Culinary herbs add fragrance, flavor, and beauty to any garden or kitchen. If you’re new to gardening or want to try growing herbs from seed, annual herbs are a perfect choice. These herbs complete their life cycle in a single season, grow quickly, and are easy to start from inexpensive seeds or seedlings. Whether you’re planting them in garden beds or containers, here are six easy annual herbs that will thrive with minimal effort.
1. Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Basil is a warm-weather herb that thrives in full sun. Start basil seeds outdoors after the last frost, or buy a few seedlings to get a head start. If you purchase seedlings, repot them into individual containers to encourage healthy root growth before planting them outside once the weather warms up.
Basil comes in various varieties, with the most popular being Genovese. Try growing different types each season to experiment with flavors and leaf shapes. This herb grows quickly and can be harvested continuously for fresh, aromatic leaves throughout the summer.
2. Borage (Borago officinalis)
Borage is one of the fastest-growing annual herbs. Its vibrant, star-shaped flowers attract pollinators like bees, making it a great addition to any garden. The young leaves have a mild cucumber flavor and are edible, but older leaves become spiny and are best avoided.
Borage can become large and leggy, but pruning encourages healthy growth. Though borage reseeds easily, any unwanted seedlings are simple to pull out. It’s a hardy herb that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
3. Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
Cilantro is a versatile herb, but it tends to bolt (flower and go to seed) quickly in warm weather. To maintain a steady supply of fresh cilantro leaves, sow seeds every few weeks. The plant flowers early in spring, and the flowers and green seed pods are also edible. Once the plant bolts, coriander seeds (the dried seeds of cilantro) can be harvested for future use.
If you let cilantro go to seed, it will self-sow, and you’ll get new plants in the following season. For continuous growth, consider multiple plantings throughout the season to ensure a fresh supply.
4. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile is known for its calming properties and its delightful green apple scent. It’s a simple herb to grow, as it germinates easily, even when direct-sown into cool spring soil. Chamomile has feathery, finely cut leaves and produces small, daisy-like flowers.
If you want to manage spacing, gently lift and transplant seedlings with a spoon. Chamomile is a self-seeding herb, so keep an eye out for volunteer seedlings in the early spring. You can move them to a more suitable spot for better growth.
5. Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Dill is perfect for those planning to make pickles or add fresh flavor to a variety of dishes. To ensure you have enough fresh dill throughout the season, start seeds indoors in early spring and transplant seedlings after the last frost. This gives you early flowers for pickling.
You can also plant dill again in midsummer for a second harvest. Dill grows best in sunny spots and well-drained soil, making it a great addition to any herb garden.
6. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Parsley is one of the most commonly used herbs in cooking, making it a must-have in your garden. Though parsley is a hardy biennial, it’s typically grown as an annual. Start parsley seeds indoors early, and transplant seedlings outside a few weeks before your last frost. For a fall harvest, sow parsley again in midsummer.
While you can buy parsley seedlings, it’s easy to grow from seed. Just be sure to use fresh seeds, as older ones can be slow to germinate. Parsley seedlings are hardy and transplant well when handled with care.
These six annual herbs—basil, borage, cilantro, chamomile, dill, and parsley—are all easy to grow and offer delicious flavors for your kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, these herbs are a rewarding choice for your garden and will enhance your meals throughout the growing season. Happy gardening!