7 Best Herbs To Grow In Winter

When it comes to herbs, winter can be a tough time. Many popular herbs go dormant or die back in the cooler months, leaving gardeners like you and me scrambling to find ways to keep our plants alive.

However, there are a few hearty herbs that not only survive the winter, but actually thrive in cold weather. These versatile plants can add flavor and nutrition to your winter dishes, making it a good plan to keep your herbs thriving, whether outdoors or in!

Winter Herbs For The Win

As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, I know that I begin to crave the familiarity of warm drinks and comfort food. And winter is the perfect time to experiment with herbs, as they can add plenty of flavor to those winter dishes.

Rosemary, thyme, and sage are all classic winter herbs that pair well with roasted meats and vegetables. For something a little different, try using oregano or basil in your next soup or stew. And don’t forget about mint! Whether you use it to make hot tea or make some homemade mint sauce to serve with lamb, mint is always a firm favorite at my home during winter.

Why Winter Is Good For Growing Herbs

During the shorter days we find ourselves spending more time indoors, and our gardens can become neglected. But, the cool weather is perfect for crops like parsley and mint, which can struggle in the heat of summer – did I show you the crisp remnants of my flat leaf parsley after the heatwaves this year?

Garden pests are also less active in the winter months, so our herbs are more likely to thrive with some TLC.

And finally, harvesting your herbs in winter means that they will be fresher and more flavorful than any store-bought herbs you might pick up, which may have been shipped from far away.

I fully intend to transition any of my non-frost-hardy and thriving herbs into the outhouse – which has no door so it is pretty chilly inside in the winter – so that I can make the most of my herbs this winter!

The Best Outdoor Herbs To Grow In Winter

Here are seven of the best herbs to grow in winter, all of which can handle colder temperatures and which I’ll be nurturing this year:

1. Bay Tree

I’ve talked about my bay tree before when I panicked that it might be dying, but thankfully I have been nurturing it and it is thriving.

I’ve currently placed it in a corner behind the wall of the outhouse so it has some protection from the elements, but if it looks like it’s struggling, I’ll move it into the outhouse during the cold frosty nights.

Bay trees are perfect for winter gardens as they can survive temperatures as low as 23ºf / -5ºc and I get to use the leaves in all sorts of winter warming recipes!

2. Mint

Mint loves some wet rainy months, and can handle cold temperatures down to 5ºf / -15ºc! For that reason alone it is worth growing in your garden for some winter greenery!

It’s also a refreshing herb that can be used in a number of different ways, depending on which type of mint plant you’re growing. It’s often added to desserts and drinks, and can also be used to make a refreshing tea.

I prefer to use it with lamb. And sometimes I’ll chop it and add it to salads. But mostly I love it as a hot tea to keep me warm. Saves drinking plain cold water!

Mint is also said to have a number of health benefits, including the ability to aid in digestion and relieve stress.

3. Oregano

Oregano is a perennial herb which can handle colder temperatures, which surprised me as it is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking, which I associate with hot balmy days!

It has a strong, pungent flavor that goes well with tomatoes and other bold-flavored foods. It is often used on pizzas, pastas and meat dishes, so perfect for jazzing up any winter pasta dishes you feel inclined to cook.

4. Rocket

Is it a herb or is it a salad leaf? Rocket is so peppery that I think I can get away with giving it a spot here on my winter herbs list right?

It’s also (surprisingly to me) classed as a frost hardy herb, so you can be sure that the 8 pots of wild rocket I have on my outside table will be nurtured like crazy throughout the winter!

As well as working well in salads, you can also add rocket to soups too – see, I told you it was a herb!

5. Rosemary

Rosemary is another frost-hardy perennial herb that is known for its strong, pungent flavor. It is also one of the hardiest herbs, and it is well-suited to growing in pots.

I have mine in a large terracotta pot and it is doing well, but I am working hard to make sure that the soil is not too dry and not boggy either. Like the bay tree, if it looks a bit droopy in the winter I might move it to a more protected spot in my outhouse, but will see how it gets on.

Rosemary is also an extremely versatile plant used in Mediterranean cooking, and pairs well with other winter staples like potatoes, garlic, and onions. It can be used as a seasoning for fish, meats and vegetables or added to soups and stews.

6. Sage

Sage is another herb that is commonly used in winter cooking – you’re sensing a theme here right? I’m growing the ‘common sage’ variety which has a slightly bitter flavor that goes well with roasted meats like pork and poultry as well as various root vegetables too.

It’s supposedly frost-hardy, which I believe because it wilted in the recent heat wave, more than any of my other herbs.

7. Thyme

Thyme is another excellent option for winter gardening, as it is both drought-tolerant and cold-hardy. It’s also a popular herb for cooking with and used to flavor soups, stews, and sauces.

I grew my first thyme plant last year and amazingly, it survived through the autumn when I was away, and through the coldest winter too.

It does like a sunny spot so when you’re growing thyme try to keep it in the spot where it will get most light in the winter.

Indoor Herb Options

While I’m excited to nurture (and eat) my seven outdoor herbs throughout the winter months, I also plan to keep my other herbs going through the winter months, but indoors where they’ll hopefully survive.

The ones I have already growing are:

• Basil
• Coriander
• Parsley

I did have a pot of sweet marjoram too, but it became the ‘crispy’ variety in the heatwave and I haven’t yet sown new seeds.

To be fair, the three herbs I use most are the ones listed, but I think I’ll be pulling out my seed packets too, to see if there’s anything else I fancy adding to my indoor herb collection.

So, are there any herbs on my winter herbs list that you haven’t got that I’ve tempted you to try? Let me know in the comments, and whichever ones you grow, enjoy!