how to grow herbs

Hi.

I'm starting a herb corner on my patio. So far I have Rosemary, Sage, Parsley, Savory, Basil and Mint. I will grow them in pots.
I'd like some advice on what compost to use for each plant and whether any can be grown together to make attractive displays.
Many thanks.

 

Some herbs, such as Rosemary and Thyme will require a gritty compost. I have other herbs in general potting compost but I think they all like good drainage.
Mint is best grown in pots because it tends to spread a lot and can become a nuisance.

 

Plenty of full sun, too, for the 'mediterranean' herbs like Rosemary and Thyme. The mints are quite happy in cooler, wetter situations but I agree with @Michael Hewett, definitely best restricted by pots! I've never done well with Basil, usually treated as an annual in the UK as it's not hardy. The Sages seem to be tough old warriors and not particularly fussy, unless waterlogged, but they'll get leggy if you don't give them a short back-and-sides once they've finished flowering in summer. So yes, free drainage for most of the ones you mention, @pattie . Hope they all do well and thrive for you

 

Thank you @Michael Hewett and @Tinkerton for your help.
I have various composts, including my own made, plus a bagful of grit. My patio is sunny for most of the day, which gave me the idea of growing some herbs there, for me and the wildlife too.

 

Oregano and marjoram are good ones to grow too. I found them the most unfussy

 

Oooo never heard of Savory, so no idea how to grow it, but will be looking it up - thanks. Sage, oregano , mint, thyme , tarragon and lovage are our outside herbs. Basil and coriander we found a little more difficult, but the former we could not live without. For the outside herbs I've found as mentioned that most like good drainage. I have them all in pots, apart from the lovage which is wild... 2m tall last year. Those in pots I can move around to follow or avoid the sun throughout the year. Thyme, sage and oregano I'm already picking, but suspect because of a lack of prolonged frost. Both the thyme and oregano are great for the bees, so I'm happy to share the flowers with them. Basil is most definitely our favourite, but coriander (not like by quite a few, apparently due to their genes?) is not far behind. So for basil I buy living plants from the big supermarkets and take cuttings once there is enough daylight hours, use the bigger leaves and put the cuttings in a jar or bottle full of water. These put on roots within a week or two and once big enough go in pots on the windowsill. Last few years we've avoided buying basil between roughly May-Sep. Coriander we struggle to do anything with apart from buying living pots. I did have some success with re-potting and putting outside but the aphids always found it. I have discovered it does not seem to like too much sun and/or heat, any ideas would be most welcome folks?

 

I didn't know much about Savory either, @DiggersJo but saw it and bought it as one of the lesser known herbs in my collection. I think mine is the summer variety.
A great tip about Basil... I struggle to grow it from seed, so taking cuttings is a splendid idea.

 

I always struggle with basil from seed so thank so your post re doing cuttings in water @DiggersJo. Not sure why I haven’t tried that before as I grew all my Rosemary, Thyme and Sage from packets of fresh supermarket herbs.

I’ve got all my herbs, except mint, in the ground without any problem but the Thymes have really taken a beating this winter, far too wet for them (and me!). interestingly, the Oregano which gets less sun doesn’t seem to have been fazed by the wet winter at all and is already growing away and my soil is a heavy loam.

I’ve also struggled with my mint and Parsley the last few years. It grows but never really gets going. I think I need to completely refresh the mint this year and rethink the compost it’s in. Also I wonder if it’s worth trying to root some parsley in water?

Re displays, Sage gets quite big but imo is very attractive all year. The flower heads also look attractive as they are going over. I would probably have the herbs in separate pots so each has plenty of space but a mixed group of pots placed together would then look lovely. You could also swap round the lower smaller herbs (thinking thymes, oregano) to pull forward those looking their best and/or in flower. You should get a long season of interest given the number that are evergreen and then the successional flowering. Here Rosemary gets going flower wise first, then Sage, Thyme and finally Oregano.

In terms of sun levels, my Oregano is in partial shade and seems perfectly happy. Ditto some of my Thymes, they have also been quite happy for several years and it’s the wet that has done for them this winter.

 

What a lovely post, @Butterfly6.
Thank you.

 

If it's available in UK, there's a beautiful, shrubby Basil from Africa that makes a real feature as an ornamental too. Think it's branded as 'Blue Mountain'. It has long spikes of violet flowers that are an absolute magnet for bees, and purple foliage. Supposed to be able to overwinter it in a frost-free place, although I've never had much luck in that respect.

 

@Butterfly6 never tried parsley here in the UK, but mint cuttings work fine and are very rapid.

 

Our Rosemary grew very very large in our outdoor herb area. Died last year so have just put a new one in a different area. Basil....never been able to grow this outdoors , always in a pot on the kitchen window. Parsley has been another we have no success until last year. We were given as a present a HUGE box of seeds (allsorts) and one packet was parsley. Sowed it outdoors and amazingly we had a harvest which we are still cropping. Looked again at the packet and it is Italian parsley!! Never mind it has and still is adding to the food table.

 

@Butterfly6
Plant your mint in a pot of garden soil ,part submerged in a deep trough or garden bed.

 

It will likely flower and set seed soon. Save some and resow, parsley needs to be fresh seed.

 

It’s in garden soil already, but not submerged. Is that to help prevent it drying out?