Planting a Container Herb Garden
Plant Height and Layout for Mixed Potted Culinary Herbs
A container herb garden can be more than functional. It can be beautiful! Here are the plant height ranges and the recommended planting layout for a pot of kitchen herbs.
Seed or Seedling
Most culinary herbs are fast-growing and can be easily and economically grown from seed, including basil, chives, dill, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme. A few of the slower-growing herbs, such as rosemary and lavender, are best obtained as seedlings or mature plants.
Indoors or Outdoors
Herbs require a huge amount of sun, so if you plan to grow herbs indoors, you must have a location that receives direct sunlight for much of the day.
Herbs can be grown outdoors, even in temperate climates that freeze. Large pots can remain outdoors in the winter, or be moved into a sheltered location such as a garage or shed. In cold climates, the hardy perennial herbs will over-winter and come back every year. Herbs that cannot tolerate freezing or that grow as annuals or biennials will need to be replaced every spring.
How to Plant
Individual Pots
You may want to plant your herbs separately in individual pots, but small posts are more work, as they require more watering. By planting several herbs in a large container, you can create an attractive display of kitchen herbs that is useful and easy to maintain.
Window Box
If planting in a window box, place the tallest herbs in the center and the low-growing herbs on the ends. Trailing plants, such as oregano and thyme can be planted on the ends or edges of the window box where they will attractively cascade over the sides.
Large Container
If you are planting several herbs in a large round or square container, place the tallest plants (dill, sage, parsley, basil and chives) in the center of the pot. If the container is positioned against a wall, place the large plants in the center, on the side of the pot that is located near the wall. Smaller plants should be positioned around the larger herbs, and cascading herbs such as oregano and thyme can be placed near the edge of the container so that they will spill over the sides.
Height Range of Common Culinary Herbs
The following height ranges are approximations. Many herbs will grow larger in warm climates. Height can also be controlled by the grower based on how frequently and heavily the herbs are harvested.
- Basil, Large-leaf Sweet (Ocimum basilicum) – Tall: can easily reach 2’ or more
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) - Medium: 8 – 12” and taller when flowering
- Dill (Anethum graveolens) – Tall: up to 3’, depending on variety
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare) – Medium, cascading: 12 – 24”, often has trailing habit
- Parsley, Italian (Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum) – Medium: 12” +
- Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) – Tall: 3 – 5’, shorter in colder climates and if heavily harvested
- Sage (Salvia officinalis) – Medium: 12 – 30”
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – Short, cascading: 3 – 10” with a trailing habit
More Information
For a great selection of herb seeds and plants, see Johnny’s Selected Seeds. To learn more about herb gardening, look to other Suite 101 articles including Container or Backyard Gardening.
