How to Start an Outdoor Garden with Herb Kit (2024)

Adding an herb garden to your outdoor space is a great way to improve the overall look of your yard or backyard. You can buy starter plants or get an herb kit to experience gardening to the fullest. When harvest time comes around, you have plenty of herbs to season everyday dishes!

The herbs do not grow too big so you don’t need a lot of space to build an herb garden. With an herb kit, it’s possible to grow a variety of fresh, premium herbs indoor and outdoor.

Of course, the location of the herb garden is important. In this guide, let’s talk about growing herbs indoors and outdoors using an herb kit - which is better, what herbs grow best outdoors, and MORE gardening tips for your first herb garden.

Is It Better to Grow Herbs Indoors or Outdoors?

The great thing about herb plants is that they're versatile and resilient. They can be grown indoors and outdoors as long as the environment is ideal for growing plants. In terms of planting herbs indoors or outdoors, the answer will depend on the kind of herbs you’re planning to grow. Some herbs are best planted in shaded areas, while others do better in dry environments.

Most herbs are particularly sun-loving plants, with some requiring 8 hours of direct sunlight. Basil, chives, dill, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon are just some of the many different herbs that need the full sun to grow. These can be grown indoors in a space that gets at least 6 hours of sun. You can also use supplement lights if your living space doesn’t get a lot of sun. But to keep maintenance low, these herbs are better grown outdoors, in a spot that gets at least 8 hours of the full sun.

It’s essential to do your research about the ideal growing environment of every herb and then group the herbs accordingly. This way, they can thrive in the best spot in the garden.

The 10 Easiest Herbs to Grow

“The ECOgardener Herb Garden Kit has everything you need to start outdoor gardening. Here are some tips to consider and our list of 10 easiest herbs to grow outdoors.”

What herbs can be kept outside? In a space that gets a lot of sun, the best herbs to grow outdoors are drought-tolerant herbs. But what does the full sun mean? In gardening, the full sun refers to at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. While some herbs could tolerate a little shade, most need 6 to 8 hours of sun exposure every day, with some requiring a little shade in the afternoon or none at all. Here are herbs that are best grown outside:

Basil: Basil is an annual plant that grows best outdoors, in a space that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. It thrives in places with dry and warm temperatures. Like most sun-loving herbs, basil's flavor gets better the longer it is exposed to sunlight throughout its lifetime. Basil thrives best when grown from seed and trimmed often.

Rosemary: An evergreen that’s quick-growing and sun-loving; rosemary prefers the full sun. This herb only needs 6 to 8 hours of sunlight and well-draining soil to thrive. There is no need to amend the soil because rosemary could tolerate poor soil as long as it drains well, like sandy soil. Rosemary is best grown in a temperate climate with a minimum temperature of 20°F (-6.5°C).

Sage: this evergreen grows like a weed. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to grow sage from seeds, and once established, you'd be hard pressed to find an herb that could tolerate harsh climates as this herb. Sage is best grown outdoors, in a spot that gets the full sun. It's so resilient that it can withstand frost once established. It can withstand poor drainage and poor soil. It doesn’t require regular watering and will do well with a little bit of neglect.

Oregano: This herb loves the full sun, although some varieties do better in partial shade. A quick-growing herb, oregano can be quickly grown to seed in well-draining soil. The ideal growing temperature is around 70°F (21°C). What oregano cannot tolerate is wet or moist growing conditions. It hates standing water and slow-draining soil, preferring dry, hot climates.

Dill: Dill is one of those herbs that grow best in a space that gets a maximum of 8 hours of sunlight. It’s the kind of herb that thrives even when neglected. A common culinary herb in Europe and Asia, dill grows best in dry, sandy soil and temperatures reaching 70°F (21°C). What dill cannot stand, apart from wet soil, is a cramped growing space. This herb does not like to compete with other plants for space. That’s why it’s best grown alongside small herbs and avoid planting near vigorous growers like mint.

Fennel: A flavorful herb that’s used to season dishes as well as heal specific ailments, fennel loves the full sun and does fairly well in dry, hot growing conditions. It can withstand hot climates and dry soil and can endure cold temperatures too. While resilient, fennel grows best in rich, moist soil with 6 to 8 hours of sun exposure. But even in poor growing conditions, fennel will do just fine.

Cilantro: This hardy herb needs the full sun for most of the year and will do best in acidic soil. It can tolerate hot, dry environments with poor or sandy soil. As long as the herb gets at least 6 hours of sunlight (between 50 and 85 degrees F), it will endure poor growing conditions. But if the temperature exceeds 85 degrees, cilantro will start to bolt, so it's best to grow it outdoors, in a space that gets partial shade in the afternoons. Too much shade, on the other hand, would leave the herb sparse and leggy.

Thyme: Thyme loves the heat and prefers dry climates. It thrives in the full sun and hates moist environments or wet soil. It can endure hot summers and will do well even when neglected. The soil has to be well-draining because this herb cannot stand wet roots. It's best to grow thyme with other drought-tolerant perennials to ensure proper growth.

Coriander: An herb that grows best in the full sun paired with well-drained soil. Coriander is also suitable for container gardening because it doesn’t grow too big, is quick-growing, and is very low maintenance. Although coriander does well in a spot that gets the full sun, it will benefit from partial shade in the afternoon.

Chamomile: Chamomile has many varieties, and almost all of them grow best in full sun and warm climates. It prefers soil that could retain moisture. Although it can endure hot temperatures, it won't do well when exposed to extreme heat. It's best to grow chamomile in a spot that gets the full sun and some partial shade in the afternoons.

Outdoor Herb Gardening Tips

For outdoor gardening, an herb kit will save you a lot of money on starter plants. To build your outdoor herb garden, here are some tips:

Building an herb garden: Just a sunny spot in your outdoor space for the herb garden. No need to buy growing pots because our indoor herb garden starter kit comes with biodegradable pots. Just add the soil, plant the seeds, sprinkle a bit of water, and you’re ready to set up a small herb garden.

Herbs you love: It’s vital to grow herbs that you will get a lot of use. If you add basil, thyme, sage, or rosemary to your daily dishes almost all the time, it makes sense to grow these herbs. Herbs tend to overgrow and require regular pruning to promote new growths as well as to prevent them from producing blossoms. If you know that you don’t use mint a lot, don’t plant it. It will only end up competing with your most-used herbs for nutrition and space. Spend time thinking about what you’d do with the herbs you plan to grow.

Growing environment: Because most herbs need at least 6 hours of sunlight, set the growing pots in a spot that gets the full sun and perhaps, some shade in the afternoons. Water only when the soil is dry to the touch. The temperature should be 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal growth.

Use the right soil: Herbs are low maintenance, but they are pretty picky about the soil. Use well-draining soil. Don’t bother with fancy fertilizers because these plants will thrive even when neglected. In fact, the herbs won’t grow properly if the soil is too rich.

Regular pruning: Trim the herbs regularly because this encourages growth. If you don’t trim the herbs regularly, they will set flowers, which will alter the flavor of the herbs. Also, once the herbs go to flowers, they will no longer produce new foliage from the stems where the flowers grew. If your pantry is getting too full with new herb trimmings, you can always dry the pruned cuttings for off-season use.

Using ECOgardener Herb Kit for Outdoor Gardening

Building an outdoor herb garden becomes infinitely easier when using an herb garden kit. An herb kit like the ECOgardener herb kit comes complete with all the materials you need to build an outdoor garden. Each pack comes with:

• 5 + 2 seed packs
• Coconut coil soil
• Bamboo markers
• Non-GMO seed packs
• Biodegradable bamboo pots

While growing herbs from seed seems daunting for beginners, there is nothing to it. Some herb seeds germinate faster if you presoak them for 24 hours in a shallow container with warm water.

Our ECOgardener herb kit comes complete with detailed instructions so you can start growing premium herbs properly. Using our herb garden starter kit indoor, you can transform a blank space indoor and outdoor into an herb garden.

If, for example, you have a thin slice of space on your windowsill, you can turn this into a small herb garden. The bamboo pots are very space-efficient, and the herbs themselves do not grow too big.

Starting an outdoor garden with the ECOgardener herb kit has never been so easy or affordable. The herb kits make a terrific gift too! But don’t take our word for it. Check out our herb starter kit today and discover the wonder of growing premium herbs at home.