Herbs

Herbs are definitely among my favorite plants to grow. They are so easy, with most requiring little to no care other than the occasional watering. In fact, most herbs actually do poorly when babied and planted in good, rich soil.

The majority of herbs originated in the Mediterranean where they thrive in the warm environment and dry, rocky soils. So herbs are at home in containers (like the rosemary to the left), rock walls, rock gardens, raised beds, etc. They can even thrive in windowsills!

Most herbs like lots of sun, little water (they hate wet roots!), and average to poor soil. There are a few herbs that like shade, along with a few that like moister conditions. Some herbs are annuals while others are perennials depending upon the hardiness zone you are growing in.

If you’re new to growing herbs, the place to start is to figure out what hardiness zone you’re in and what light conditions (sun, shade, or in-between) and soil conditions (moist or dry) you have in your growing area. To determine what types of herbs you want to grow, you will also want to decide whether you want herbs for cooking, medicinal purposes, or just to fill out your landscape and use as companion plants.

Use the following charts to help you decide what herbs to grow where. Keep in mind, it is easier to control how wet or dry the soil is versus how sunny or shady the area is. So chose by light conditions first, and then take soil conditions into consideration. Generally, shade is considered less than 3 hours of sun, partial shade is 3 – 6 hours of sun, and full sun is 6 or more hours.

Light Preferences: