No more mystery plants taking up garden space—these herbs are the real MVPs of your kitchen and teacup!
Let’s be honest: we’ve all planted something that seemed like a great
idea at the time—only to forget what it was or why we planted it. The
secret to a thriving herb garden isn’t growing every herb under the sun.
It’s growing the ones you’ll actually use—often, and with joy!
So let’s dig into the most useful culinary and tea herbs you can grow,
how to care for them, and how to make them the stars of your daily routine.
SIDE NOTE - I am playing with emojis - let me know if they help in reading the posts or interfere.
🌿 Culinary Herbs
You’ll Use Again and Again
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Best for: Pesto, pasta, caprese salad, tomato anything.
Growing tip: Loves heat and hates cold. Plant after danger of frost and
harvest frequently to keep it bushy. Great container plant – use a rich potting
soil mix.
💡Quick use: Blend with olive
oil and freeze in ice cube trays for instant pasta pizzazz.
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Best for: Garnishing everything, soups, tabbouleh, chimichurri.
Growing tip: Flat-leaf is easier to chop, curly adds texture. Parsley is
a biennial, but treat it as an annual and harvest to the ground in fall and
remove the root. One plant or two is all you will need for a household. Plant
in full sun where the soil drains well.
💡Quick use: Chop and toss over
roasted veggies or mix into butter for a fast herb spread.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Growing tip: Perennial and tough as nails. Cut back always at the bottom of the stem to keep fresh
growth coming. Can grow in pots and will winter over there, or grow in the ground. Harvest the flowers in spring to make vinegar and cut down on spreading.
💡Quick use: Snip onto scrambled
eggs or stir into sour cream with a pinch of salt.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Best for: Roasts, stews, soups, veggies, bread.
Growing tip: Prefers dry feet—plant in well-drained soil and don’t
overwater. Needs full sun. Choose English, French or German for the best
cooking flavors. The low growing varieties like creeping red or orange spice are
great as a cascade in a container.
💡Quick use: Sprinkle fresh
sprigs on roasted chicken or infuse in olive oil.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Best for: Pizza, pasta, Greek and Italian dishes.
Growing tip: Can spread like crazy—great for containers, but can freeze overwinter
and may not return. If you want to grow
the same plant next year, place it in the ground and harvest frequently. Check
the flavor when you buy, if there is no flavor now, it will not develop any
later. Choose Greek for best cooking. The flavor of oregano is stronger when dried.
💡Quick use: Mix into tomato
sauce or dry and blend with garlic and sea salt for a quick seasoning.
🍵 Herbs That Make Tea
Time Magical
Best for: Iced tea, mojitos, digestive blends.
Growing tip: Plant in containers unless you want mint to take over your
yard (and your neighbor’s). Give it full sun and water when dry. Harvest often to get a bushy plant and shelter
for overwintering.
💡Quick use: Toss a few leaves
in hot water for an instant fresh tea or muddle into lemonade.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Best for: Calming evening teas, lemony tea blends.
Growing tip: Easy to grow and self-seeds freely. Cut back to keep it
tidy and lush. Cut to the ground when you see flowers in late June or July and it
will reward you with less spreading and lovely bright leaves for harvesting in
just a couple weeks. Dies back to the ground in winter to start new the
following growing season.
💡Quick use: Steep with mint for
a bright and relaxing afternoon tea.
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Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
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Growing tip: Loves sun and well-drained soil, not very picky about soil quality (AKA will grow anywhere.) Plant seed every few weeks for a constant crop through the season so you can harvest flowers frequently. Dry on screens or use fresh for tea and relaxing baths.
💡Quick use: Dry the blossoms
and mix with lemon balm for a gentle sleep aid.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Best for: Floral tea blends, baking, bath soaks.
Growing tip: Needs full sun and good drainage. Don’t overwater in a
container, but grows best in the ground where water does not pool, especially
in winter. Mulch at the end of the
season to protect the crown and do not give up too early in spring. It can be
slow to revive if the spring is wet or chilly.
💡Quick use: Add a pinch to
black tea or honey for a relaxing twist.
Best for: Digestive teas, licorice-flavored blends.
Growing tip: Grows tall! Needs space and full sun. Caterpillars love it.
Harvest to get fronds but let some flower so you get fennel seed. Collect seeds
using a paper bag for later use. Grow fron seed to get summer harvests.
💡Quick use: Steep crushed seeds
with mint after meals to soothe digestion.
🌱 Herb Garden Starter
Tips
- Start small. Choose 3–5
herbs you already use in cooking or tea.
- Use containers if space is
limited—or to corral runaway herbs like mint and lemon balm.
- Harvest often to keep plants
productive and prevent flowering (especially basil and mint).
- Label your
plants. Trust me, parsley and cilantro look nearly identical when young.
And anything in the mint family will look the same when mature.
🍴 Bonus: Mix &
Match Pairings
Try growing herbs in themed combos:
- Italian Garden: Basil,
oregano, parsley, thyme
- Tea Lover’s
Mix: Mint, lemon balm, chamomile, lavender
- Allium Corner: Chives, garlic
chives, bunching onions
With just a few well-chosen herbs, your garden (and kitchen) can
transform. No more guilt over neglected plants—only delicious, fragrant,
fresh-from-the-garden flavor in your meals and mugs. Now that’s an herb
garden worth growing!
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