One of the most common things I get asked is, “how do you start a garden?” My best advice I can give to anyone who wants to get started but doesn’t know where to start is, grow some herbs!
There are several herbs that are very easy to grow and produce a large harvest without much time or energy required. Today I want to go through my list of 4 herbs that you can easily grow, in whatever space you have, to be able to use in your kitchen to cook all types of recipes.
I’ve picked these 4 herbs specifically because they are all perennials. Being a perennial means that they will grow back year after year without having to be replanted. All you have to do is establish them once and you’ll grow and produce fresh herbs for years.
Let’s get right into the list. The first on the list and probably favourite herb is:
Oregano
If you’ve done much cooking at all, you know this herb is used almost as frequently as salt and pepper. That’s why growing oregano is my number one suggestion for new gardeners.
Oregano is a fast growing perennial herb in zones 5-10 that grows in almost any soil conditions. It can be fully harvested a couple of times a year to use in bulk or to dry for storage. You can also harvest what you need and let the rest of the plant keep growing.
There’s medicinal benefits to eating Oregano because of its anti inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. For these reasons it’s also a great addition to any livestock feed you have. We like to give our chickens some fresh oregano throughout the summer months which helps with common ailments and bacterial infections as well as overall immune function.
Oregano will establish itself quickly wherever you plant it (even in part shade). It will continue to spread throughout your garden by developing roots on any part of the plants stem that touches the ground. This makes oregano ideal for container gardening in order to keep it from spreading too much.
All of the leaves of the oregano plant are edible, and if you let them grow the flowers are too. The flowers will have a milder taste than the leaves which makes them great for use in teas or fresh toppings on salads.
For my second recommendation of what herbs to grow for beginners is:
Chives
Out of everything, chives were one of the first herbs I ever grew as a gardener. They’re a little tricky to get started but once they are established they produce lots of mild onion flavoured leaves. Chives can be harvested from early spring right through to late fall and are a perennial all the way down to zones 2-3.
Like oregano, chives have some health benefits too. They are high in vitamin C as well as vitamin K which can improve overall health and increase blood clotting.
Chives can be grown directly in your garden but also grows very well in pots which makes them ideal for every size of garden.
Culinary, they can be used in a variety of dishes from pastas to potatoes to chicken and steak. They can be added as an ingredient in the dish or used as an ornamental aromatic late addition that will give your recipes a pop of colour.
One added benefit of growing chives is that they store extremely easily. There is no need to dry them out for long term storage. The best and easiest way to store chives is to dice them up into the size that you would want to use them in your recipes, put them into a storage container, and straight into the freezer. They will keep their shape and flavour for a long time.
Coming in at number 3 on my list is:
Thyme
For me, thyme is a lot like oregano. It gets used a little less frequently in cooking but it’s a staple of a lot of hardy winter recipes. You can’t make a good chicken noodle soup without thyme.
Thyme is another very hardy perennial herb. It can be grown as a perennial all the way down to zone 2. Once your thyme plant is established it is also very easy to take care of. It is extremely drought tolerant and rarely needs watering, which makes it ideal for raised bed and container gardening.
Thyme will grown to be a foot tall and can be harvested as needed throughout the growing season. You can harvest as little as a couple of sprigs tonight for dinner and it will regrow quickly.
You can also harvest the whole plant once or twice a year. Lay it out to dry in a sunny area and use it as a dried spice. One plant is more than enough for a family for an entire year.
My last recommendation for beginner gardeners is:
Sage
The least used out of all the herbs on my list but still a favourite of mine is, sage. I love adding sage to my potato and pasta recipes. It also a key ingredient in my butternut squash soup.
Sage is a perennial herb down to zone 4. Is drought resistant and it’s one of the few herbs that doesn’t lose some of its flavour as the plant matures. The leaves have the same flavour profile even after the plant flowers.
Sage grows well in containers but it also makes a great companion plant in your garden. If you let it flower it will provide beautiful fragrant flowers that will attract beneficial pollinators and repel pest insects.
A common use for sage that most people have probably heard of is sage cleansing. Sage is dried, tied together and burnt to cleanse a room or a whole house. Whether or not your believe it does anything is up to you.
Honourable mention:
Rosemary! They only reason rosemary is not on my list is because it is only a perennial in zone 8 and higher. You might get away with it as a perennial in zone 7 or 6b but otherwise it needs to be grown as an annual herb.
I hope you enjoyed this growing guide. If you did make sure you check out the other growing guides, seed saving guides and our recipes. We are growing our website with more articles all the time, and we invite you to grow with us. If you have any questions about growing herbs or would like to share some of your knowledge with us please leave a comment below.
