Top 7 Easy Herbs to Grow for Beginner Gardeners

Plant and harvest these herbs to add some home-grown flavour to your dishes!

Growing herbs in your garden can be such an easy and rewarding activity. The fragrant plants are easy to grow and have few needs. Many are jokingly considered weeds by seasoned gardeners. There is something to be said about harvesting herbs grown in your own garden and using them to season the meals you feed your family. Fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert gardener to start growing your own herbs. Here, I’m sharing 7 of my favourite easy-to-grow and useful herbs to grow at home.

I’ve been growing herbs for about 12 years and have had more failures than successes, but I think I’ve finally found a good system that fits my short and finicky zone 3 climate. Don’t be discouraged by mistakes made along the way, the journey is life long and plants are easily replaced.

Herbs are a very low-maintenance plant and will perform better the more you harvest! Take care of them properly, and you’ll have herbs all summer long, and into the winter if you have the space for a windowsill container.

The seven herbs on my list are beginner friendly and easy to maintain when their needs are met: adequate pot spacing, good soil drainage, adequate sunlight and water, and harvest regularly. I know that list sounded long, but nothing about it is special, just the bare minimum for taking care of a plant.

Seven easy herbs for beginners:

Oregano

Sage

Basil

Chives

Mint

Parsley

Thyme

Oregano

Oregano is hardy in zones 4 through 10, so being in zone 3b I just miss the mark. I have had years where the oregano has bounced back when it’s covered with enough mulch and snow for insulation, but it is not a guarantee every year. That aside, this herb is incredibly simple to grow in a bed or a pot depending how much space you have.

TIPS

• Can be planted in a raised bed or a container.

• Prune brown or spotted leaves regularly.

• Harvest oregano and dry the leaves for later use.

Sage

Another plant hardy in zones 4 through 10, sage is a very resilient plant. It can stand high heat and full sun days, and partial shade and chilly temps. The soft velvety leaves are soft and make a great filler for flower pots with it’s icy green colour. The strong fragrance also makes it a great insect repellent.

TIPS

• Cut the sprigs right at the base to encourage growth and branching.

• When sage gets too woody, prune heavily to encourage new, young growth.

• Prune yellowing and spotty leaves regularly.

• Hang left over sage leaves to dry to have a supply of sage all winter long.

Basil

Basil thrives in warm temperatures and full morning sun. While basil requires lots of sun, the delicate leaves can get scorched in full midday sun, so it is best to find an area that has some afternoon shade. Basil likes to have moist soil, so covering with a mulch can be beneficial and help keep the moisture from evaporating.

TIPS

• If growing from seed, pinch the plant back after it’s first two true sets of leaves have emerged. This will encourage a full, bushy growth.

• If your basil bolts, pinch the plant 1 inch below the flowers to prevent the leaves from going bitter.

• There are numerous varieties of basil (Thai Sweet, purple, spicy). Don’t be afraid to plant and experiment with these!

Chives

Chives are the easiest herb to grow. Period. They are hardy in zones 3 through 9, so you can plant them and forget about them, enjoying chives year after year. They require very little space and don’t need a lot of water or sun. They are a very laid back herb.

TIPS

• They can be difficult to grow from seed with long germination times. I would recommend buying them from a greenhouse.

• These are a great replacement for green onions and are a little sweeter. They are great as a salad topper, or in mashed potatoes and soups.  

Mint

Jokingly called a weed, mint is a very aggressive and voracious herb. If you plant this in your garden bed, I can guarantee you that you will have mint everywhere by the end of the summer.

TIPS

• There are several varieties of mint, each with its own aroma. Try experimenting with these!

• Bring your mint plants indoors over the winter to enjoy fresh mint in your drinks and desserts all winter.

Parsley

I use parsley in almost everything I cook. It has such a mild flavour and makes a beautiful, vibrant green garnish. It is also my go to when substituting cilantro (yuck!). Technically, this herb is part of the carrot family, but because we use the leafy greens, it is considered a herb in the culinary world. But just like carrots, this plant is very tolerant to cold temperatures and is hardy in zones 2 through 11, making it a biennial almost all over the world!

TIPS

• Easy to grow from seed, this plant does take a while to get started though. When transplanting, take extra care not to damage the taproot since they are very sensitive.

• Once your plant reaches 6 inches tall, harvest the outer leaves by trimming at the base of the plant. Remove any yellow leaves as they appear.

Thyme

Thyme is a classic herb that is great in poultry dishes and is super easy to grow. It’s very forgiving and doesn’t require a lot of sun or space, much like sage or oregano. Thyme grows very quickly so you can get more than your money’s worth by harvesting often – it’ll just grow back!

TIPS

• Prune at the base to prevent the plant from getting too woody.

• You can harvest and dry extra thyme at the end of the season to have a supply all winter long.

• Use dried sprigs of thyme to infuse some EVOO, which makes for a great gift!

Growing herbs is so easy to do, and you don't need to have a big, elaborate garden either. You can grow these on a window sill, small deck, or a small raised bed. They are very versatile plants that are perfect for beginners because of how low maintenace they are.

I hope you join me in growing herbs this year so we can skip those plastic little packages of fresh or dried herbs at the grocery store.