How to Grow and Maintain a Culinary Herb Garden

Access to a culinary herb garden at home is a small luxury that’s easier to achieve than you might think. With the right tools and know-how, you could have a thriving herb garden to infuse your culinary creations with!

How to grow and maintain a culinary herb garden

1. Prepare a sunny space — Most herbs require lots of sunlight throughout the day for healthy growth but also for the production of the essential oils that give herbs their distinct aroma and flavour, so it’s best to place them in a sunny area indoors or outdoors, the kitchen windowsill is a great indoor spot, and look for somewhere easy to access outdoors so you can harvest when you’re cooking!
   
   
2. Start with the right herbs — It’s best to start with a few of your favourite herbs that you use most frequently. Once you’ve got the hang of maintaining a herb garden, expand and experiment with different herbs.
   
   You can browse through Mr. Fothergill’s wide range of herb seeds for sale to shop for your favourite herbs and discover our range of easy-to-grow indoor or outdoor herb garden kits. We also recommend having microgreens in a home garden because they add a pop of colour and texture to food as a garnish or side salad!
   
   
3. Watering and Feeding — Your herbs will require regular watering, but it’s also important not to overwater them. Make sure you water your herbs at the base, avoiding wetting the leaves to reduce the risk of fungus. An occasional but thorough watering is better than a light but frequent one. However, check the soil daily during hot spells to ensure it does not dry out. Mulching helps to retain water in the soil during the hot Summer months which keeps the plant’s roots cool and healthier. Fertilise your herbs every 6-8 weeks using a good, organic-based fertiliser such as blood and bone, and supplement with periodic liquid or soluble fertilisers to boost growth. Avoid liquid chemical fertilisers that can encourage too much leaf growth which lowers levels of essential oils (reducing aroma and flavour).
   
   
4. Prune and harvest regularly— This will promote bushier growth for your herbs and help provide you with a continuous supply. You can harvest your herbs by snipping at the stems right where they meet the leaves, starting with the leaves at the top.
   
   It’s also important to research each specific herb’s maintenance requirements, even though most herbs have similar pruning needs. For example, woodier herbs like thyme and rosemary only require pruning once a year.
   
   For more information on harvesting and pruning your herbs, check out our Harvesting Herbs blog.
   
   
5. Rotate your herb garden — You can maintain the overall health of your garden by rotating the herbs and growing them in different areas each year. This helps prevent pests and disease, but can also refresh your garden by replacing plants that aren’t growing well.
   
   By following these five simple tips to grow a herb garden at home, you should find yourself with a thriving garden and tons of fresh herbs all year round!
   
   It can seem overwhelming at first, especially if you’re new to gardening. To make life easy, you can find everything you need at Mr. Fothergill’s - from tips and tricks to all the gardening tools you need for growing and maintaining your herb garden!

What are the most popular herb varieties to grow?

Some of the most popular herb varieties include Basil, Chives, Coriander, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, and Thyme. Please note that some herbs – such as Mint and Oregano – can be invasive and are therefore best grown in containers.

Growing herbs indoors

Growing herbs indoors is a great way to ensure you have your favourite herbs on hand all year round. You can grow herbs indoors in pots on a sunny windowsill or if you really want to grow a bumper harvest, our hydroponic indoor gardens are a great way to boost your crop output.

Shop all your herb garden needs at Mr. Fothergill’s

With the very best seeds and a high-quality range of gardening tools that guarantee successful growth, Mr. Fothergill’s is the one-stop shop for herb garden beginners and pros alike. Trust that our products adhere to strict quality guidelines and have peace of mind when you purchase your herb garden needs at Mr. Fothergill’s.

If you are more of a set-and-forget kind of gardener then why not try growing indoors in an Indoor Smart Garden? An Indoor Smart Garden allows you to grow fresh herbs on your kitchen bench, easily accessible at cooking time! Simply sow your herb seeds, add water, plug in, and let the unit do the rest!

Put these tips to the test and embark on your culinary herb garden journey by shopping our extensive range of herb seeds today!