When planting an herb garden, no matter if you are planting it in the garden or in a container, you will need to make sure that the herb garden has plenty of sunlight. Herbs in general need to have at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day. If you can plant them in an area that gets even more sunlight that is best. Where you place them for the maximum exposure to sunlight is going to depend on the planting zone that you live in.

In limited spaces, you can grow an herb garden in a large, but shallow planter, which will allow you to place your herb garden on your patio or deck. One of the best types of shallow planters to use is a circular 30 inch round planter, which can be purchased at most home improvement stores. You can also use multiple containers that are grouped together to on patios or lining staircases for your herb garden. You will just need to buy a variety of containers, depending on your style and needs. You can even use containers' that you have around the house for your herb garden, such as tin coffee pots, roasting pans, and metal buckets. Just remember that all containers are going to need to have drain holes so that the herbs can grow.

The herbs that you decide to grow in your container garden will depend on the types of herbs that you want to plant. To start with, you should pick herbs that you use the most in the kitchen. Rosemary, parsley, and basil are great herbs for beginners to grow. At the same time oregano, cilantro, thyme, chives, dill, mint, and marjoram are also very easy to grow and can be found in most gardening stores.

When planting your herbs you will need to pay attention to what herbs you are planting where. Your herbs can be either perennial or annuals. Keep in mind that some perennials like oregano and rosemary will get to be rather large and can crowd out other plants. With these types of herbs if you aren't, going to prune them down you should plant them in a separate pot. Mint and thyme should also be planted in a separate pot because they rapidly spread and can choke out the adjacent plants.

Your annual varieties of herbs are the ones that can be combined in a single planter. If you are going to be placing herbs in a single planter, you will want to make sure that each herb has plenty of space to grow. While annual varieties of herbs are not as invasive as perennials are they still need about 12 to 16 inches of space between each seedling. If you notice that, the herbs need more room you can always thin out the plants as they grow.

To plant your herbs in a container you are going to need to purchase some composted potting mix and sand from a local nursery. You will also need a bag of potting gravel or a bucket of small rocks. You will need to place the gravel in the bottom of the container until it is about 1 to 2 inches deep. You will then need to mix two parts of potting mix and one part of sand. Pour this into the container until it is about 1 inch from the rim. Water the potting mix and allow it to drain before planting your herbs. You might need to add more mix to your container because potting mix can compress when it is first watered.