A Beginner's Guide to Growing Popular Herbs: Basil, Mint, Rosemary, Catnip

Growing herbs is an enjoyable, rewarding hobby perfect for beginners. Indoor or outdoor, they need little fuss and deliver flavor far superior to dried, packaged versions. Here's how to succeed with four popular choices.

Basil

Essential for Italian and Thai cuisine. Fragrant, flavorful, relatively easy. Plant in moist soil spring through early summer. Critical factor: abundant sunlight (windowsills work if sunny enough). Harvest regularly starting at 6 weeks—young leaves are most flavorful; unchecked growth leads to blandness.

Peppermint

Culinary star for teas, cocktails, and fresh chewing. Thrives in moist soil, sun or shade—versatile for indoor/outdoor. One of the easiest herbs, but avoid overwatering: let soil dry between waterings after initial planting.

Rosemary

Fragrant leaves excel with meats and infused oils. Prefers warm weather but grows year-round if brought inside for winter. Transition trick: Place in partial shade for final outdoor weeks to acclimate to lower indoor light. Thrives under grow lights indoors. Harvest freely when stems are full.

Catnip

Your cat will love it, but it reaches several feet tall—not ideal indoors. Best at garden backs. Young plants are attractive; mature ones get scraggly. Tolerates shade well, suiting most outdoor spots.

These four are just the beginning—your herb garden is limited only by imagination.