22 Herb Garden Ideas for Patios, Porches and Small Yards
The herb garden ideas that last all get one thing right: herbs that share a pot share a watering can.
So each of these 22 outdoor herb gardens for patios, porches and small yards holds one watering group only.
Every idea names its container, its spot and the herbs that go in it.
Where will your herbs live?
1. Rosemary, Sage and Thyme in a Wide Clay Bowl Beside the Patio Chairs
Bare clay is the right pot for these three. It is porous, so the soil dries faster between waterings.
Rosemary stands upright in the middle, sage fills one side and thyme creeps over the rim. Dry group, full sun.
2. Basil, Parsley and Chives in One Glazed Pot by the Kitchen Door
Put the thirsty herbs where you walk past every day, because they need the watering can most often.
Basil, parsley and chives share one large pot in full sun, right by the kitchen door for cutting. Moist group: keep the soil evenly damp.
3. Mint by Itself in a Tall Pot on the Back Step
Mint never shares. It spreads by runners and takes over any pot or bed it is planted in.
Give it one tall pot of its own on the back step, in full sun or part shade. It wants steady water, like the moist group.
4. Lavender and Rosemary in Two Tall Pots at the Patio Edge
Two matching pots mark a patio edge better than a row of small ones.
One holds lavender and one holds rosemary, both in full sun and a mix that drains fast. Dry group: water only once the soil has dried out.
5. Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram in a Pocketed Strawberry Jar
A strawberry jar is the small herb garden I’d pick for a deck corner: one footprint, with planting pockets all the way up.
Thyme and oregano trail from the side pockets and marjoram takes the top. Dry group, full sun.
6. Parsley, Cilantro and Dill in a Galvanized Tub on the Deck
A metal tub only works once you drill holes in the base. Every herb container needs drainage.
Dill stands tall at the back, with parsley and cilantro in front. Moist group, full sun, steady water.
7. Oregano, Marjoram and Sage in Three Cedar Boxes on a Sunny Fence
A fence in full sun is wasted space until you hang boxes on it. This is the simplest vertical herb garden I know.
One herb per cedar box: oregano, marjoram, sage. Dry group, and small boxes dry quickly, so check them often in hot weather.
8. Basil, Cilantro and Chives on a Ladder Shelf Against the Siding
Height is free on a small patio. A ladder shelf stacks three pots in the footprint of one.
Basil takes the top rung, where the sun is strongest, with cilantro and chives below. Moist group, so all three get watered together.
9. Thyme and Oregano in Two Hanging Baskets on the Porch Beam
Hanging baskets dry out faster than pots on the ground, so I only hang herbs that like it dry.
Thyme and oregano both trail over the rim. Dry group, on the sunny side of the porch.
10. Basil, Parsley and Cilantro in Hook-On Pots on a Wire Grid
A wire grid screwed to the fence gives you a potted herb garden you can rearrange in a minute. It takes a drill.
Hook on small pots of basil, parsley and cilantro. Moist group, full sun, and small pots need water often in summer.
11. Sage, Lavender and Rosemary in Stacked Wooden Crates by the Shed
Three crates stacked like stairs make an outdoor DIY herb garden with height and not one bracket.
Line each crate, fill it with potting mix and plant one herb in each: sage, lavender, rosemary. Dry group, full sun.
12. Lavender, Sage and Oregano in a Pot on Each Porch Step
Steps are a ready-made plant stand, and most people leave them bare.
One pot per step, up one side only: lavender at the top, sage in the middle, oregano at the bottom. Dry group, for steps in full sun.
13. Basil and Parsley in Saddle Boxes on the Deck Rail
Rail boxes put herbs at hand height and use no floor at all.
Basil and parsley share each box. Moist group, and a box up in the sun and wind dries fast, so plan to water often.
14. Chives and Parsley in a Long Box on a Part-Shade Porch
Not every porch gets six hours of direct sun, and that rules out most herbs.
Chives and parsley both tolerate part shade, so they share one long box against the porch wall. Moist group, watered steadily.
15. Rosemary With Thyme at Its Feet in One Tall Pot on the Stoop
One pot, two heights. That is all a small stoop has room for.
Rosemary grows upright in the center, and thyme covers the soil around it and spills over the rim. Dry group, full sun.
16. Thyme, Sage and Marjoram in Hook-On Pots Along a Patio Railing
Nothing gets drilled, so this one is renter-friendly.
Three pots hook over the railing with one herb each: thyme, sage, marjoram. Dry group, on a railing that gets full sun.
17. Basil, Parsley, Chives and Dill in a Raised Bed by the Kitchen Door
A raised herb garden earns its place when it sits where you can reach it in slippers, by the kitchen door for cutting.
Dill stands at the back, basil and parsley fill the middle and chives line the front. Moist group, full sun, steady water.
18. Lavender, Rosemary and Sage in a Gravel Strip Along the Driveway
The hot, dry strip by the driveway is the worst spot for basil and the best one for these three.
Plant lavender, rosemary and sage in a line and finish with gravel. Dry group, full sun, soil that drains fast.
19. Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram Along the Edge of the Patio Pavers
A low herb edge softens a hard patio line better than a row of annuals.
Thyme sits right at the paver edge, with oregano and marjoram a step behind. Dry group, full sun, watered only when the soil has dried out.
20. Parsley, Chives and Cilantro in a Part-Shade Bed by the Back Fence
A bed with morning sun and afternoon shade is no write-off.
Parsley, chives and cilantro all tolerate part shade. Moist group: keep the soil evenly damp.
21. Sage, Thyme, Oregano and Marjoram Between the Rungs of an Old Ladder
An old wooden ladder laid flat on the soil is the simplest herb garden layout I know.
Each gap between the rungs holds one herb, so every plant gets its own square. All four are dry group, in full sun.
22. Basil, Dill and Parsley at the Sunny End of a Vegetable Bed
If you already water a vegetable bed, give its sunny end to herbs.
Basil, dill and parsley want the same steady water as the vegetables beside them. Moist group, full sun.
Which Herbs Can Share a Pot
Read across a row: every herb in it wants the same watering, so any of them can share a container or a bed.
All of them want full sun, which means six hours or more of direct sun a day. Parsley, chives, cilantro and mint also tolerate part shade.
| Group | Herbs | How to water | Pot partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender, marjoram | Let the soil dry between waterings, then water until it runs from the drainage holes | Any other dry-group herb |
| Moist | Basil, parsley, chives, cilantro, dill | Keep the soil evenly moist, never soggy | Any other moist-group herb |
| Mint | Mint | Steady water, like the moist group | None. It spreads, so it gets its own pot |
Outdoor Herb Gardens: Six Habits to Drop
Rosemary and basil sharing a pot
Do thisSplit every planter by watering group. Rosemary wants its soil to dry between waterings, and basil wants it evenly moist, so one of them always loses.
Mint planted in with the others
Do thisMint spreads by runners and crowds out its neighbors. Give it a pot of its own, however small the garden.
A container with no drainage holes
Do thisCheck the base before you plant. Drill holes in tubs, buckets and boxes, or the soil stays wet and the roots can rot.
Sun herbs parked in the shade
Do thisWatch the spot for a day first. Most herbs want full sun, six hours or more of direct sun, and only parsley, chives, cilantro and mint tolerate part shade.
Watering every pot on the same day
Do thisFeel the soil in each pot first. Small pots and hanging baskets dry out much faster than large pots, and the dry group waits until its soil has dried.
Garden soil shoveled into pots
Do thisFill containers with potting mix. Soil dug from the yard packs down in a pot and drains poorly.
Small Tough Leaf or Big Soft Leaf: How to Guess a Herb’s Thirst
Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender and marjoram all come from the Mediterranean region, where summers are dry and the soil is thin and stony.
Their small, tough leaves hold on to water, and that is why soggy soil harms them more than a dry spell does.
Basil is the opposite: big, soft leaves that wilt quickly when the pot dries out. Parsley, chives, cilantro and dill are soft and leafy too, and grow best with steady moisture.
I’d sort a new herb by its leaf before I read the tag.
Treat that as a first guess and let the table above settle it. Mint waters like the moist group and still gets a pot to itself.
Start with one container and one group. A glazed pot of basil, parsley and chives by the kitchen door is the one I’d plant first.
Add a clay bowl of rosemary, sage and thyme in the sunniest spot you have, and keep the two apart.
Two pots watered correctly beat ten watered the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which herbs can be planted together in one pot?
Herbs that want the same watering. Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender and marjoram share a pot whose soil dries between waterings. Basil, parsley, chives, cilantro and dill share one that stays evenly moist, and mint grows alone.
How much sun does an outdoor herb garden need?
Most herbs want full sun, which means six hours or more of direct sun a day. Parsley, chives, cilantro and mint tolerate part shade, so they are the ones to try on a shadier porch.
Does a vertical herb garden work on a fence?
Yes, when the fence gets full sun and every box or pot has drainage holes. Small containers dry out quickly, so check the soil often and keep one watering group per box.
Can both watering groups go in one raised herb garden?
Only in a larger bed, and only apart. Give the dry group one end and the moist group the other, water each end on its own schedule, and keep mint in a pot beside the bed.
What is the easiest small herb garden to start with?
One large pot with drainage holes, potting mix and three herbs from the same watering group. Set it in full sun, close to the kitchen door for cutting.
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