How to Grow Herbs UK: Perennial & Annual Herb Guide
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21 herbs, organised the way that actually matters when deciding what to grow: hardy perennials you plant once and crop for years, versus tender annuals and biennials you sow fresh every season. Each herb below links to its own full growing guide -- exact sowing windows, soil, harvest and pest/disease detail live there, not duplicated here.
Perennial Herbs: Plant Once, Crop for Years
An easy-to-grow, evergreen Mediterranean shrub -- keeps its leaves and stays pickable all year once established.
A bushy, spreading Mediterranean sub-shrub, hardy down to around -15°C once established -- one of the toughest herbs here.
A low, dwarf evergreen shrub reaching about 30cm -- sweet, earthy, peppery flavour, and needs very little space.
A genuinely distinct hybrid thyme -- same growing needs as common thyme, but with lemon scent and flavour instead of thyme's peppery note.
A hardy Mediterranean perennial whose flowers are genuinely good for pollinators, not just the kitchen.
French tarragon is prized for flavour but does not come true from seed -- buy a named plant, not a seed packet, for the real thing.
A clump-forming perennial with mild onion-flavoured leaves -- one of the easiest herbs to start from seed indoors in early spring.
Related to common chives but with flat, strap-shaped leaves and a flavour closer to garlic than onion.
Vigorously spreading -- grow it in a bottomless container sunk in the ground, or it will take over a bed.
A sterile hybrid mint that produces no viable seed -- propagate only by division, cuttings or runners.
Closely related to celery and parsley, with a strong celery-scented leaf -- a little goes a long way in the kitchen.
Grown for aromatic foliage and seed, not the swollen bulb -- a genuinely distinct type from Florence fennel.
A third, distinct fennel type with its own RHS page -- different again from both Herb Fennel and Florence Fennel.
A slow-growing evergreen shrub, hardy outdoors in milder winters but needs bringing under cover anywhere colder reaches it.
Annual & Biennial Herbs: Sow Fresh Each Year
Not hardy -- that single fact drives everything about growing it: sow late, keep warm, and it will not survive a frost.
A genuinely different species from sweet basil (its own RHS profile), also called tulsi, and equally frost-tender.
Technically a biennial (flowers in its second year) but almost always grown fresh from seed each year for leaf quality.
Shares its species with common parsley but is a dual-purpose, root-forming variety, also called parsley root.
Fast-growing and upright, to about 60-100cm, with finely dissected leaves -- happiest sown direct rather than transplanted.
The same plant as cilantro -- grown for leaf, it runs to flower fast in heat, so sow little and often rather than one large batch.
Not fully hardy -- RHS and NC State both treat it as needing winter protection or annual resowing outside its native Mediterranean range.
Pots or Ground?
Either works for most herbs. Mediterranean perennials (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano) actively prefer the free drainage a pot gives them, especially on heavy soil. Spreading mints need a container regardless -- planted in open ground, they run. Tender annuals like basil do well in pots that can be moved to the warmest, most sheltered spot available. Ground beds suit vigorous perennials like lovage and fennel that need more root room than a pot comfortably gives.
For exact UK sowing dates herb by herb, see the herb sowing calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which herbs are easiest to grow for a beginner?
Thyme, chives, and mint (in a container) are about as forgiving as herbs get. Sweet Genovese basil is also easy outdoors once the weather has properly warmed up.
Why does my basil keep going leggy and weak?
Usually too little light or too much heat without enough sun. Give basil the warmest, brightest spot available and pinch out flower buds regularly to keep it bushy.
Can I grow herbs indoors year-round?
Soft herbs like basil, parsley, and chives do reasonably well on a bright windowsill. Woody Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme prefer to be outdoors.
Why is my rosemary or thyme dying in winter?
Almost always waterlogging rather than cold — both are hardy but hate sitting in wet soil. Improve drainage with grit, raise pots off the ground in winter, and avoid heavy clay soil without amendment.
How do I stop mint taking over my garden?
Always grow mint in a container — its spreading roots will take over a bed within a season or two. A bottomless bucket sunk into the soil works well if you want it to look like it’s growing in the ground.
What herbs shouldn't be planted next to each other?
Mostly it's about water needs, not toxicity. Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and sage want free-draining soil and dislike sitting wet — the RHS notes sage "dislikes damp conditions" and rosemary needs "well-drained" soil — while mint wants "rich, moist soil" and will happily sit wetter than they can tolerate. Sharing a bed or a saucer means one set gets over-watered or the other under-watered. Beyond that, it's really just mint on its own: its spreading roots will crowd out anything nearby, which is the reason to always grow it in a container (see above).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding fast-bolting herbs. The RHS notes coriander, dill, basil and wild rocket bolt especially fast if overcrowded or in poor, dry soil.
- Poor ventilation indoors or under glass. Stagnant air encourages fungal problems — keep air moving and ventilate greenhouses regularly.
- One big sowing of fast-bolting herbs. Regular smaller sowings of quick-to-bolt herbs give a steadier supply than a single large sowing.
- Moving basil outdoors too early. Basil is frost-tender and needs consistent warmth — the Met Office notes frost risk can run into June further north, so wait later than the general late-May guidance if you're outside the south.
Plan Your Vegetable Garden
The SoilCommander UK Vegetable Garden Planner covers bed layout, crop rotation, a sowing log and a harvest tracker for 20 core vegetable crops — designed for UK gardens and allotments.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Browse sowing dates for all crops in the UK vegetable planting calendar or explore all UK vegetable growing guides.
Last updated 4 July 2026
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