Beginner Guide to Growing Herbs in Small Garden Spaces

Start Small, and Start with Herbs

If you have a balcony, a narrow patio, a few steps by the back door or even a sunny windowsill, you already have enough space to grow something genuinely useful. Herbs are the ideal crop for small gardens because they earn their keep. A single supermarket punnet of mint costs the same as a young plant that will keep cropping from April to October, and you can pick exactly what you need rather than watching a whole bunch wilt in the fridge drawer.

They are also forgiving. Herbs grown in pots do not need a rotation plan, a raised bed or a shed full of tools. A few containers, a bag of compost and a watering can will get you started this weekend. The trick is choosing varieties that suit containers rather than fighting the ones that don't.

Find the Brightest Spot You Have

Most culinary herbs come from Mediterranean hillsides and want sun. Aim for at least six hours of direct light a day, ideally more. A south or west-facing wall, a balcony railing or a doorstep that catches the afternoon sun will all do nicely.

Before you buy anything, spend a day watching your space. Notice where the sun lands at 10am and again at 3pm, and where the shadow of the building falls. If your only option is a shaded corner, don't despair — mint and parsley will both manage in partial shade, though they will grow more slowly and taste slightly milder. A windowsill facing east works well for a small pot of chives through the winter.

Three Herbs That Forgive Beginners

You can grow almost anything in a pot, but these three give the best return for the least fuss.

• Mint. Practically indestructible. It spreads by underground runners, so always give it its own pot — never plant it alongside anything else, or it will smother the neighbours. A 20–25cm pot is plenty. Keep it well watered and pick regularly to stop it turning woody.
• Parsley. Flat-leaf types have the better flavour for cooking, curly types are hardier in cold weather. Parsley sends down a long taproot, so choose a deeper pot — around 25cm — rather than a shallow bowl. It needs consistent moisture; letting it dry out once can set it back badly.
• Chives. The easiest of the three to keep going year after year. They die back in winter and reappear in spring without any help. Snip the leaves rather than pulling them, and remove the pink flowers if you want a steady supply of tender green growth.

If you have room for a fourth pot, add thyme or rosemary. Both are shrubby, drought-tolerant and happiest in a gritty compost mix, and both will survive a mild UK winter outdoors if the pot is raised off the ground.

Pots, Compost and Drainage

Drainage matters more than pot style. Terracotta dries out faster and looks lovely; glazed or plastic pots hold moisture longer and are lighter to move. Whatever you choose, make sure there is a hole in the base. If a pot sits flat on paving, water pools underneath and roots rot — stand pots on feet, bricks or small blocks to let air circulate.

Use a peat-free multi-purpose compost rather than soil from the garden, which compacts in containers and brings weeds with it. Fill to about 2cm below the rim so you can water without it running straight off. If you are planting mint or thyme, mix in a handful of horticultural grit to improve drainage. Group pots together in summer; they shade each other's roots and need watering less often.

Watering and Feeding Through the Season

Container herbs live or die by watering. In warm weather, check daily by pushing a finger 2cm into the compost. If it feels dry at that depth, water until it runs out of the bottom. Little and often beats a weekly drench, and morning watering is better than evening because foliage dries before night.

Compost runs out of nutrients after about six weeks, so from midsummer feed pots every fortnight with a liquid seaweed or general-purpose feed at half strength. Don't overdo it — too much nitrogen gives you lush leaves with very little flavour. Pinch out any flower buds on basil, mint and parsley to keep the plant producing leaves rather than seed.

Harvesting, and the Mistakes That Catch People Out

Regular picking makes bushy plants. Always take from the top: snip mint and basil just above a pair of leaves, and cut chives down to about 3cm from the base to encourage fresh growth. Never strip more than a third of a plant at once.

The commonest disappointment is parsley that bolts — running to seed in its second year. That is simply its natural cycle, so sow a fresh pot each spring rather than trying to coax an old plant back. Mint turning woody and tasteless is usually a sign it needs dividing; tip it out in early spring, split the rootball with a knife and repot the healthiest sections. Watch for greenfly on chives and mint in early summer. A firm spray of water from the hose usually deals with a light infestation before it spreads.

Start with two pots this month. Add another when you find yourself using more than you can pick — which, with herbs, tends to happen sooner than you expect.