How to Start a Fall Herb Garden

If you’re new to gardening and looking for a place to start, herbs are the way to go. They’re low-maintenance and fast-growing; many varieties take just a few weeks to fully mature from seed to harvest. Plus, removing “fresh herbs” from your grocery list saves money—an idea we can all endorse.

Keep reading to learn how to start a fall herb garden and discover which plants grow best in autumn.

Step 1: Decide Which Type of Herb Garden You Want

Think about your planned purpose for these plants, then select the garden to match.

Culinary Herb Garden

Culinarians know fresh herbs can elevate many dishes from decent to delectable. Consider growing savory herbs such as thyme, parsley, and sage to add serious flavor to your autumn meals.

Medicinal Herb Garden

If you’re interested in health and wellness, you can use herbs to make home remedies for a variety of ailments such as sore throats or nausea. Grow these plants in your garden as ingredients for teas, tinctures, or salves.

• Sage
• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Peppermint
• Lemon balm
• Calendula
• Echinacea
• Rosemary
• Parsely
• Ginger
• Aloe vera

Scented Herb Garden

From the pungent perfume of peppermint to the citrusy scent of lemon verbena, scented herbs can accentuate your home’s aesthetic. Grow these herb combinations to evoke distinct moods in your outdoor spaces.

• Relaxation: Lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm
• Romantic: Lemon balm, sage, and rose geranium
• Energizing: Mint, eucalyptus, and lemon verbena
• Cozy: Sage, rosemary, and lavender

Ornamental Herb Garden

While herbs are prized for their health-, mood-, and flavor-enhancing qualities, they’re also quite pretty. Globe-shaped chive blooms, feathery fern-like fennel leaves, or petite pastel thyme flowers would bring beauty to any green space.

Indoor Herb Garden

If you don’t have room to grow an outdoor garden, you can grow herbs indoors. Place a small container on a windowsill or beneath a grow light, and you'll still reap the benefits of an herb garden.

Step 2: Align Your Herbs with the Season

Not sure which herbs to grow this fall? Any of these plants are cool-weather contenders.

Thyme

Thyme is hardy and provides a strong aroma that enhances many savory dishes—just in time for soup season. Thymus vulgaris is the most common variety, but for medicinal purposes, consider growing lemon thyme and Pennsylvania Dutch tea thyme.

Ideal growing conditions for thyme:

• Full sun (at least six hours per day)
• Well-drained soil, loamy or sandy
• Water when soil is dry to the touch—don’t overwater

Mint

Mint is easy to grow and can be used for teas, garnishes, drinks, desserts, etc. With over 600 varieties, you might be surprised by some of the available flavors, such as chocolate mint. We highly advise growing mint in pots or planters because it’s invasive and can take over your landscaping.

Ideal growing conditions for mint:

• Full sun or partial shade (three to six hours of sunlight per day)
• Moist, well-drained and slightly acidic soil
• Water regularly to keep soil moist

Parsley

Whether curly or flat-leafed, parsley is an easy-growing, nutritious herb loaded with iron and vitamins A, C, and K. It makes an excellent garnish for autumn salads and Thanksgiving appetizers like deviled eggs. Harvest parsley once the stems have three segments.

Ideal growing conditions for parsley:

• Full sun to partial shade
• Rich, well-drained soil
• Water regularly to keep soil moist

Chives

Chives, which are in the same family as onions, offer a flavor that complements creamy soups, potatoes, and salads. They also attract pollinators like bees and repel pests such as aphids, making them an excellent companion herb.

Ideal growing conditions for chives:

• Full sun
• Rich, well-drained soil
• Water enough to keep soil moderately moist

Sage

Sage is a great addition to any fall garden since it's a key ingredient in a Thanksgiving favorite: stuffing (or dressing if you hail from the south). While sage grows well in beds, it’s also an excellent container plant.

Ideal growing conditions for sage:

• Full sun
• Well-drained soil (can be rocky)
• Water periodically, giving soil time to dry between waterings

Lavender

If you’re growing an ornamental or scented garden, lavender is hard to overlook. It boasts a strong yet calming aroma and comes in dainty shades of purple, blue, white, and pink, spreading a blanket of pastels over your flower patch.

Ideal growing conditions for lavender:

• Full sun
• Well-drained soil, sandy or gravelly
• Water only when soil is completely dry

Rosemary

Rosemary is a shrub that not only adds zest to Mediterranean and Italian dishes but also fills the air with a strong fragrance you’ll love to smell. This herb is also drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for arid regions. Rosemary grows best in well-drained, sandy soil in a sunny spot.

Ideal growing conditions for rosemary:

• Full sun
• Well-drained, sandy, and slightly alkaline soil
• Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch

Step 3: Tend to Your Herb Garden

Follow these steps to set your garden up for success:

1. Select Your Space

It doesn’t matter if you have a large backyard or a small apartment balcony—Herbs can grow and thrive just about anywhere as long as they get adequate sunlight each day. It’s okay if your only growing spots are somewhat shaded; certain herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, do well in partial shade. If you’re unsure of how much sun your herbs need, look at the tags attached to seedling pots.

Plant your herb garden where you can see it, so you can check if your plants need watering. A popular spot to place herbs is outside a kitchen window.

2. Choose Your Growing Style

Growing herbs directly into the ground is always an excellent choice, as long as you have space, soil, and sunny conditions. If you don’t—no problem! You can set up a raised bed garden; a great alternative that gives you more control over the soil and puts less strain on your back. Plus, the garden’s tall walls will prevent rabbits and other pests from eating your herbs.

If space is limited, opt for a container garden. There are tons of ideas for containers, from ceramic pots to wooden boxes to hanging baskets. Keep in mind that size does matter. For most herbs, a 14-inch diameter container with potting soil should work fine.

3. Plant Your Herbs

Check the plant tags to determine how much space to leave between each herb to ensure proper growth and airflow. Remember that certain herbs like mint and lemon balm need their own container, so they don’t intrude on other plants.

Once you’ve determined the spacing, dig a hole the same depth as the herb’s original container. Take extra soil and fill in around the plant. Add enough soil to reach the exact level of the herb’s original container. Lightly pat down the soil, then water well.

4. Care and Harvest Regularly

Check daily to see if your herbs need watering. Plants in containers tend to dry out quicker than those in ground or raised beds. To keep your herbs growing strong, try feeding them liquid plant food weekly.

Herbs grow thicker and bushier with frequent harvesting. When they’re ready, pinch off the top two or three inches. A good rule to remember is to not remove more than one-third of the plant.

If you’re not going to use herbs right away, dry them. The three most common methods are air-drying, oven-drying, and drying via food dehydrator. Whatever method you choose, be sure to store herbs in airtight containers once they’re fully dry.