5 Essential Herbs Anyone Can Grow
Fresh herbs taste better, cost less, and are better for you than dried. But most people think you need a garden or green fingers. The truth? Some herbs are practically weeds — they grow in pots, on windowsills, and forgive every mistake. Here are the 5 best ones to start with.
Before you start — keep it simple
Most people kill herbs the same way: too much water, not enough light, or planting them in the wrong pot. Here is all you need to know:
☀️ Sunlight: Most herbs want 4–6 hours of sun a day. A kitchen windowsill is usually perfect.
💧 Water: Don't water to a schedule. Poke your finger into the soil. If it feels DRY — water it. If it's still damp — LEAVE IT ALONE. More herbs die from OVER-watering than under-watering.
🪴 Drainage: The pot MUST have holes in the bottom. If water sits there, the roots rot. That is the #1 mistake.
✂️ Pick little and often: Don't wait until it's huge. Pinch the tops off regularly. It makes them grow THICKER and BUSHier.
🌿 Mint — The one that grows like crazy
Mint is practically indestructible. It grows fast, smells wonderful, and comes back EVERY YEAR without fail.
✅ Needs: Partial sun or shade. Not fussy.
✅ Water: Likes damp soil — but still needs drainage.
✅ Comes back: Perennial — dies down in winter, returns in spring.
✅ Uses: Potatoes, peas, salads, mint sauce, tea, drinks.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: NEVER plant mint in the ground or shared pots — it will TAKE OVER. Always keep it in its OWN pot. It is aggressive.
🍃 Basil — The partner to tomatoes
Basil and tomatoes were made for each other. Pasta, pizza, salads, sauces — basil makes everything taste brighter. And it grows fast from seed.
✅ Needs: Full sun — the more the better.
✅ Water: Keep damp but never soggy. Water at the base — try not to wet the leaves.
✅ Comes back: Annual — dies in winter. Grow new each spring.
✅ Top tip: Pinch off the flower buds the moment you see them. Once it flowers, the leaves stop tasting good.
🪶 Parsley — The kitchen workhorse
Parsley is more than just decoration. It's packed with goodness, and you can use it in SO many dishes. It is also surprisingly tough.
✅ Needs: Sun or partial shade — very adaptable.
✅ Water: Likes it fairly damp.
✅ Comes back: Biennial — lasts 2 years then dies. Cheap to replace.
✅ Uses: Soups, stews, eggs, salads, sauces, potatoes — everything.
🌲 Rosemary — The tough evergreen
Rosemary is woody, tough, and survives drought. It smells like pine and warmth. Once established, it is nearly impossible to kill.
✅ Needs: Full sun — loves heat.
✅ Water: LITTLE and INFREQUENT. Let it dry out between waterings. Hates wet feet.
✅ Comes back: Evergreen — stays green all year.
✅ Uses: Roast potatoes, lamb, chicken, bread, oils.
🌾 Thyme — Tiny leaves, huge flavour
Thyme grows slowly but lasts forever. It creeps and spreads. It needs almost no care.
✅ Needs: Full sun — the hotter the better.
✅ Water: Very little. Treat like rosemary.
✅ Comes back: Evergreen — there all year.
✅ Uses: Roasts, stews, soups, mushrooms, onions.
Which to buy first?
🥇 Absolute beginner? Start with MINT. It will forgive anything.
🥈 Want year-round? Rosemary and Thyme stay green in winter.
🥉 Best value? Basil grows fast — buy a cheap plant and pinch it, and you get 5–10 plants from cuttings.
💰 Money saver: One £2 mint plant will give you fresh mint forever. Shop-bought is £1.50 a bunch and goes off in 3 days.
Fresh herbs forever — for pennies
You don't need a garden. You don't need expensive equipment. One pot, some soil, a sunny windowsill — and you can be picking fresh herbs whenever you want.
Start with mint. It practically grows itself. Then add basil, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Your food will taste better — and you'll wonder why you ever bought herbs in plastic bags.