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Herbs are plants that have either edible or medicinal uses from their leaves, stems, flowers, or roots. Generally they have wild native varieties, which in some cases are very similar to the cultivar used in a herb garden and in others are vastly different in appearance. Whether your need is culinary or for healing, growing herbs is a great way to interact with nature.

Before you invest in a huge plot of land and spend all your extra money on plants or seeds, it is a good idea to decide exactly what herbs you want to grow and why. If you want to use them for healing, you will probably need to grow more of each species than for culinary use because tinctures, lotions, and balms require a more concentrated form of the herb. If your aim is to use herbs in cooking, then make a list of the herbs you already use regularly in either fresh or dried form. It can be fun to try exotic species, but growing things you know you want to use is more practical for a basic herb garden.

Herbs can easily be grown in containers, or in pots on a window sill. However, they thrive in an open sunny plot, planted directly into the ground. A small patch of land near to the kitchen is ideal, and a basic herb garden need be no more than 6 feet by 6 feet square. Unlike most other garden plants, herbs do not require extra fertilizer; this is because they naturally grow wild, often in poor soil. Adding too many nutrients to the soil can cause the herbs to bolt (run to seed too quickly,) or to grow too much leaf when what you want are seeds or flowers. The best way to improve the soil for your herb garden is to dig in some extra drainage material, such as grit or sand, as herbs rarely like standing in wet earth.

Many herbs are annuals, which means they do all their growing in only one year and then die. A few are perennials such as Melissa (Lemon Balm) or Lavender, but in harsh winters even these can perish. If you have an herb that you particularly like but that is tender, try taking some cuttings to over-winter indoors or in a cold frame from the established plant, just in case. To help your herbs to grow well, keep the surrounding soil free from weeds, and pick leaves regularly from the top of the plant's stems. This encourages the plant to shoot from further down and will result in many more stems of fresh leaves in quick succession.

One of the few herbs that should not be grown directly in the ground is any of the Mentha (Mint) family. Mint sends out runners just below the surface of the soil to establish new plants, and can quickly become invasive. It will not harm the plant to be grown in a sturdy pot, although you will end up with young shoots all around the edge of the pot and a vacant space in the centre after a couple of years. That is when you know it needs breaking up, re-potting and the young plants distributed among your friends.

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