If you're looking to grow some herbs and keep them flourishing in the garden, our top tips and guide should get you started nicely.

Sunshine

Sunshine really is the number on consideration when it comes to herbs; they really nurture the best flavour in your herbs- as well as encouraging great growth! Read below for some top tips for growing your herbs.

Indoors or outdoors?

Ultimately, herbs do very well with lots of sunshine and good drainage, which can be easier found outdoors than indoors. However, there’s still plenty of options for growing healthy herbs indoors. Ideally theyre still going to need 6 hours sunlight, so south facing positioning will be your friend! Basil, bay laurels, oregano and rosemary can all do well indoors. If you’re considering outdoors, chives, fennel, and mint can all do brilliantly in a warm UK climate.  

Seasons

If you’re looking for all year herbs, your best bets are things like rosemary, mint, chives, oregano, and cress (the fastest growing herb!). If, however, you’re looking for annual herbs, things like parsley, coriander, and basil are great starting points. These need a bit more warmth than perennial herbs, though they can flower quite easily so they do need a little bit more love and care!

Grow from seed or start with a plant

This all comes down to time of year, and your effort intention! It can be a really laborious process if you’re growing from seed, so if you’re looking for a quick turnaround, there’s nothing wrong with buying  a healthy looking plant from your garden centre and giving it a new home!

Picking your herbs

When it comes to using your herbs, how and when you harvest them really matters. Always cut your herbs with sharp, clean snippers. This stops damage to your herbs, which can also promote really solid growth. Never prune more than 1/3 of the plant in a give go, and when pruning, lways start from the top and pick the fresh leaves at the tip of the plant. You can also aim to pinch the top 2 inches of new shoots- this can encourage them to split and form additional shoots. For a full breakdown of how to pick different herbs, take a look at this guide from Hicks Nurseries by clicking here