Inspire Yourself with Shade-Loving Herbs

In short: Parsley, mint, chives, lemon balm, cilantro, chervil and sweet woodruff all tolerate shade or partial shade. Expect slower growth and slightly smaller plants than in full sun, and water sparingly, because shady soil stays moist longer. Plant in spring and sow outdoors only in early May, since herbs are sensitive to frost.

Get Inspired by Herbs for Shade

Do you have a shady part of your garden or a bed near your house and would like to use it well? You can certainly plant perennials, but herbs are more suitable, which we recommend and will advise you on how to plant and grow them. Herbs are an important component of healthy eating. Using less salt is not only a trend in healthy cooking, but above all a very beneficial thing for your health. Try to limit salting and grow different flavors in different herbs, giving your dishes a new direction.

Herbs are among the plants from which we can enjoy the most. Their leaves and flowers fill the air with beautiful fragrance. By planting herbs together, you can easily combine beauty and utility.

Herbs for meat, for marinade, for potatoes, for salads, for soups, for tea - there are many recipes, and an ordinary chicken can pleasantly surprise you with a spice blend from your own garden or windowsill. And tea with a sprig of wild thyme or mint tea with honey is not only cheaper than store-bought, but you know it's not chemically treated in any way, and that you're drinking purely tea from freshly harvested fragrant leaves. You can also make herbs into filling for fragrant potpourri, for wardrobes with clothes, for the car, for pleasure, or pillows for fragrant sleep.

So can we plant herbs in shade? Certainly. Some species like shade or partial shade, others won't grow as much from lack of sunshine as they would in the sun. So let's choose together the right herbs that will bring you joy even on a shaded windowsill or diverted bed, or shaded garden wall. Most herbs require well-draining soil. In shady places, the soil can be wetter and heavier, so don't be afraid to uncover a piece of earth and replace it with loose substrate, or lighten the soil with gravel.

Herbs Suitable for Shade:

To make the bed look nice, we can plan in advance how to plant the herbs. We'll determine the center, edge, and herbs for filling the bed. We can also plant herbs according to colors (shades of green, flowers) and nicely tune the bed. Suitable for the edge are, for example, chives, oregano, anise, marjoram, mint, parsley. For filling the bed: sage, dill, lemon thyme, silver lemon thyme, chervil, wild thyme. And for the center of the bed: rosemary, valerian, lovage, sage. We can use this same approach for sowing in a planter or other container intended for planting herbs. They will be a decoration for any balcony, especially when you manage to create a nice cascading shape, from the tallest herb to the trailing one.

The most suitable time to establish a herb bed or plant in a planter is spring. We don't always have to sow the entire packet of herbs in one place, but can sow part in a bed and part in a window box. Herbs are sensitive to frost, so sow them only in early May, or pre-plant them in a greenhouse. If you harvest some herbs completely, you can plant more in the bed until autumn. It's worth planting herbs that overwinter in the center of the bed. Herbs from the edge of the bed, such as chives, are better dug up for winter and kept indoors.

Choose the size of the bed according to the amount of herbs you want to plant. Keep in mind that herbs in shade and partial shade won't grow to their advertised height and will always be slightly smaller, unless they are varieties specifically intended for partial shade.

Soil enriched with compost is suitable for mint, lemon balm, savory, parsley, chives, dill, tarragon, and chervil, while aerated soil with added gravel is suitable for marjoram, oregano, thyme, and lavender.

Herbs in partial shade should be watered with regard to soil moisture - definitely don't overwater them. We can fertilize them, always at the roots, preferably with liquid fertilizer. Check herbs regularly to prevent pest infestation. If the soil becomes compacted or washes away, replenish it and loosen it gently. Herbs in shade require more attention, so give it to them.

Harvesting - with herbs, we harvest leaves or entire sprigs. Herbs will regrow quickly.

Overwintering - cut back annual varieties before winter and compost the root ball. Apply a thick layer of mulch to perennial varieties. Dig up rosemary and let it overwinter in a pot. If you leave chives and parsley in place, cut them right at ground level.

We dry the trimmed leaves to preserve herbs in a dry state for later use, or freeze them in bags. The herbs are like fresh after thawing.

Rosemary (lat. Rosmarinus officinalis) - is an evergreen shrub whose blue-green needle-like leaves emit a strong spicy fragrance. It's suitable for meat and marinades, as well as for fragrant potpourri. Rosemary cannot tolerate overly wet soil and overwatering.

Sage (lat. Salvia officinalis) - is a very charming plant with distinctive yellow-variegated leaves. It will beautify any bed or windowsill. Sage has disinfectant properties, suitable for tea against sore throat or for mouthwash for toothache.

Peppermint (lat. Mentha piperita) - a perennial herb that, if it thrives well, will quickly cover the entire bed. It's suitable for preparing refreshing tea - pick six leaves for a small teapot, crush them in your palm and pour hot water over them. Sweeten with honey. It's an unforgettable experience with your own tea that keeps growing. You'll fall in love with the delicious fresh taste. You can also prepare a good mojito from mint.

Thyme (lat. Thymus) - is a fragrant herb. It is a low shrub. One sprig of thyme will scent every cup of tea.

Lovage (lat. Levisticum officinale) - is a perennial plant that adds flavour to every soup - it has a typical Maggi taste. Lovage tolerates moist soil.

Oregano (lat. Origanum vulgare) - has light pink flowers and intensely fragrant leaves, which are excellent with meat and in sauces. It is part of Provençal herbs; just add savory, bay leaf, thyme and you can mix your own herbs from your own garden. Chicken with Provençal herbs has an excellent light flavour. It grows back every year.

Sweet marjoram (lat. Majorana) - grows very vigorously. The tiny green leaves have a sweet, spicy flavour. It is used in sauces and with meat. Garlic sausage with home-grown marjoram has a significantly stronger taste.

Savory (lat. Satureia hortensis) - is a low annual with pointed green leaves. It is suitable for preparing minced meat, used in Balkan cuisine, for sprinkling on potatoes, salads, cheeses, and fish.

Chervil (lat. Anthriscus cerefolium) - an undemanding herb that thrives in shady locations. We cut off the flowers of chervil so the plant lasts longer and we can harvest the leaves for longer. In terms of flavour, chervil is between anise and parsley. Suitable for French cuisine, for preparing meat and fish. The distinctive aroma is lost during drying, so it is better to freeze chervil.