially useful for fast-growing annual herbs like coriander, dill and basil. Herbs growing in the ground rarely need feeding, but those in pots benefit from an occasional boost. An organic seaweed feed or homemade nettle fertiliser will encourage fresh leafy growth without excess packaging.
Herbs can form the cornerstone of a sustainable garden — productive, pollinator-friendly and low maintenance, yet packed with flavour.
For the full feature and expert tips, see the April issue of Garden Answers, on sale now.
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