Starting an herb garden is easy and rewarding, even if you only have space for a few containers on your windowsill.
Becuase herbs are expensive to buy, even a very small garden can pay off! It’s also a delight to have fragrant herbs in your home or garden, and many are beneficial for pollinators.
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For more information on herbs and and what herbs need shade, sun, moisture, or dry soil, make sure to visit this guide on planting herbs together.
Deciding which herbs to plant together
When you decide what herbs to plant together, consider their sun vs. shade needs and whether they prefer wet, dry, or sandy soil. Feel free to mix annuals and perennials, and replace the annuals each year with a new type or variety.
The stock photo below is an example of why you need to pay attention to each plant’s needs before simply cramming a bunch of herbs in a pot together.
The photo shows rosemary and basil (along with a couple other plants) in the same container. The rosemary seems happy, but the basil is anemic and sickly looking. Don’t plant your rosemary and basil together! One or the other will be unwell.
The Mediterranean herb garden
Mediterranean plants grow well together. Mix and match to your heart’s content! All of these herbs have similar water, sunlight, and soil requirements:
When these herbs are grown together they form the beginnings for a perfect Mediterranean dish!
Rosemary and tarragon can grow very tall; they’ll need to be pruned, so they don’t take over the space. Rosemary with sage or oregano plants arranged around it are exceptional.
The rosemary, lavender, and thyme in the front row will all grow together well, either in the same container or in their own containers in the same location.
The Culinary herb garden
Basil, parsley, cilantro, and summer savory like lots of sun, well-drained soil, and are perfect for picking and adding directly to the saucepan.
Discover how to grow basil indoors in this post!
The Tea-lover’s herb garden
Chamomile, mint, lemon verbena, and lavender love the sun. Plant lavender as the centerpiece with mint, lemon verbena, and chamomile arranged around it. If the planter has a shady section, add some lemon balm.
Learn how to grow mint indoors for fresh tea all year long.
Rosemary and lavender companion planting
These two are perfect for each other. They like drier conditions and lots of sun. Plus, they’ll turn your house or garden into a scented paradise.
Cool season herb garden
Chives, cilantro, and winter savory like the cooler temperatures of spring or fall and also love a sunny location.
Discover how to plant and grow cilantro for abundant yields.
Herb garden companion planting for shade
If all you’ve got is a shady spot, herbs are still possible! Parsley and lemon balm will both do great. Mint, lemon verbena, cilantro, chives, and hyssop do well in partial shade, as well.
The best herbs to grow together in containers
Mint, Basil, and Cilantro – All love the sun but are fine in partial shade and good moist soil.
Cilantro, Parsley, and Dill – If the garden has just a bit of shade, plant parsley and cilantro, then put dill in the sunnier areas.
Basil and Chamomile – Sun-loving, quick-growing annuals that are low maintenance and produce abundantly.
Sage and Oregano – They both love lots of sun, are drought-tolerant, and easy to maintain. A match made in heaven.
Lavender, rosemary, and marjoram will all grow well with sage and oregano, too.
Companion planting for ginger
Ginger can grow well with just about anything that shares its soil and water requirements. Since it grows well in open shade, you can plant it under fruit and nut trees. Ginger also grows well with turmeric.
Companion planting for borage
Borage is a fantastic companion plant for basil. It can help out various fruit and vegetable plants like pumpkins, strawberries, and tomatoes because it attracts bees and other pollinators.
Discover how to plant and grow borage.
What herbs grow well with chives?
Parsley, cilantro, tarragon, and basil can all companion plant with chives.
Avoid planting chives with sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and marjoram because chives require more water than these herbs that prefer dry conditions.
Can you grow parsley and basil together?
Yes! You can grow parsley and basil together. In fact, this year I planted my parsley and basil in the same container and they’re doing fantastically. Both plants were harvested about a week prior to this photo and have come back stronger than ever before.
Check out this web story for super easy and basic list of the most popular herbs to grow together.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and learned which herbs to plant together. Leave me a comment if you have questions about a potential herb pairing or want to share your favorite herbs to grow together!
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