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The best place to grow a herb garden is just outside the kitchen door. Under the window, so you can enjoy the rich, savoury scents coming from the herbs, both through an open window and as you walk outside. Also, on a rainy day you won't have to get soaked picking the herbs. 

However, there are a couple of additional things you will need to consider when working out the best place for your herb garden.

• Sunny or Shady. Most herbs need plenty of sunshine at least  six hours a day. There are however, some herbs that prefer partial shade and I have listed both in this article.
• Type of soil. Mediterranean herbs the sun loving ones, grow best in well drained soil whilst the herbs that grow best in some shade prefer a rich, moist soil. 

Herbs for sunny areas

Drought-loving Mediterranean herbs, such as Sage, Rosemary and Thyme  grow best in a sunny spot in well draining soil. 

Herbs for partial shade

Angelica, Chervil and Parsley all prefer a rich, moist soil and partial shade.

Growing herbs from seed or plants, what's best? Most herbs, like coriander, dill and salad rocket are better grown from seed. Sown direct into the growing position, as transplanting causes them to bolt and run to flower, missing out the leaf stage. However, if you can't wait to get your herb garden going. You can buy ready-grown herb plants that are easily transplanted. Once planted, the coriander, dill and salad rocket seeds can be sown around them later.

Herbs you can grow from seed.

• Basil enhances tomato, fish, pasta and poultry and is sown annually.   
• Dill, the light, aromatic flavour of both leaf and seed enhances fish, lamb or rice dishes and again is an annual that likes free-draining soil.  
• Savoury is aromatic with peppery taste, the leaves are great with grilled fish and lamb, likes dry soil.  
• Sorrel, the young leaves taste good in salads and soups, and can be used as a meat tenderiser, Sorrel Likes rich moist soil.  
• Wild rocket, the peppery leaves add zing to any salad. Likes light shade in moist, well-fed soil.

 Herbs can be grown in flowerpots, containers, raised herb beds or in the kitchen garden.

If your garden tends to be shady, growing in pots and movable containers mean you can follow the sunshine. 

Type of soil and planting position are important factors to consider when growing a herb garden.

As I have already said, a good position to plant and grow herbs is near the kitchen, patio door or under a window. Somewhere you will benefit from the aroma the herbs will give off, herbs smell great on a hot summer's day.

Most herbs like full sun a few prefer part shade. So also consider the best position for full sun or partial shade to provide the best growing conditions for your herb garden. 

Best Soil for growing herbs.

If your soil is mostly clay it will be rich in the nutrients your herb garden needs, but will not drain well, so add grit sand to the bed. If your soil is sandy it will drain well. However, will be low in nutrients so you will need dig in compost from the compost heap.

How to find out what type of soil you have in your garden. 

Planting and positioning herbs.

Like most plants, herbs look best planted in groups with the taller herbs grouped at the back of the raised herb bed and bushy plants like Rosemary on the edge, so they spread over without taking up valuable planting space. 

Try to position even the low growing herbs so they fall over the front and edges of your herb garden. When you brush past them they smell great. Depending on the herb varieties you choose to plant, you should be able to fit four to five plants into each 15in space. Herbs can also be planted anywhere in the garden and some like Feverfew are great companion plants for garden pest control, check out my companion planting page.

looking after herbs.

• Maintaining a Herb garden is fairly simple, add an organic liquid feed to your watering can once a week during the growing season.
• Regularly pick and use the tips of plants to encourage new growth.
• In autumn, the old stems of annual herbs like basil and coriander can be added to your compost heap or left to add interest through the winter months. Autumn is also a good time to plant woody herbs like rosemary.
• Perennial herbs like mint, thyme, oregano and chives will die back and regrow in the spring. If the perennial herbs become congested, dig up the plant and split into sections. Replant some and pot the others up for neighbours or to sell at car-boot sales. 

Maintenance of a herb garden is much the same as for any other planted garden and this section of my website has a lot of tips Gardening basics