Culinary herbs (high value, low maintenance)

Herbs are exceptionally beginner-friendly, providing high culinary value from minimal space and effort. Start with these five essential kitchen herbs: basil (annual, warm season, pinch flowers to prolong harvest), parsley (biennial, cool tolerant, Italian flat-leaf has better flavor), cilantro (annual, cool season, bolts quickly in heat so succession plant every 3 weeks), chives (perennial, virtually indestructible, cut-and-come-again), and rosemary (perennial in zones 7+, drought-tolerant, needs excellent drainage). All five fit in 2-4 square feet of bed space. Herbs harvested fresh from the garden save $3-5 per grocery store bunch, making them among the highest-value crops per square foot. Most herbs prefer slightly drier conditions than vegetables, making them ideal for bed edges near metal or stone walls that run warmer. Herbs attract beneficial pollinators and predatory insects. Plant basil, sage, and dill among vegetables as companion plants for pest management. Preserve excess harvest by drying, freezing in olive oil ice cubes, or making herb butter. Perennial herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, sage) can be planted in a dedicated section of the bed or in a separate herb spiral for year-after-year harvests.