When you have selected the right location for your first herb garden, you will want to decide the varieties you want to grow and how you want to grow them. Bear in mind that most herbs can be grown from seed, except that some herbs, like mint, oregano and rosemary will work better as transplants or propagated as cuttings. Learn all about what you intend to grow and plan properly before you start.

Starting Seeds Indoors
Starting seeds indoors is very easy as long as you know properly what to do. You must give the seeds the proper growing environment in order to see them flourish. First you must select a clean sterile container to plant in. Use egg cartons, plastic seed trays or small plant pots and sow the seed into a sterile growing medium.

For larger seeds you could plant them into peat plugs. Remember if the cost of buying suitable plugs or containers is too prohibitive you can make pots by folding and shaping newsprint, but always avoid any paper that has colour pictures.

Use a good quality potting medium for starting seeds. It would be best to make up your own by buying very fine seeding compost and mix that with fine grit or silver sand. Line the bottom of the container with grit for drainage and then fill with your moistened (not wet) potting medium. Insert the seed, covering it with a little soil or if very tiny place on top of the medium and just press down lightly.

An advantage of using peat plugs or pots formed from newspaper is that the seedlings can be planted out directly into the herb garden without any disturbance so will continue to flourish, not having suffered the shock of being transplanted.

Place your sown containers on a sunny, preferably south facing windowsill, or if this is not possible try any other warm spot like on top of the refrigerator because while germinating seeds like to be in temperature between 60 and 75? Fahrenheit. As soon as the seedlings appear make sure they have plenty of light, sunlight for preference, but a florescent tube light close over them would do instead.

Direct Seeding
You can if you wish start your first herb garden by planting seeds directly into the garden. This is chancier as you must ensure all danger of frost is past and of course they will be in danger of attack by birds and garden pests. The seed packet will tell you how deep to plant the seeds.

Use a finger or your trowel to make a suitable trench somewhat deeper than the desired seed depth then top up to the proper depth with the growing medium described above. Space out the seeds along the trench and then cover with more of your medium. If the seeds are too small to handle easily mix them with sand and spread the mix along the trench and then cover.

Very tiny seeds should be just pressed lightly on to the growing medium, not covered until after the seedlings appear. Do not worry if you have planted the seeds too close together, you can always prick out the surplus seedlings when just large enough to handle before they get too crowded.