What herbs to grow and how many?

[RPCookin]

This year we have rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, mint, chives, each in it's own pot on the new this year patio. When we bought the house, we also bought the 1/4 acre lot next door, and we are gradually making it into our back yard. Patio poured last fall, then had the ground tilled up and hydroseeded a couple of weeks ago. Now have some grass coming up. Making progress anyway.

The chives came back as volunteers in the pot where we had them last year, after spending the winter in the shed. Kendra set it out to plant something in, it rained that night and by noon the next day we had the first shoots popping up. Now it's looking pretty good.

I had a potted rosemary plant that I managed to keep over one winter, but it didn't survive this last winter. We actually had a rosemary plant in our back yard in SW Denver that survived as an annual. Still not sure why (not supposed to make it through our cold, dry winters), as it would appear to die each winter, then the next spring new branches would start and by midsummer it was ready for clipping. That little bush had a main stem that was more than an inch in diameter, yet it never grew more than a couple of feet tall, mostly spread out like a poorly managed bonsai tree.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Maybe I should try planting the Rosemary in the ground instead of pots. Mulch and cover well for winter.

 

[cjmmytunes]

This year we have rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, mint, chives, each in it's own pot on the new this year patio. When we bought the house, we also bought the 1/4 acre lot next door, and we are gradually making it into our back yard. Patio poured last fall, then had the ground tilled up and hydroseeded a couple of weeks ago. Now have some grass coming up. Making progress anyway.

The chives came back as volunteers in the pot where we had them last year, after spending the winter in the shed. Kendra set it out to plant something in, it rained that night and by noon the next day we had the first shoots popping up. Now it's looking pretty good.

I had a potted rosemary plant that I managed to keep over one winter, but it didn't survive this last winter. We actually had a rosemary plant in our back yard in SW Denver that survived as an annual. Still not sure why (not supposed to make it through our cold, dry winters), as it would appear to die each winter, then the next spring new branches would start and by midsummer it was ready for clipping. That little bush had a main stem that was more than an inch in diameter, yet it never grew more than a couple of feet tall, mostly spread out like a poorly managed bonsai tree.

That's a very nice looking back yard, Rick. Wish we had room to do something like that with ours.

 

[CakePoet]

I only grow Thymus serpyllum L, why? Well Breckland thyme / creeping Thyme, is hard to kill, will take over if not careful, but in a pot it seams to survive everything and more.
So that is the only herb I grow because it the only herb that survives on my balcony.

 

[goosander]

Thanks for the replies everyone, lots to think about. I've been thinking about the possibility of growing herbs indoors under lights so I don't have to worry about different climates etc. I wonder if anyone has any experience with that..?