All of us dabbling in horticulture have different tastes.
Someone’s in for the beauty, someone for the scent. Someone simply prefers their companions to be silent. And sometimes, the road to the gardener’s heart leads through their stomach.
All we need to hear is ‘Herb, nice to meet you!’ and we get all giddy with anticipation of dinn-… I mean, fragrant balcony space.
Why Spring Is the Ideal Season for Growing Herbs?
When you think about it, who wouldn’t respond enthusiastically to the increasing daylight hours, following the dormant chill of winter?
Moderate temperatures in spring imply that herbs now started have a full season ahead to develop their full flavor profiles. So, seize this prime Goldilocks environment! And begin collecting recipes for pasta sauces on time.
10 Best Herbs to Grow in Containers This Spring
Get ready for a low-cost, high-quality aromatherapy on your balcony. Take your pick and make your seasoning season simply unbe-leaf-able!
1: Basil
Basil is a modest guy who somehow managed to find his place on a national flag. So why not on your little balcony? Happiest when the weather warms, he adores the full sun.
Give it well-draining soil and pinch it regularly. If you snip the flower spikes back, you’ll encourage a bushier, more productive plant. And accept the delightful truth: every guest will suddenly become a real pest(o) in your kitchen.
2: Parsley
Life’s unfair to Parsley. They mock it for being in every soup, while it’s just an excellent team player. Tolerating the cooler spring temperatures with grace, it’s content to flourish in partial shade.
True, it might take its time to get going, but once established, its productivity is remarkable. Make sure Parsley has a prime spot in your container garden crew this spring, and you’ll wonder how you ever managed to lunch projects without it!
3: Chives
Announcing the arrival of spring, these slender green shoots are the little overa-chive-rs of your balcony garden or bright windowsill.
Just show this hardy perennial a sunny spot, and watch it get to work, multiplying with every snip. Give your dishes a high-chive with its mild onion-like flavor and prepare to drink in the praises for your cooking!
4: Cilantro
Cilantro loves to burrito self in wide, shallow pots. In the cool spring, it will happily curry on growing, providing you with plenty of its zesty leaves. But as soon as the heat comes, it will quickly bolt (go to seed), leaving you wanting more.
5: Mint
Spring is the perfect mo-mint to add one of the most enthusiastic herbs to your balcony.
While it appreciates sunshine, it is also content in part shade. Just ensure it gets regular watering to keep those intensely aromatic leaves lush.
It will surely look like it takes mint-utes to make its presence known. So, for the sake of your other balcony residents, it’s absolutely para-mint to give it its own dedicated pot. And prevent a full-scale mint-vasion.
6: Thyme
It’s the perfect thyme to plant this Mediterranean gem in the most sun-drenched corners of your balcony. All it asks is well-drained soil and to be left alone. At least until dinner.
It is resilient and reliable, with tiny leaves densely fitting tiny balcony planters. Don’t let its size fool you. It might be thymey but it packs a powerful punch for your meat dishes.
7: Oregano
Forget those typical souvenirs! For a true memory of the Mediterranean on your balcony, plant some oregano. It unconditionally loves the warmth and the well-drained soil of your sunniest spots.
Just like its native land itself, its flavor is anything but subtle. It is robust, peppery, and utterly essential. Pinching back the tips is also a great idea, as it encourages the plant to grow even bushier. Verified thyme after thyme.
8: Dill
Don’t ever worry about transplants with this very gentle giant. Due to its dill-icate roots, it’s happiest when sown directly into a taller container, in cooler spring weather. Just find a bright spot where it can stretch its slender stems. Then simply snip the feathery fronds as they mature and shoot skyward.
If you want to elevate your meals with a sophisticated, fresh, low-fuss herb, this is a real dill.
9: Sage
Sage will feel right at home in your balcony’s brightest corner. Once it settles its roots, it is wonderfully low-maintenance, happily bushing out. Give it a prime sunny spot, but go easy on the watering can.
It will reward you with soft, velvety leaves of unique texture and a calming silver-green hue. Inviting this resilient and lovely Herb to be your roommate? Sounds like a sage decision.
10: Lemon Balm
This herb will truly lemon-strate how easy it is to add a powerful, uplifting fragrance to your balcony containers! Its cheerful green leaves love the sun (or a little shade).
Give it a little pinch to keep it bushy and full of that calming scent. If you’re searching for an aromatic addition to your herb collection, this choice is e-lemon-tary, my dear Watson.
Tips for Successful Companion Planting of Potted Herbs
A happy balcony herb garden is quite like a well-organized dinner party. You’d want guests who get along.
Some herbs have drastically different drink preferences, while others share similar needs and even enhance each other’s growth and flavor:
Ideally, you won’t pair super-sippers like Basil, Parsley, or Cilantro with drought-tolerant Rosemary, Thyme, or Sage. One will always be unhappy.
And while the idea of a bustling herb party might sound nice, some personalities are just too… do-mint-ant.
