Herb Garden Ideas: 8 Layouts, Before and After

Eight herb garden ideas, each shown as a before and after picture: a kitchen bed, a stone herb spiral, a knot garden, a brick cartwheel, a window box, fence planters, a gravel bank and an herb-lined path. Below them: sun and shade, a spacing chart for 11 herbs, soil, mint, watering groups and harvesting.

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8 herb garden ideas, before and after

In each pair, the left image was generated by AI as a stand-in for an ordinary yard, and the right image is that same picture edited by AI from a written instruction. These are not photos of real customer homes. We made them with our own AI model, which is not one of the models you can pick in the landscape tool, so a render in the tool may look different. We made each pair once and kept it, except the spiral and the gravel bank, which we ran a second time because the first runs missed the idea; each caption says what the edit did not follow. The exact instructions are further down the page.

AI-generated example: a strip of lawn beside the back door and kitchen window of a white clapboard house, with a concrete step and a wooden fence — Kitchen herb bed. Already in the before: the house, the back door and step, the kitchen window, the fence and the lawn. What followed the instruction: one long, low cedar raised bed along the house wall, with basil plants at the near end. What it did not follow: we asked for parsley, chives, thyme, sage and a rosemary bush, and the rest of the bed holds purple spikes that look like lavender and grey grassy clumps instead. The University of New Hampshire's master gardener guide says to put a cooking herb garden as close to the kitchen as possible.

AI-edited version of the same image: a long low cedar raised bed along the house wall, with basil at the near end and purple-flowered and grey grassy herbs further along — Kitchen herb bed. Already in the before: the house, the back door and step, the kitchen window, the fence and the lawn. What followed the instruction: one long, low cedar raised bed along the house wall, with basil plants at the near end. What it did not follow: we asked for parsley, chives, thyme, sage and a rosemary bush, and the rest of the bed holds purple spikes that look like lavender and grey grassy clumps instead. The University of New Hampshire's master gardener guide says to put a cooking herb garden as close to the kitchen as possible.

AI-generated example: a flat open corner of a sunny backyard lawn with a grey wooden fence and a row of shrubs behind — Herb spiral. Already in the before: the lawn, the fence and the shrubs. What followed the instruction: a round wall of stacked grey stone with the soil heaped higher in the middle, lavender near the top and grey-green and grassy herbs lower down. What it did not follow: the wall does not coil inward and climb like a real spiral; it is a ring with a mound inside. This is our second run, and the first run drew a ring too. A real herb spiral is typically about six feet wide, with drought-tolerant herbs at the top and water-loving ones at the bottom (UF/IFAS Extension).

AI-edited version of the same image: a round raised wall of stacked grey stone on the lawn, with soil heaped higher in the middle and planted with lavender and grey-green herbs — Herb spiral. Already in the before: the lawn, the fence and the shrubs. What followed the instruction: a round wall of stacked grey stone with the soil heaped higher in the middle, lavender near the top and grey-green and grassy herbs lower down. What it did not follow: the wall does not coil inward and climb like a real spiral; it is a ring with a mound inside. This is our second run, and the first run drew a ring too. A real herb spiral is typically about six feet wide, with drought-tolerant herbs at the top and water-loving ones at the bottom (UF/IFAS Extension).

AI-generated example: a small rectangular lawn enclosed by an old red brick wall, with a stone path along one side and a brick house beyond — Knot garden. Already in the before: the brick walls, the stone path and the house beyond. What followed the instruction: low clipped green hedges in a pattern of squares and diagonals, with lavender and silver-grey herbs in the spaces and pale gravel between them. What it did not follow: the pattern is a grid with diagonals rather than interlocking knots, and we cannot see the chives we asked for. Knot gardens are geometric beds divided by low hedges or edgings (Penn State Extension); Mississippi State Extension says they were edged with box or other dwarf evergreens.

AI-edited version of the same image: low clipped green hedges in a pattern of squares and diagonals, with lavender and silver-grey herbs and pale gravel between them — Knot garden. Already in the before: the brick walls, the stone path and the house beyond. What followed the instruction: low clipped green hedges in a pattern of squares and diagonals, with lavender and silver-grey herbs in the spaces and pale gravel between them. What it did not follow: the pattern is a grid with diagonals rather than interlocking knots, and we cannot see the chives we asked for. Knot gardens are geometric beds divided by low hedges or edgings (Penn State Extension); Mississippi State Extension says they were edged with box or other dwarf evergreens.

AI-generated example: a round patch of bare soil in a green backyard lawn, with a wooden shed and a fence behind — Cartwheel herb garden. Already in the before: the bare circle, the lawn, the shed and the fence. What followed the instruction: a ring of red brick with brick spokes and a terracotta pot in the middle, and beds of basil, chives and other herbs between the spokes. What it did not follow: the spokes are uneven and do not split the circle into six equal wedges, and two beds have pink flowers we did not ask for. Gardeners' World suggests a cartwheel or chessboard layout for an herb plot; we found no extension service that covers the cartwheel.

AI-edited version of the same image: a ring of red brick with brick spokes and a terracotta pot in the center, with basil, chives and other herbs planted between the spokes — Cartwheel herb garden. Already in the before: the bare circle, the lawn, the shed and the fence. What followed the instruction: a ring of red brick with brick spokes and a terracotta pot in the middle, and beds of basil, chives and other herbs between the spokes. What it did not follow: the spokes are uneven and do not split the circle into six equal wedges, and two beds have pink flowers we did not ask for. Gardeners' World suggests a cartwheel or chessboard layout for an herb plot; we found no extension service that covers the cartwheel.

AI-generated example: the outside of a window on a grey brick house, with a white frame, a plain sill and a strip of lawn below — Window box. Already in the before: the grey brick wall, the white window and sill, and the lawn. What followed the instruction: a dark green box under the sill with basil, curly parsley, chives and thyme, and stems trailing over the front. What it did not follow: it followed this one closely, though we cannot be sure the trailing plant is oregano. If the window faces away from the sun, pick herbs that take some shade: UMD Extension says chervil, mint, chives and cilantro can be grown in light shade.

AI-edited version of the same image: a dark green window box under the sill planted with basil, curly parsley, chives, thyme and a trailing herb spilling over the front — Window box. Already in the before: the grey brick wall, the white window and sill, and the lawn. What followed the instruction: a dark green box under the sill with basil, curly parsley, chives and thyme, and stems trailing over the front. What it did not follow: it followed this one closely, though we cannot be sure the trailing plant is oregano. If the window faces away from the sun, pick herbs that take some shade: UMD Extension says chervil, mint, chives and cilantro can be grown in light shade.

AI-generated example: a small paved patio of grey concrete pavers against a tall horizontal-slat wooden fence — Fence herb planters. Already in the before: the slatted fence and the grey pavers. What followed the instruction: three long cedar boxes mounted one above the other on the fence, planted with basil, parsley, chives, thyme and other leafy herbs. What it did not follow: we cannot pick out the mint and cilantro we asked for. If you do grow mint in a planter like this, give it a box of its own: Penn State Extension says that without a container, mints will take over neighboring plots.

AI-edited version of the same image: three long cedar planter boxes mounted one above the other on the fence, planted with basil, parsley, chives, thyme and other herbs — Fence herb planters. Already in the before: the slatted fence and the grey pavers. What followed the instruction: three long cedar boxes mounted one above the other on the fence, planted with basil, parsley, chives, thyme and other leafy herbs. What it did not follow: we cannot pick out the mint and cilantro we asked for. If you do grow mint in a planter like this, give it a box of its own: Penn State Extension says that without a container, mints will take over neighboring plots.

AI-generated example: a dry, sunny, weedy dirt bank beside a stucco house with a window and a terracotta tile roof edge — Gravel Mediterranean bank. Already in the before: the stucco walls, the window, the tile roof edge and the slope. What followed the instruction: the weeds are gone, the bank is covered in cream gravel, and it is planted with drifts of flowering lavender, grey-green mounds and a flat stepping stone. What it did not follow: we cannot see clear rosemary bushes, creeping thyme or oregano; most of the grey mounds look like lavender not yet in flower. This is our second run: the first added a single lavender plant to the weedy bank. Penn State Extension says Mediterranean herbs thrive in full sun and well-drained, dry, gravelly soil.

AI-edited version of the same image: the bank covered in cream gravel and planted with drifts of flowering lavender, grey-green mounds and a flat stepping stone — Gravel Mediterranean bank. Already in the before: the stucco walls, the window, the tile roof edge and the slope. What followed the instruction: the weeds are gone, the bank is covered in cream gravel, and it is planted with drifts of flowering lavender, grey-green mounds and a flat stepping stone. What it did not follow: we cannot see clear rosemary bushes, creeping thyme or oregano; most of the grey mounds look like lavender not yet in flower. This is our second run: the first added a single lavender plant to the weedy bank. Penn State Extension says Mediterranean herbs thrive in full sun and well-drained, dry, gravelly soil.

AI-generated example: a straight path of square concrete stepping stones across a lawn to a wooden garden gate — Herb-lined path. Already in the before: the stepping stones, the lawn, the gate, the fence and the trees. What followed the instruction: flowering lavender down the left side, and grey-green herbs and a leafy plant on the right. What it did not follow: grass still fills the gaps between the stones instead of creeping thyme, some lawn is left on the right, and we cannot see the chives. Clemson Extension lists thyme, sage and rosemary among the herbs for dry soil.

AI-edited version of the same image: flowering lavender along the left side of the stepping stones and grey-green herbs and a leafy plant along the right, up to the gate — Herb-lined path. Already in the before: the stepping stones, the lawn, the gate, the fence and the trees. What followed the instruction: flowering lavender down the left side, and grey-green herbs and a leafy plant on the right. What it did not follow: grass still fills the gaps between the stones instead of creeping thyme, some lawn is left on the right, and we cannot see the chives. Clemson Extension lists thyme, sage and rosemary among the herbs for dry soil.

Herb garden layouts, with real sizes

Most herb garden ideas come down to a handful of layouts. Here is what extension services and garden writers say about the ones in the pictures above.

Kitchen garden: Put it as close to the kitchen as possible and away from road dust (University of New Hampshire), for example outside the kitchen window or along the patio (Illinois Extension). Penn State Extension says a 20 by 4 foot kitchen garden is generally enough.
Raised bed: Illinois and UMD Extension suggest raised beds where the soil drains poorly. The Old Farmer's Almanac's herb garden plans use beds 4 feet wide: 10 by 4, 15 by 4 and 18 by 4 feet.
Herb spiral: A mound with a stone wall that coils up to a high center. UF/IFAS Extension gives a typical width of six feet, with drought-tolerant herbs at the top and water-loving herbs toward the bottom. University of Maryland's Maryland Grows adds that the moister soil near the bottom suits annuals like basil.
Knot garden: Geometric beds divided by low hedges, borders or edgings (Penn State). Mississippi State Extension says knot beds were edged with box or other dwarf evergreens, and suggests planning the beds on graph paper and laying brick-in-sand paths.
Cartwheel: Gardeners' World suggests a cartwheel or a chessboard pattern for a small herb plot.

How much sun an herb garden needs, and herbs for shade

Almost all herbs need at least six hours of sun a day (Clemson Extension), and Iowa State Extension says six hours or more is best. Some herbs tolerate part sun of 2 to 4 hours, though Iowa State says it is not ideal. If your only spot gets less, these are the herbs the sources name for part shade:

Prefer part shade: Parsley and mint (Clemson Extension).
Sun to part shade: Cilantro, lemon balm, bay and lemongrass (Clemson Extension).
Light shade: Chervil, mint, chives and cilantro (UMD Extension).
Sun or part shade: Parsley (RHS); parsley, chives, cilantro and mint (Bob Vila).

Herb spacing chart: height, spacing and sun for 11 herbs

None of the ranking idea pages gives spacing, so here it is from NC State Extension's herb guide. Mint covers spearmint (18 inches) and peppermint (36 inches). Which herbs are annual or perennial is further down.

Height, spacing and light: NC State Extension HIL-8110 (1998). Utah State gives 18 to 24 inches for English lavender.
Herb	Height	Spacing	Light
Basil	20–24 in	6–12 in	Sun
Parsley	6–18 in	6 in	Sun
Chives	12 in	12 in	Sun, part shade
Thyme	4–12 in	6–12 in	Sun
Oregano	24 in	8–12 in	Sun
Sage	Not clear*	12 in	Sun
Rosemary	3–6 ft	12 in	Sun
Mint	18–36 in	18 in	Sun, part shade
Cilantro	24–36 in	12–18 in	Sun, part shade
Dill	3–5 ft	3–12 in	Sun, part shade
Lavender	24–36 in	18 in	Sun

*The NC State guide misprints the height of sage, so we leave it out. UConn Extension gives similar spacing for basil (6 to 12 inches) and thyme (8 to 12 inches). Penn State says rosemary can reach 2 to 6 feet tall and wide.

Soil, drainage and feeding for herbs

Drainage first: UMD Extension calls drainage probably the most important single factor in growing herbs. On clay, it suggests a raised bed rather than mixing in sand.
Improving clay: Work 2 to 3 inches of pine bark, pea gravel or compost into the top 8 to 12 inches (Clemson Extension).
pH: Clemson gives a pH of 6 to 7; UConn says most culinary herbs prefer 6.5 to 7.0.
Go easy on fertilizer: Most herbs do not need a highly fertile soil (Clemson). Too much fertilizer produces lots of foliage that is low in flavor (Iowa State), and over-fertilizing can lower the plant's essential oil content (UMD). NC State says to apply balanced fertilizers sparingly.

Group herbs by water: a dry side and a moist side

Idea lists often say to group herbs by water without saying which go together. NC State Extension says to group them by light, irrigation and soil. In practice that means two groups:

Dry, sunny and gravelly: Rosemary, thyme and sage, which Clemson lists for dry soil, and lavender and oregano, which NC State lists with rosemary and thyme as Mediterranean natives that want excellent drainage and bright sun. Penn State says Mediterranean herbs thrive in well-drained, dry, gravelly soil. Example 7 is this group.
Moist: Mint and lemongrass, which Clemson calls moisture lovers, and annuals such as basil, dill and cilantro: Illinois Extension says annual herbs do better with moist soil, while established perennials tolerate soil that dries out between waterings.

An herb spiral builds both groups into one bed: dry at the top, moist at the bottom (UF/IFAS).

How to keep mint from taking over

Penn State Extension says that without a barrier, mints will take over neighboring plots. Its fix: plant mint in a 3 to 5 gallon pot with drainage holes, or with the bottom cut out, and sink it so the rim sits about an inch above the ground. UConn Extension suggests the same thing with a bottomless five-gallon bucket.

Which herbs come back every year

Annuals (replant each year): Basil, chervil, coriander (cilantro), dill, anise and summer savory (Penn State).
Biennials: Parsley and caraway (Penn State).
Perennials: Chives, mint and thyme (Penn State); lavender, oregano and sage (Iowa State). Utah State says English lavender is hardy to zone 5.
Rosemary: A tender perennial (Iowa State), hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10. Penn State names 'Arp', 'Athens Blue Spire', 'Madalene Hill' and 'Miss Jessop's Upright' as reaching zone 7 or 6b with protection.

Harvesting herbs

When: Early in the morning, after the dew dries (Clemson). Flavor peaks just as flower buds appear, before they open (Iowa State).
How much: No more than one-third of a perennial herb's growth at a time (Iowa State, UConn, University of New Hampshire). Annuals can be cut back to about 4 inches (University of New Hampshire).
Woody herbs: Do not cut woody herbs back after August (University of New Hampshire).

How to try an herb garden on a photo of your yard

Take a photo of the spot from where you would normally stand, in daylight, with the whole area in frame.
Open the landscape tool, choose Custom, and paste one of the instructions below into the Custom Design Requirements box.
Change the layout, the herbs and what must stay, then generate.
If it misses something, as every one of our examples did in some detail, reword that part and run it again.

The picture shows the look and the arrangement. It does not measure your space, so check spacing against the chart above before you plant.

Herb garden instructions to paste into Custom mode

These are the exact instructions we used for the 8 examples above, in the same order. In the landscape tool, choose Custom, paste one into the Custom Design Requirements box, then upload a photo of your yard, patio or window. Swap in your own layout, herbs and what must stay.

Change ONLY the strip of lawn beside the door: add one long low cedar raised bed about one foot tall filled with dark soil and planted in neat clumps of basil, flat-leaf parsley, chives with purple flowers, thyme, sage and a rosemary bush at the end. Keep the house, the door, the step, the kitchen window, the fence and the camera angle exactly the same.
Add ONLY a stone herb spiral on the lawn: one low dry-stone wall of grey stones that coils inward like a snail shell, starting at ground level on the outside and climbing step by step to a tall center about three feet high, so the soil inside forms a rising spiral ramp. Plant rosemary and lavender at the high center, thyme, sage and oregano partway down the coil, and parsley and chives at the low outer end. Keep the lawn around it, the fence, the shrubs and the camera angle exactly the same.
Change ONLY the lawn into a formal herb knot garden: low clipped green boxwood hedges about one foot tall forming interlocking square and diamond patterns, the spaces between filled with lavender, silver sage, thyme and chives, with pale gravel around the knot. Keep the brick wall, the stone path and the camera angle exactly the same.
Change ONLY the bare soil circle into a cartwheel herb garden: a ring of red bricks around the edge and six straight brick spokes from a center pot, dividing it into six wedge-shaped beds, each planted with a different herb: basil, parsley, chives, thyme, sage and oregano. Keep the lawn, the shed, the fence and the camera angle exactly the same.
Add ONLY a long dark green metal window box fixed under the window sill, planted with basil, curly parsley, chives, thyme and trailing oregano spilling over the front. Keep the brick wall, the window, the frame, the lawn and the camera angle exactly the same.
Add ONLY a vertical herb garden on the fence: three rows of long cedar planter boxes mounted one above the other on the fence, planted with basil, parsley, chives, thyme, mint and cilantro. Keep the fence boards, the pavers and the camera angle exactly the same.
Change the WHOLE dirt bank into a planted Mediterranean herb garden: remove all the weeds, cover all of the soil with pale cream gravel, and plant it densely from top to bottom with large drifts of purple flowering lavender, big rosemary bushes, mounds of grey-green sage, mats of creeping thyme and oregano, and a few flat stepping stones. Keep the stucco house wall, the window, the terracotta roof edge, the sky and the camera angle exactly the same.
Change ONLY the lawn on both sides of the stepping stones: replace it with herb borders of lavender, chives with purple flowers, sage and oregano, and fill the gaps between the stepping stones with low creeping thyme. Keep the stepping stones, the gate and the camera angle exactly the same.

Try an herb garden on my photo

Herb garden questions

How much sun does an herb garden need?

At least six hours of direct sun a day for almost all herbs (Clemson Extension). Some tolerate part sun of 2 to 4 hours, though Iowa State Extension says it is not ideal.

Which herbs grow in shade?

Parsley and mint prefer part shade, and cilantro, lemon balm, bay and lemongrass take sun to part shade (Clemson Extension). UMD Extension says chervil, mint, chives and cilantro can be grown in light shade.

How far apart should I plant herbs?

NC State Extension gives 6 to 12 inches for basil and thyme, 6 inches for parsley, 12 inches for chives, sage and rosemary, 18 inches for mint and lavender, and 12 to 18 inches for cilantro. Utah State gives 18 to 24 inches for English lavender. The full chart is above.

How do I stop mint from spreading?

Plant it in a 3 to 5 gallon pot with drainage holes, or with the bottom removed, sunk so the rim is about an inch above the ground (Penn State Extension). UConn suggests a bottomless five-gallon bucket sunk into the ground.

Should I fertilize herbs?

Lightly. Most herbs do not need a highly fertile soil (Clemson), and too much fertilizer gives lots of leaves with less flavor (Iowa State). NC State says to apply balanced fertilizers sparingly.

What is an herb spiral?

A mound with a stone wall that coils up to a high center, so one bed has a dry, sunny top and a moister bottom. UF/IFAS Extension gives a typical width of six feet, with drought-tolerant herbs at the top and water-loving herbs at the bottom.

Which herbs come back every year?

Chives, mint and thyme (Penn State), and lavender, oregano and sage (Iowa State) are perennials. Rosemary is a tender perennial, hardy in zones 8 to 10. Basil, cilantro and dill are annuals, and parsley is a biennial (Penn State).

Can I see an herb garden on a photo of my own yard?

Yes. Upload a photo to the landscape tool, choose Custom, and describe the herb garden: the layout, the herbs and what must stay. The result is a picture for planning, not a measured plan.

Is the herb garden tool free?

You need an account, and it is free: 1 free render with a free account (sign in with Google or an email code). More renders come with a paid plan.

Sources for the herb garden facts

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