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These pretty, perennial herbs don’t just look good — they’re effortless to grow and will thrive for years to come
Herbs are some of the easiest edibles to grow — and a herb garden is so much cheaper than buying a tiny bunch at the supermarket every time you need them.
Many types of herbs actually have pretty flowers too that bloom for weeks, enticing pollinators to your garden. Most herbs need full sun, which is six or more hours per day, so make sure they’re in a spot in your garden that gets lots of direct sunlight. You don’t need a dedicated bed: Plant these herbs in between your flowers, bulbs and perennials for a beautiful and delicious garden, or grow them in pots and containers if you have a deck or balcony garden.
These are the best perennial herbs that will return every year:
Sage has soft, fuzzy pale green, purple or variegated leaves and beautiful tubular-shaped flowers. It’s extremely cold-hardy, so you can still snip off pieces for your dinner!
Thyme basically survives on neglect and couldn’t care less about heat, drought, and incredibly poor soils. It’s also a fast-grower with teeny-tiny rounded leaves and loads of pretty white, pink, or purple flowers that pollinators love. It makes a lovely groundcover plant and can be used as an alternative to grass between stepping stones.
The long, slender leaves and globe-like flowers of chives that appear in late spring and early summer adapt to almost any soil. Both the leaves and flowers are edible. Snip off pieces with scissors so you don’t accidentally tug the whole plant out of the ground. This herb’s relative, garlic chives, has flatter leaves and white flowers that bloom in late summer with a mild garlic flavour.
Sorrel has long leaves, and one of the most popular types features distinctive dark red veins. The leaves have a slightly lemony tang, so they work well in mixed salads or as a spinach substitute.
This herb is almost impossible to kill! It doesn’t mind poor soils and spreads quickly. Oregano has tiny pale purple flowers that last for weeks and weeks and attracts pollinators.
Lavender is a lovely plant that’s been grown for centuries – ancient Romans used it in their baths! In addition to drying the sweetly scented purple-blue flowers for sachets, you can also use them in herb butters, scones, shortbread, or teas. It doesn’t like wet feet, so plant in well-drained soils.
These little daisy-like flowers grow on bushy plants. The flowers can be used fresh or dried in teas or potpourri. Read the label, as some types are annual, while this type is perennial and comes back every year.
With its piney scent and soft, silvery-green needles, rosemary is a lovely and practical addition to British gardens. It tolerates poor soil and, in milder parts of the UK, it can stay outdoors all year round, eventually forming a handsome woody shrub. In colder regions, try growing rosemary in a pot. Bring it indoors before the first frost and place it near a bright, south- or east-facing window. Come spring, move it back outside and it’ll thrive for years to come.
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