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Home Garden

How to make a chef’s herb garden

Have fresh herbs always at your fingertips.
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The secret to cooking delicious food is using good quality ingredients and, when it comes to fruit and veggies, nothing beats homegrown!

Have you got enough thyme on your hands? Or basil, parsley, mint or rosemary? Fresh herbs add magic to your meals and the fresher they are the better, so a herb garden right next to your kitchen is perfect. It serves as an inspiration, it smells glorious and you can make it look pretty too.

3 ways to plant your herbs

Chef's herb garden
(Photography: Simon Griffiths)

01

In a raised bed

Take advantage of portable raised beds – you can move them to chase the sun – such as this Vegepod. No need to bend down to reach your rosemary or thyme!

outdoor table with herb garden placed in the middle
(Photography: Brent Wilson)

02

On an outdoor table

Save space and put herbs at the heart of your outdoor room with this dual-function furniture piece. You can even add in some edible flowers for a pop of colour!

herb garden in vertical garden hanging on brick wall
(Photography: Brent Wilson)

03

In a vertical garden

If you’ve got a smaller outdoor space, then a vertical garden is perfect for you. Not only is it good for herbs, but you can add in a couple of lettuces and make a whole salad!

Popular herbs for a chef’s herb garden

Many herbs are annuals and have shallow roots, while others are perennials. A few grow into lovely bushes, and if you have room, pluck your herbs from a tree.

Try growing these favourites:

Annuals: Basil, parsley, coriander (full sun, grow as an annual)

Perennials:  Mint, thyme, sage, oregano

Ornamental bush: Rosemary (can be grown in a pot)

Tree: Bay laurel (can be grown in a pot)

Chef's herb garden
It’s tasty teamwork as Melissa King plants a chef’s garden to make sure Karen Martini has fresh extras for her fabulous food (Credit: Simon Griffiths)
Chef's herb garden
Marigolds work three ways in your garden – they add bright colour, the petals and leaves are edible and the leaves are a bit smelly so they drive away unwanted insects (Credit: Simon Griffiths) (Credit: Simon Griffiths)

How to care for herbs

Unless it’s mint – which prefers part shade – herbs need sunlight, well-drained soil or potting mix and water, especially when it’s hot and dry.

Don’t add too much compost because it speeds up growth and encourages plants to bolt and go to seed, and you’ll lose flavour. Some Mediterranean plants, such as rosemary and sage, actually thrive in poor-quality soils.

Herb garden
Mix your kitchen essentials with ornamentals by co-ordinating colour – the silvery foliage of an olive tree and grey-green rosemary (Credit: Simon Griffiths)
Dwarf chilli
Add some spice to your herbs with a long-season annual dwarf chilli. Choose one with the flavour intensity you prefer (Credit: Simon Griffiths)
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Better Homes and Gardens

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