How to Plant a Homemade Mini Herb Garden

Place your mini herb garden where it will grow best. Herbs appreciate morning and midday sun, transitioning to a shaded afternoon. The advantage to creating a potted mini herb garden is that you can move the plants so they get this particular mixture of light and shade.

Include herb plants that are small in size even when fully grown. The larger the plant, the larger the root system. Some smaller herb plants to consider are chives, parsley, dwarf basil and thyme.

Fill the bottom of a container with drainage holes with gravel or rocks, about 1 inch in depth. This will improve water drainage and keep the soil from washing away.

Pour potting soil over the gravel. Fill the container up to 1 inch from the top of the container.

Arrange your herb plants so that the taller plants will not shade the shorter ones. Place the lower plants around the edges of the pot and the taller ones in the center. However, if the container is placed against a wall, you may need to turn the pot each day to ensure all the herbs receive sunshine.

Dig holes for each herb plant. Each hole should match the size of the herb's original nursery container in height. They should be just a bit larger around than the containers.

Place the plants into the holes. Pour potting soil around the sides of each plant, pressing down with your fingers to remove any air pockets.

Water your mini herb garden often enough to keep the soil moist, but not muddy. The frequency of watering will depend on the indoor or outdoor conditions. Check the soil with your finger to make sure it is not dry. Usually indoor herb gardens require less water than those kept outdoors.