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10 Best Herbs for an Indoor Herb Garden

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Two potted herb plants near a window.

Growing an indoor herb garden is a great way to be able to enjoy having fresh herbs all year long even if you live in a climate with cold winters. Keeping herbs indoors also makes cooking with fresh herbs really convenient because you only need to step over to your windowsill to gather all the fresh herbs you need to flavor your meals.

I love being able to have fragrant green herbs growing inside even when it’s cold and snowy outside, and there’s nothing quite as good as being able to harvest some of my favorite kitchen herbs right from my windowsill.

While some herbs do better when they are grown outside, there are several herbs that will grow well indoors. Trying to make a list of the best herbs to grow indoors is a bit subjective, but for this article, I picked ten herbs that are some of the easiest ones to grow and that should all do well when grown indoors.

10 Best Herbs for an Indoor Herb Garden:

(Scroll down for more detailed information about growing each of these herbs.)

  1. Basil
  2. Chervil
  3. Chives
  4. Lemon Balm
  5. Mint
  6. Oregano
  7. Parsley
  8. Rosemary
  9. Sage
  10. Thyme

Deciding Which Herbs to Grow in Your Indoor Herb Garden

If you have the room and enough sunny windows, you could certainly grow all ten of these herbs for an amazing indoor herb garden! For most of us, though, we probably need to pick and choose which herbs we have the room to grow.

Pick Your Favorites

The first and most important consideration, of course, is choosing herbs that you like. If there are certain herbs that you tend to use a lot when you’re cooking, for example, then those would be the perfect ones to include in your indoor herb garden.

Herbs that Need a Lot of Sunlight (Or Not)

Some herbs need quite a bit of sunlight and will only do well if you are able to put them in a sunny window, preferably a south-facing window. Other herbs will do just fine in an east or west-facing window that doesn’t get as much sunlight.

Herbs that Prefer Plenty of Sun:

  • Basil
  • Chives
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme

Herbs That Don’t Need as Much Sun:

  • Chervil
  • Lemon Balm
  • Mint
  • Parsely

And, of course, there are dozens of different herbs to choose from, so these ten herbs are just a suggestion for ones that are easy to grow and that do well inside. You can customize your indoor herb garden with any herbs you like, and if your favorite herb is not on this list, you can certainly still try growing it inside and see how it does.

Should You Grow from Seeds or Seedlings?

When you’re growing an indoor herb garden, you have a few different options for growing your herbs. You can start your herbs from seeds, you can buy seedlings from a local garden center, or you can transplant or take cuttings from plants in your own outdoor herb garden if you have one.

All of these herbs can be grown from seeds, but you need to be a little bit more patient to wait for the plants to grow before you can harvest from them, of course. Planting seedlings is a faster way to grow your herbs, but depending on the time of year and the are where you live you might have a hard time finding seedlings or getting the varieties that you want.

Tips for Growing Each of These Ten Herbs

(Note: The seed links on this page are all for a seed company called SeedsNow that I’ve used before and that I recommend, especially to newer gardeners. These links are affiliate links, which means that if you decide to purchase something after clicking on those links I receive a small commission for being the one to direct you to their website.)

Here are some general tips and growing information for each of these ten herbs. If you decide to grow any of these herbs from seeds rather than from seedlings, you can find more specific planting instructions for each type on this page.

Another really convenient way to grow herbs indoors is to get a ready-to-go kit like these garden-in-a-bag kits from SeedsNow. These kits come with everything you need to grow herbs on your windowsill including the seeds, the growing medium, and a leak-proof bag to grow them in, so you don’t have to worry about finding pots or potting soil, and all you need to do is to just add water.

Basil

Basil likes lots of sun and warmth, so it’s best to put basil in a sunny window and to avoid places with cold drafts. Basil is a good plant to grow from seeds, or you can buy seedlings from a garden center. Since basil is not a long-term houseplant, you’ll need to replant it eventually. To prolong the life of your basil and to encourage new growth, you can pinch off any flower clusters that begin to form at the top of the stems.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds or seedlings
  • Best location: South-facing window

Find basil seeds here:

Chervil

Chervil prefers less sunlight than other herbs and will be able to grow in windowsills that don’t get much sun. Chervil also likes cooler temperatures. You can buy chervil seedlings, or you can grow chervil from seed by sowing the seeds shallowly in soil that is kept moist but not overly watered. Once the chervil plants are well-established, trimming off the new growth on the top of the plant will help to keep the chervil from bolting.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds or seedlings
  • Best location: An east or west-facing window or even a north-facing one

Find chervil seeds here:

Chives

Chives like plenty of light, so it’s best to put them in a sunny window. Chives can be grown from seeds, but you need to harvest them sparingly the first year to give them time to become established, so if you are anxious for a quicker harvest, you can buy chive seedlings at a garden center. Or, if you have chives in your garden already, you can dig up some from the garden and transplant them into a pot, leave them outside until the leaves die back, and then bring them inside in early winter. When you are harvesting your chives, leaving two inches of growth will allow the plants to re-sprout.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds, seedlings, or transplant from your garden
  • Best location: A south-facing window

Find chive seeds here:

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm doesn’t need quite as much sun as some other herbs do, so if you don’t have much sunny windowsill space, lemon balm might be a good herb to grow indoors. Lemon balm prefers soil that is kept moist but not overly wet. Lemon balm can be grown from seeds, but it may be easier to grow from seedlings if you are able to find them.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds or seedlings
  • Best location: An east or west-facing window

Find lemon balm seeds here:

Mint

Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow and you can grow it from seeds, from seedlings, or, if you already have mint in your garden, you can take a cutting from your plant, root it in water, and then plant it in soil in a container. Mint doesn’t need as much sunlight as some other herbs, and it will grow under almost any conditions so it’s a great herb for beginners. Mint is perfect for growing in containers indoors because if you plant it in the ground outside, it can easily become invasive and spread all over your garden.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds, seedlings, or cuttings from your garden plants
  • Best location: Anywhere

Find mint seeds here:

Oregano

Oregano loves sun and warmth, and it is also fairly drought-resistant, so you want to make sure not to over-water it. You can grow oregano from seeds, from seedlings, or from transplanting a cutting from oregano plants in your garden. When growing oregano indoors, you’ll want to place it in a sunny window in a location that will stay warm.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds, seedlings, or cuttings from your own garden plants.
  • Best location: A south-facing window

Find oregano seeds here:

Parsley

Parsley is an herb that is quite easy to grow and that tends to do well even with poor soil, so just like with mint, it is a great herb for beginners. Parsley likes some sunlight, but it doesn’t need to be in your sunniest window, and it likes soil that is kept fairly moist but not too overly wet.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds, seedlings
  • Best location: An east or west-facing window

Find parsley seeds here:

Rosemary

Rosemary likes sun and warmth, and it’s also a drought-resistant plant, so you want to make sure not to over-water it. Rosemary has a lower germination rate than some other herb seeds, so while you can still grow rosemary from seeds, it might be easier to grow rosemary from seedlings or from cuttings from your own rosemary plants in your garden.

Good growing methods: Seedlings or cuttings from your garden plants

Best location: A south-facing window

Find rosemary seeds here:

Sage

Sage is another herb that likes sunshine and warmth, so it’s best to place it in a sunny location. Sage is drought-resistant, so you don’t want to over-water it. Sage can be grown from seeds, from seedlings, or from cuttings from your own garden plants.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds, seedlings, or cuttings from your own plants
  • Best location: A south-facing window

Find sage seeds here:

Thyme

Thyme prefers locations that are sunny and warm. Thyme can tolerate drier conditions, so while you want to water it occasionally, you don’t want to over-water it.  Thyme can be grown from seeds, from seedlings, or from cuttings from your own garden plants.

  • Good growing methods: Seeds, seedlings, or cuttings from your own plants
  • Best location: A south-facing window

Find thyme seeds here:

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Two potted herbs near a window.
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The information in this post is not to be taken as medical advice and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

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Louis Wood

Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

Nice article, great information for a beginner!

Lori Elliott

Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

Thank you! I'm glad to hear that it was helpful :)

Krystal

Sunday 10th of December 2017

I LOVE growing Thyme! It's so incredibly easy to grow and hard to kill. I've started it from cuttings in water and from seed- and it's just such a dream to grow. Next year, I'll probably be giving out plants as gifts for Christmas, because who DOESN'T love fresh herbs in the kitchen?

ourheritageofhealth

Monday 11th of December 2017

Yes, I love thyme too! It's one of my favorites :) That's such a good idea to give it as a Christmas gift!

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