Which Popular Herbs Should You Grow at Home?
Growing your own herbs is an amazing thing. No matter where you come from, there’s a good chance that a bunch of herbs are used in all of your favourite meals. From your favourite curry and naans to various cheeses (gouda, mozzarella, and halloumi are great options) and pasta dishes, herbs are everywhere. But… How do you know which popular herbs you should grow? Which popular herbs are worth the trouble?
Well, we can help with that. So if you have been thinking of starting a herb garden of your own, have a look at some of these recommendations.
Just looking for the answers? Consider growing parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, mint, lemongrass, sage, coriander, basil, and fennel at home! These popular herbs are wonderfully delicious and useful, and will always make a perfect addition to a garden.
Parsley – One of The Most Popular Herbs of Them All
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained but moist
- Potting preferences – sand, loam, clay, or chalk
- Weather preferences – cooler weather
Parsley is a classic and it’s easy to grow. This makes it one of the most ideal herbs to have in your garden, no matter where you are. You can grow this in small pots, or plant it in the soil depending on the climate you live in.
This popular herb is used in all kinds of cooking and is wonderfully easy to grow, even from seeds. There are curly and flat-leaved varieties, and there is plenty you can do with them, from salad to sauces. You will also find parsley in soaps and cosmetics due to its lovely aroma, so you can never get away from this stuff for too long!
Oregano – Perfect for Any Occasion
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained
- Potting preferences – loam, chalk, or sand
- Weather preferences – cold-hardy
This is another great easy-to-grow plant that is perfect for beginners. They will thrive wherever you put them, and will give you delightful leaves to use fresh or dried. Coming from the Mediterranean, be sure to give your oregano plenty of sunlight, and wait for it to grow into a spectacular plant.
Not only can oregano be used in cooking, but it has also been used to help treat wounds and things like paradise infections in the past. However, there isn’t any good scientific evidence to back up how effective it is – it’s just fun to know!
Thyme – Thyme to Start Growing!
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained
- Potting preferences – sand, loam, rocks
- Weather preferences – frost-resistant
So many weeds, so little thyme. This compact evergreen shrub loves the warmth and sun, and will simply get on once you plant it. There is little maintenance involved in these plants, making them great for beginners or people who aspire to be lazy gardeners.
The antioxidant effects in thyme can help to relieve coughing, and it could even help to fight fungal and bacterial infections. Again, though, a lot more research will be needed in order to gather enough scientific evidence for the effectiveness of such remarks. Either way, it is a delicious herb, and one you should certainly have in your garden.
Rosemary – A Pretty and Popular Herb
- Light conditions – full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained and moist
- Potting preferences – sand, loam, clay, or chalk
- Weather preferences – cold-sensitive
Rosemary might be one of the most rewarding herbs to grow at home. Not only is it delicious and useful, but the plant itself is beautiful. They like sun and well-draining soil, but are not a fan of the cold. Even so, if they are given shelter from the elements, you can expect your rosemary to thrive.
This herb is frequently used in cosmetics thanks to its wonderful aroma. You can find it in soaps, too! Traditionally, rosemary has also been used to improve memory in medicine, so all in all, this is a pretty interesting herb.
Mint – The Menace
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – moist (well or poorly drained)
- Potting preferences – loam, chalk, clay, or sand
- Weather preferences – cold-hardy
Mint is a menace in the plant world. However, it is also delicious and versatile, so maybe this popular herb is the trouble is worth it. The problem isn’t that it is hard to grow – it’s that it thrives no matter where it is, even if you don’t want it there!
Keep mint roots contained if you don’t want them to take over your entire garden and choke everything else out. If you can keep it under control, you will be blessed with fresh mint leaves that you can use in your cooking or your cocktail making.
Lemongrass – The Summer Queen
- Light conditions – full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained
- Potting preferences – loam or sand
- Weather preferences – warmer temperatures
Lemongrass can be a challenging plant to grow if you live in a colder climate. These plants love the warmth, and even mind UK winters can kill it off. However, if you have a greenhouse or live somewhere warmer, you can expect this thing to thrive, even from seed.
Like many others, lemongrass can be used for more than cooking. It has antioxidant properties and might help to relieve swelling, pain, fevers, and even improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels. There’s a lot to love about this herb, so if you are able to grow it, we would absolutely recommend it.
Sage – One of the Popular Herbs to Fall in Love With
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained but moist
- Potting preferences – loam or clay
- Weather preferences – cold-hardy
Aromatic, drought-tolerant, and easy-to-grow, sage has to be on your list when it comes to herbs to grow at home. Sage is used to add a punch of flavour to all kinds of dishes – mostly Mediterranean ones! From chickens to pasta, you will always be able to find a use for this popular herb.
On top of cooking, sage also has a number of great health benefits. They have lots of antioxidants and nutrients, for one. Additionally, sage might help with supporting oral health, brain function, and lowering blood sugar levels, among other things.
Coriander – Love it Or Hate it
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained but moist
- Potting preferences – loam, chalk, or sand
- Weather preferences – mild to warmer climates
This is a great herb to grow from seed, and really has a lot to offer. You can add it to just about any dish, and get great results every time. You can use the leaves and seeds in cooking, and toss them into whatever you like.
Coriander has been used to prevent food poisoning, but is also widely used in soaps and various cosmetics due to the lovely aroma. You will also probably find coriander flavouring in tobacco and medicine!
Basil – The King of Popular Herbs
- Light conditions – full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained
- Potting preferences – loam or sand
- Weather preferences – mild to warmer climates
Basil is easy to look after once it is established. The most work it will need is frequent harvesting to keep it happy and healthy. You might notice that slugs and snails have a particular affinity for this plant (who could blame them?), so be sure to keep them away, too!
This popular herb is usually used fresh to add some wonderful flavour to any dish. However, it has also been used to treat issues like constipation, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and more. Once again, though, there is no real evidence to show that it helps with these things (except for loss of appetite, obviously).
Fennel – Don’t Turn Your Back on This One
- Light conditions – partial shade or full sun
- Watering preferences – well-drained and moist
- Potting preferences – loam, sand, chalk, or clay
- Weather preferences – mild to warmer climates
Finally, fennel is a must-grow if you can. It’s easy to work with and basically needs no maintenance once it is established. Give it lots of sun and well-draining soil, and this plant will thrive. When it’s ready, you can use it to add lots of delicious flavour to a dish.
Beyond culinary uses, fennel is also used to help with things like menstrual cramps, indigestion, menopause, and colic. However, there’s no real evidence to show that it works. Even so, there is no harm in trying, right?
Popular Herbs to Grow At Home – Final Thoughts
Once you grow your popular herbs, you might be thinking… Now what? Well, you can dry your herbs, of course! If you feel like doing more gardening after that, why not consider growing some easy fruits and vegetables? When you get the hang of that and want to challenge yourself, grow some more difficult options! Feel free to check out other gardening articles, too, like the one we have all about mint, how to use whey in gardening, and what you should know before you start the whole gardening process.
There’s plenty more to dig into, but we hope you found this article helpful, and feel at least a little bit more inspired to start growing your own herbs.