The Best Herb Plants for Beginners in the UK
- Pepperpot Nursery
- Apr 22
- 9 min read
New to growing herbs? These are the best herb plants to start with.
If you've ever walked past a pot of fresh basil in a supermarket and thought, "I could grow that at home", you absolutely can. And you don't need a big garden, a greenhouse, or any special skills to do it. Growing herb plants is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a beginner gardener. They don't take up much space, they look great on a windowsill or patio, and the payoff is enormous: fresh flavour on tap, all summer long.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the best herb plants for beginners in the UK. The ones that are forgiving, fast to establish, and genuinely useful in the kitchen.
All the herb plants featured here are available as ready-grown potted plants from Pepperpot Herb Plants. No seeds, no guesswork, no waiting. Just healthy plants, grown peat-free in Hampshire, ready to go straight into your garden or onto your windowsill.
The Best Herb Plants for Beginners in the UK. What you'll learn:
FAQs-
Why Buy Herb Plants Rather Than Starting from Seed?
It's a question we hear a lot. Let's have a closer look. Seeds come with a long list of conditions. You need the right compost, the right temperature, the right timing, and a good deal of patience before you see a single leaf.
Herb plants skip all of that. You get a healthy, established plant that's ready to grow from the moment it arrives. Here's why that matters for beginners:
No failed germination - what you order is what you get
Plants are already established and hardy, so they bounce back quickly
You can start harvesting within a few weeks, not months
Named varieties (like Moroccan mint or French tarragon) cannot be reliably grown true from seed - you only get the real thing as a plant
Peat-free growing from the start, with no need to source specialist compost
In short, starting with a potted herb plant gives you a genuine head start and a much better chance of success.
The Best Herb Plants for Beginners in the UK
Not all herbs are created equal when it comes to ease of growing. Some are robust, fast-growing, and almost impossible to kill. Others can be a little temperamental. We've focused this list on the herbs that genuinely suit beginners - tough, useful, and satisfying to grow.
1. Mint - The Most Forgiving Herb Plant You Can Grow
If you're only going to grow one herb plant, make it mint. It's virtually indestructible, spreads enthusiastically (which is why it's best kept in a pot), and there are so many varieties to explore - from classic peppermint to chocolate mint, Moroccan mint, lavender mint, and apple mint.
Mint thrives in a fairly sunny spot with regular watering. Keep it in its own pot rather than planting it in the ground, as it will happily take over your garden if given the chance. Great for teas, cocktails, salads, and summer drinks. Mint is widely considered the easiest herb plant to grow in the UK. It's hardy, fast-growing, and thrives in pots on a sunny windowsill or patio.
2. Basil - The Classic Kitchen Windowsill Herb
Basil is the superstar of the kitchen herb garden and one of the most popular herb plants for sale in the UK. It loves warmth and sunshine, making it ideal for a south-facing windowsill indoors or a sheltered spot outside during summer.
The key with basil is not to overwater it, as soggy roots are its main enemy. Water at the base, not the leaves. Keep it in a warm spot, and pinch out the flowers as they appear to encourage bushy, leafy growth.
At Pepperpot, we grow a range of basil varieties, including sweet basil, Greek basil, and Thai basil - each with a slightly different flavour profile. Have a look at our basil variety guide to find the right one for your cooking.
3. Chives - Low Maintenance and Incredibly Useful
Chives are one of those herb plants that reward very little effort with a lot of output. They come back year after year (they're perennials), tolerate a fair bit of neglect, and produce beautiful purple flowers in early summer that are themselves edible.
Snip the leaves as you need them - they'll keep growing back all season. Lovely with scrambled eggs, potato dishes, cream cheese, and soups. Chives also do well in containers and are happy on a windowsill or in a garden border.
4. Thyme - Britain's Hardiest Herb Plant
Thyme is arguably the most resilient herb plant you can grow in the UK. It survives drought, tolerates poor soil, loves a sunny spot, and keeps producing right through autumn. It's a Mediterranean herb at heart, so it's perfectly adapted to warm, dry conditions - which is great news for container growing.
Common thyme is the most widely used in cooking, but lemon thyme is a beautiful alternative with a citrusy fragrance that works brilliantly with fish and chicken. Thyme is also excellent for pollinators - bees absolutely love it when it flowers.
5. Rosemary - A Herb Plant That Lasts for Years
Rosemary is a long-term investment in your herb garden. Once established, a rosemary plant will grow for years (sometimes decades) with very little attention. It's drought-tolerant, evergreen, and one of those herbs that smells incredible every time you brush past it.
It does best in a sunny, well-drained spot. If you're growing it in a pot, make sure the container has good drainage and don't be tempted to overwater. Rosemary pairs beautifully with lamb, roasted vegetables, focaccia, and, perhaps surprisingly, some desserts.
6. Sage - Beautiful, Useful and Brilliant for Wildlife
Sage is one of those herb plants that earns its place twice over. Once in the kitchen and once in the garden. It produces gorgeous purple flowers in early summer that attract bees and butterflies, and the silvery-green leaves are a striking feature even when the plant isn't in bloom.
In the kitchen, sage is wonderful with pork, pasta, butternut squash, and brown butter sauces. Common sage is the classic choice, but purple sage adds ornamental value, and pineapple sage has a delicate fruity fragrance that's lovely in teas and cocktails.
7. Parsley - The Versatile All-Rounder
Parsley is one of the most used herbs in British cooking and one of the easiest herb plants for beginners to get to grips with. It's happy in pots or in the ground, tolerates partial shade better than most herbs, and produces a generous supply of leaves through the growing season.
Flat-leaf parsley (also called French or Italian parsley) tends to have a more intense flavour than the curly variety and is generally preferred in cooking. Both are excellent - it's really just a matter of preference.
8. Coriander - Perfect for Cooking Enthusiasts
Coriander is a brilliant herb plant for anyone who loves cooking with bold flavours. It's widely used in Indian, Mexican, Thai, and Middle Eastern cuisine, and the whole plant is usable (leaves, stems, and even the seeds if you let it flower).
It can bolt (go to seed) quickly in hot weather, so growing coriander in a slightly cooler spot and keeping it well watered is the trick to keeping it leafy for longer. Growing multiple small plants and harvesting regularly from each tends to work better than growing a single large plant.
See our parsley vs coriander guide if you're trying to decide between the two.
How to Care for Your New Herb Plants
One of the great things about buying ready-grown herb plants is that the hard work has already been done. But there are a few simple care basics that will help your herbs thrive once they arrive.
Watering
Most herb plants prefer to be kept on the drier side rather than being overwatered. The golden rule is to water when the top inch of compost feels dry to the touch, then water thoroughly, letting any excess drain away. Sitting in waterlogged compost is the most common cause of herb plant failure.
Mediterranean herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage are particularly drought-tolerant and will struggle in wet conditions. Mint and parsley, on the other hand, prefer more moisture.
Sunlight
Most culinary herb plants love sunshine. A south or west-facing windowsill, patio, or garden border is ideal. If you're growing herbs indoors, try to give them at least four to six hours of direct light per day.
Parsley, chives, and mint will tolerate partial shade, making them good choices for a north-facing windowsill or a less sunny corner of the garden.
Feeding
Herb plants don't need much feeding, but a liquid feed every two to three weeks during the growing season (spring to early autumn) will keep them producing well. Use a general-purpose liquid fertiliser or a specific herb feed.
Harvesting
The best way to keep your herb plants productive is to harvest them regularly. Pick a little and often rather than stripping a plant all at once. Always cut from the top, just above a pair of leaves. This encourages the plant to branch out and become bushier rather than leggy.
For more advice on growing herbs in containers, see our growing herbs in containers guide.
How Many Herb Plants Do I Need to Get Started?
This is one of the questions we're asked most often, and the honest answer is: it depends on how much cooking you do. But here's a practical starting point for a beginner herb garden that will cover most bases:
1 mint plant (kept in its own pot - it spreads vigorously)
1-2 basil plants (they're the fastest to use up, so having two means you're never short)
1 thyme plant (it's a perennial and will come back each year)
1 rosemary plant (slow-growing but long-lasting)
1 sage plant (another perennial - one plant goes a long way)
1-2 chive plants (they grow back quickly after cutting)
1-2 parsley plants (harvest regularly to keep them productive)
That's around seven to nine herb plants to start with - enough for a well-stocked kitchen herb garden without being overwhelming. You can always add more as your confidence grows.
Browse all our available herb plants at our herb plants shop.
Herb Plants in the Wider Garden. Companion Planting.
Many herbs deter pests, attract beneficial insects, and improve the health of nearby plants. This is the principle behind companion planting, and it's something beginner gardeners can start benefiting from immediately.
Basil planted near tomatoes is said to improve their flavour and deter aphids. Chives near roses can help reduce black spot. Mint near brassicas helps confuse cabbage white butterflies. These aren't just old wives' tales — there's real logic behind many companion planting combinations.
For a full guide, see our article on companion planting with herbs.
Summary
Growing herb plants as a beginner in the UK is far more straightforward than most people expect. Start with the forgiving ones, like mint, chives, thyme, and rosemary, and build from there. Choose ready-grown potted plants over seeds for a quicker, more reliable start, keep on top of watering (less is usually more), and harvest little and often to keep your plants productive. A starter collection of seven to nine plants is enough to cover most kitchen needs without feeling overwhelming.
Ready to Start Your Herb Garden?
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Frequently Asked Questions About Herb Plants for Beginners
Q 1: What are the easiest herb plants to grow for beginners in the UK?
The easiest herb plants for UK beginners are mint, chives, rosemary, and thyme. Mint is virtually indestructible and grows happily in a pot. Rosemary does not require much attention and can last for years. Chives come back year after year with very little care. Thyme tolerates drought and poor soil, making it ideal for containers and sunny borders.
Q 2: Can I grow herb plants indoors on a windowsill?
Yes, many herb plants thrive indoors on a sunny windowsill. Basil, mint, chives, and parsley all do well inside. The key is to give them enough light (ideally from a south- or west-facing window) and avoid overwatering. Avoid placing them near draughts or radiators.
Q 3: Are herb plants better than growing herbs from seed?
For beginners, herb plants are a much better starting point than seeds. They skip the germination stage (which often fails without the right conditions), they establish quickly, and you can start harvesting within weeks. Some herbs (like French tarragon) can only be reliably grown as plants, not from seed.
Q 4: How do I stop my herb plants from dying?
The most common cause of herb plant failure is overwatering. Most herbs prefer to dry out slightly between waterings. Other key tips: make sure pots have drainage holes, give plants enough sunlight, harvest regularly to encourage growth, and pinch off flowers before they develop to keep the plant producing leaves.
FAQ 5: What herb plants grow best in pots and containers?
Almost all herb plants grow well in containers. Mint is particularly well-suited to pot growing (and should always be contained, as it spreads aggressively). Basil, chives, parsley, and thyme also do very well in pots. Rosemary can be grown in a container, but it needs a larger pot as it matures.
FAQ 6: Which herb plants come back every year?
Perennial herb plants that come back year after year include thyme, rosemary, sage, chives, mint, and French tarragon. Annual herbs like basil and coriander complete their life cycle in one season and need to be replaced each year. Parsley is technically biennial but is usually grown as an annual.
FAQ 7: When is the best time to buy herb plants in the UK?
The best time to buy herb plants in the UK is spring, from March through to June. This gives plants the whole growing season to establish. However, hardy perennials like thyme, rosemary, sage, and chives can also be planted in autumn, as they're tough enough to establish before winter.
FAQ 8: Are Pepperpot herb plants grown peat-free?
Yes, all herb plants from Pepperpot Herb Plants are grown peat-free in Hampshire. Peat-free growing is better for the environment and produces plants that are already adapted to peat-free compost, which is increasingly the standard in UK gardens.
