7 Best Herbs to Grow in Your Garden This Year

by Frank B.

Are we seriously suggesting you start an herb garden right before winter? You’d better believe it!

Don’t let frigid weather crush your passion for growing fresh herbs. There are several great herb options that thrive indoors during the cold winter months.

You can sow these indoors in the fall and enjoy them all winter long. And when spring comes around again, you can plant them outside.

Below are the seven herbs garden ideas for fall and winter. Read this best herbs list to learn how to grow herbs towards the end of the year.

1. Oregano

best herbs oregano

This delicious and aromatic herb lends an Italian zing to any meal. It pairs especially well with garlic and tomato but also with lemon.

It’s excellent for pasta sauce, garlic bread, salads, and dressing. And don’t underestimate its sandwich-enhancing super-powers.

Even better, oregano is one of the heartiest herbs you could invest in. With such tenacity and versatile flavor usefulness, oregano is a must for beginner herb gardeners.

Oregano Growing Tips

It’s always better to start with a starter herb plant rather than growing from the seeds. It’s about the same price and it sidesteps the hassle and uncertainty of planting seeds and hoping they grow.

Oregano grows best at room temperature with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Lightly water about once a week or when the soil on the surface feels dry.

Do not overwater. Overwatering could cause your oregano’s roots to rot.

Harvest when the plant is 6 inches tall, but leave at least 2 sets of leaves. You may have to replace your oregano every two years.

2. Mint

Mint is even heartier than oregano. Since it’s actually a weed, you’d have a hard time wiping it out even if you were trying!

In food, mint is most popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. But mint has many uses beyond the culinary.

Dried mint leaves can be used to make traditionally medicinal peppermint tea. Peppermint tea is commonly used as a home remedy for upset stomachs.

And the menthol vapors released by the tea is a natural respiratory decongestant. In other words, it’s a must-have for the cold and flu season.

Mint Growing Tips

As mentioned above, mint is hands-down the easiest herb to grow. You can buy a starter plant if you want. But, if you know where some grow, you can rip a wild mint plant right out of the ground, take it home, and stick it in a pot of fresh soil.

Even mint cuttings will take root in fresh, watered soil. Like we said: it’s very hard to kill.

Mint likes less sunlight and more water than most herbs. Morning sun or partially-shaded sunlight is good. And keep the soil moist.

Mint will quickly fill as much space as you give it. It will probably produce leaves faster than you can use them, so harvest as often as you’d like. But don’t plant it in the ground unless you want an entire field of it.

3. Thyme

Thyme is perfect for all those warm, slow-cooked meals you’ll be making throughout the winter. It’s essential for homemade lasagna and great in any Crock-Pot stew. It’s a wonderful complement to any meat you’ll be cooking.

Thyme Growing Tips

Thyme is much easier to grow from seed than other herbs. Feel free to use some of the seed for resowing when necessary.

Thyme does better in sandy soil. So plant it in a mixture of equal parts regular planting soil and sharp sand. Cactus potting mix works, too.

Water heavily but infrequently. Allow the top inch of surface soil to completely dry out before rewatering.

Keep it around room temperature and allow 6 hours of full sunlight. Harvest as needed, but leave at least 3 inches of stem.

4. Rosemary

Rosemary has a very noticeable flavor, the same as its powerful aroma. It goes well with chicken and pork. It’s also great for seasoning potatoes, especially red potatoes, and other vegetables as well.

Rosemary Growing Tips

Instructions for growing rosemary are practically the same as those for growing thyme. Give it 6 hours of sun at room temperature in sand/soil mixture.

Keep it a little dryer than your thyme. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between heavy waterings.

Harvest once the plant reaches 6 inches. Rosemary grows quite slowly, though, so never harvest more than a third of the plant at a time.

Because of their similarities, you can grow both rosemary and thyme in the same location. But be aware that the smell of rosemary will fill any room you put it in.

5. Chives

Before we say anything, you already know what you’ll be using chives for, baked potatoes. And let’s not forget omelets nachos, chili dogs, and chili cheese fries. Anything you put sour cream on is made better with chives.

Chives Growing Tips

Keep it at room temperature in regular potting soil with 4-6 hours of sun. Water twice a week or when surface soil feels dry. If the tips of the plants are yellow, you’re not watering it enough.

Harvest at 6 inches, leaving at least 2 inches behind.

6. Sage

Sage is a great compliment to poultry, pork, and onion. It’s particularly useful for your Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey stuffing.

One drawback of sage, though, is that it shouldn’t be harvested within its first year of planting. But that means planning it now will make it available for use next holiday season.

Sage Growing Tips

Sage likes full sun and lots of it. Grow it in regular potting soil at room temperature, somewhere with exposure to direct sunlight all day.

Sage, like rosemary and thyme, is very drought-resistant. Let the top few inches of soil dry in between heavy waterings.

Don’t harvest for one year after planting or 75 days after transplanting. After that, harvest as needed, no more than half the plant at a time.

7. Parsley

The last on our best herbs list is Parsley. Use parsley as a spice or garnish to add a touch of green to any dish. It goes with meat, fish, vegetables, anything! And it’s very good in entrees with lots of cheese.

Growing Tips

Parsley should be grown in regular potting soil at room temperature with at least 6 hours of sun per day. Water twice a week or when surface soil is dry. Leave 2 inches of stem when you harvest.

Found Your Best Herbs? Start Your Garden Now!

Enjoy these easy-to-grow, indoor herbs all winter long. Use these herbs to start your fall/winter herb garden right away.

Now check out the 4 Easiest Vegetables To Grow In Your Garden.

Leave a Reply