The 10 Best Garden Herbs to Grow at Home

See the top 10 best garden herbs to grow at home and why you’ll want to have them. No herb garden is complete without these superstars!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Eartheasy. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Are you thinking about starting an herb garden or expanding on one you already have? If so, you need to make sure that these 10 fantastic herbs are part of your plan!

There are many different herb varieties available, but today I’m sharing the best of them all. These are the herbs that I reach for again and again. They are versatile (cooking, crafts, medicinal….I use herbs for tons of different things!) and they’re also easy to find at your local garden shops and easy to grow.

If I was forced to grow only 10 herbs, it would be these varieties that I’ll show you today. So, if you’re new to growing herbs, start here. I’ll let you know the best herbs to grow at home and just what makes them so great!

Checkout my recent YouTube video for a first hand look at some of the ways I use my herbs.

Why I LOVE Having an Herb Garden, and You Will Too!

As this summer winds down at the Lavender Blue Cottage, I’ve been harvesting and drying herbs like crazy – which reminds me why I think they are so incredible.

• Most herbs are perennials in North America, meaning that if you have the right growing conditions you can plant it once and it will come back year after year to reward you with fresh herbs. That’s a good return on investment!
• Nothing beats the flavor of fresh garden herbs for making tasty dishes like ground beef and zucchini skillet, chicken stir fry with orange ginger sauce, or lemon balm iced tea. Soups, sauces, stews, drinks and desserts – it all tastes better with some herbs from the garden!
• You can make tons of body care products using herbs. My rosemary hair water is a good example, but there are many more. Take a look at 20 ways to use lavender for skin and body care to get a few good ideas.
• Crafts, like these linen lavender eye pillows, are another great way to use herbs. In fact, I gathered 30+ creative ideas for using lavender in home and craft projects not too long ago.
• Lastly, I love using herbs medicinally, like in my yarrow wound powder, healing dandelion salve and natural cold and flu remedies you can make at home with herbs. I even started studying medicinal herbs through the Herbal Academy. There are so many useful things to learn about herbs!

The Best Garden Herbs to Grow at Home

Alright friends, here we go with the best garden herbs to grow at home.

1. Basil (both sweet basil and holy basil) – Sweet basil is fabulous for cooking things like pesto and other Italian dishes. Holy basil smells wonderful and has tons of medicinal uses.
2. Parsley – Parsley is useful in so many types of food. And don’t forget the garnish! Everything looks yummier with a sprinkle of parsley on top.
3. Oregano – Oregano is another kitchen must-have. It pairs especially well with tomato-based dishes.
4. Cilantro – Also known as coriander leaves, cilantro is wonderful on salads, in salsas or just sprinkled on savory dishes (especially Mexican!) for a fresh flavor burst.
5. Rosemary – Nothing can quite imitate rosemary. Its flavor tastes fantastic paired with foods like potatoes and carrots.
6. Lavender – I could talk forever about lavender alone. It’s great for eating (ever tried lavender berry jam or lavender tea?) and it’s also great for craft, body and home products (like lavender linen spray).
7. Lemon Balm – Don’t even think about skipping the lemon balm! Once you’ve tried lemon balm tea, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I says it’s my kid’s favorite herbal tea.
8. Mint (in any variety – chocolate, spearmint, peppermint, etc.) – There are lots of uses for mint. Mint is super easy to grow and it’s absolutely delicious. By the way, if you want to look like a gourmet chef, hand your friends a bottle of homemade mint extract. It’s deceptively easy to make!
9. Sage – Sage tastes fabulous in savory dishes. Try some in your stuffing this Thanksgiving!
10. Thyme (regular or lemon thyme) – A little bit of thyme can really jazz up vegetables, soups and meats.

What is the Best Way to Grow Garden Herbs?

There are several ways that you can grow herbs. You can plant them straight into the ground or grow a potted plant in a sunny windowsill. At our pole barn home, we used a variety of methods. The lavender farm was planted right in the ground, but we also had some DIY raised garden beds.

Since moving to the Lavender Blue Cottage, we installed Eartheasy Natural Cedar Raised Garden Beds. We even used some of their great accessories like the Eartheasy Natural Cedar A Frame Trellis for climbing vegetables. These raised garden boxes are a game changer. They make it so easy to garden! Here is why:

• With Eartheasy you can customize the size and shape of your raised bed to perfectly fit your needs and your space.
• The height of raised beds is just right, making them easy and comfortable to work in.
• You can easily reach everything in a raised bed without wading through a jungle of plants.
• Raised beds = no muddy boots. You can surround your boxes with grass, gravel, or pavers for a mud-free gardening experience.
• Eartheasy raised beds are easy to put together and come with everything you need for a quick project.
• Raised garden beds from Eartheasy are gorgeous!
• Eartheasy raised garden beds are made from high quality materials that will stand the test of time.

Whether you grow your garden herbs in pots, beds or in the ground, just make sure that they’ve got good sunlight and drainage. Herbs are pretty forgiving, so don’t be intimidated!

How to Dry Herbs for Storing

If you’ve got an abundance of herbs on your hands, drying them is a great way to enjoy the benefits of herb beyond the growing season. There are a few ways to dry herbs.

The cutest method is air drying. Simply rinse and blot your herbs dry. Then bundle the herbs by the stems and hang them upside down to dry. It doubles as home decor!

You can also use an herb drying rack, a dehydrator, or the oven. If using a drying rack, just remove the leaves from the stems and place the rack in an area with good air circulation.

For a dehydrator, follow the manufacturer instructions for drying herbs.

If you want to dry herbs using an oven, spread clean and rinsed leaves out in a single layer on a parchment covered baking sheet. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting it will allow and leave the door cracked slightly for air flow. Check on your herbs every 30 minutes until the leaves are brittle.

Store your dried herbs in an air tight container for best results.

More Ways to Use Herbs

Thanks for joining me for a little herb chat. I love my herb garden and couldn’t do without it. If you’re still thinking about whether to start or expand your herb garden, the answer is yes! Just make sure that you include these 10 must-have herb plants in your plans!

For more great information on how to use herbs, see:

• Make Your Own Chives Blossom Vinegar
• Must Know Tips for Container Herb Gardening
• What to Make with Fresh Basil | 10 Brilliant Ideas
• DIY Rosemary Hair Water for Growth | Before and After
• The Many Benefits of Lavender for Good Health
• The Many Benefits of Yarrow Plant
• Easy to Build Cedar Raised Bed Gardens
• Dandelion Root Benefits | Nature’s Secret Remedy
• Lemon Balm Tea Recipe and Benefits
• Fire Cider Recipe with Variation Ideas
• Healthy and Refreshing Basil Iced Tea Recipe
• 20 Ways to Use Lavender
• 20+ Recipes with Lavender That You’ll Want to Try
• What’s in our Natural First Aid Kit and Medicine Cabinet?