20 aromatic plants for your garden or terrace

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You don't have to be a Michelin-starred chef to shine in the kitchen when you've got a green thumb! A few freshly-picked basil, parsley or mint leaves can liven up any recipe. If you want to turn your dishes into real delicacies with fresh herbs, here are fifteen aromatic plants for your garden, balcony or terrace.

#1 Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil can be grown both in pots and in the ground - Photo by Seeandfeel / Needpix

Italian, Grand vert, Marseillais, Thai, purple, lemon... There are almost as many varieties of basil (Ocimum basilicum) as there are recipes! It's up to you to choose the one you like best for your pesto, sauces or salads.

In your garden or on your terrace, common Basil will thrive in the sun. You can also grow it in your kitchen, to enjoy its fresh leaves all year round. In this case, place it just behind the window to benefit from maximum light.

#2 Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Rosemary loves full sun

The fresh or dried leaves of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) are traditionally used to flavor grilled meats and sauces. But you can also use the raw flowers in desserts. Their delicate, lemony flavor is ideal for meringues, crème brûlées and cakes.

Rosemary is low-maintenance. However, you will need to prune it after flowering each year. Shorten young branches by a few centimetres. Be careful not to cut into old wood: the branches won't grow back.

#3 Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Thyme is one of the must-haves of the aromatic garden - Photo by Kaboompics / Pexels

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is an essential ingredient in bouquets garni and a staple herb in Provençal cuisine. It is used to season meats, spice up marinades, flavour herbal teas and add flavour to vegetables.

Common thyme is a scrubland plant. It requires sun exposure and poor soil. It tends to wither when the light is too weak and the substrate too rich. When planted in the ground, choose a bright spot and add sand and gravel to the soil. In pots, a potting soil for Mediterranean plants or a mixture of sand and garden soil will do the trick.

#4 Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

There are several types of parsley. The flat variety has a more all-round taste than the curly variety - Photo by Netha Hussain / Wikipedia

Do we really need to introduce you to parsley (Petroselinum crispum)? This aromatic garden staple is at home almost everywhere. It's perfect for adding freshness to marinades, indispensable for making a bouquet garni and very practical as a garnish to make it look like you cooked that frozen dish yourself.

Parsley is easy to grow, but can be attacked by slugs and aphids. Excessive water and heat can also cause powdery mildew. Be vigilant when watering, and don't hesitate to associate it with martyr plants, which will suffer the assaults of pests in its place!

#5 Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

We're genetically programmed to love or hate coriander!

For those of us on the cilantro team, this herbaceous plant is an indispensable ingredient in green curries, tacos and bobuns. For others, it's useful for repelling certain pests and attracting ladybugs, which will rid you of aphids.

If you want your coriander to be productive, don't let it flower. Flowering exhausts the plant and is detrimental to the foliage. Pinch off the flower stalks as they appear, unless you plan to harvest the seeds!

#6 Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Flowering chives add charm to the plant - Photo by Jerzy Opiola / Picturethis

Those who hate coriander can replace it in recipes such as tzatziki with chives (Allium schoenoprasum). This aromatic herb also adds a refreshing taste to salads, omelettes and vinaigrettes.

It's perfectly possible to sow Chives in spring. But the easiest way to multiply the plant or rejuvenate it is to divide the clumps. Allium schoenoprasum is a perennial plant that produces shoots from one year to the next.

#7 Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Dill is a hardy plant. It can, however, be prone to rust - Photo by Maxmann / Needpix

Dill (Anethum graveolens) may be a Mediterranean plant, but it is mainly found in Northern and Eastern European cuisine. In particular, it's the secret ingredient in salmon gravlax and borscht.

Dill is a Mediterranean plant. When planted in the open ground, it should be watered only during dry spells. Herbs planted in tubs or window boxes, on the other hand, require more frequent watering. Water once the potting soil has dried on the surface.

#8 Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Mint adapts to all types of soil, except those too clayey or too dry - Photo via Pickpik

Perfect for tea, essential for mojitos and useful for scenting a carafe of water, spearmint (Mentha spicata) is a must for aromatic gardens. Depending on your tastes and needs, opt for the strong-flavored Nahnah variety, the peppery Mentha spicata piperita or the aniseed-flavored Mentha spicata anisatus.

Mint is very easy to grow. Too easy, perhaps. This rhizomatous plant quickly becomes invasive and difficult to get rid of. Prefer planting in a window box to contain its growth. If you plant it in the ground, install anti-rhizome barriers to prevent it from colonizing your garden!

#9 Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)

In the Middle Ages, tarragon was thought to cure the bites of venomous animals - Photo by J.D. Falk / Flickr

The peppery, aniseed and slightly pungent taste of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) goes well with chicken, squid and even lobster! This aromatic herb is also used to make sauces such as béarnaise or tartar sauce.

Tarragon is a hardy plant. It can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C, provided the soil remains dry. If you live in a region with rainy winters, plant your tarragon in a pot. You'll be able to shelter it and keep it from one year to the next.

#10 Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis)

The sauce laurel can grow to over six meters in height. Better to plant it in a garden than on a balcony! Photo by JGalaxy /iNaturalist

While most bay trees, like the oleander, are poisonous, this is not the case with the sauce laurel (Laurus nobilis). Quite the contrary, in fact. Its bitter-tasting leaves can be found in bouquet garni, court bouillons and other marinades.

Growing a Laurel isn't difficult at all. The plant is resistant to cold, sea spray and drought. Be vigilant, however. If the branches go limp or the foliage turns gray, your plant needs watering.

#11 Sage (Salvia officinalis)

In summer, sage is adorned with purple flowers - Photo by RayTango / Picturethis

With its powerful, camphorated flavor, sage (Salvia officinalis) is one of the essential ingredients for Saltimbocca, the veal cutlet with cured ham typical of Rome. It also goes very well with pork, chicken and potato dishes.

In the south of France, sage should be planted in semi-shade to prevent the summer sun from scorching its foliage. Elsewhere, plant it at the foot of a south-facing wall to protect it from cold winds and chilly winter temperatures.

#12 Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Appearance, taste, fast growth... Mint and lemon balm have a lot in common! Photo by F&K Starr / Wikipedia

You don't have to be a monk and produce Chartreuse to grow lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) in your herb garden. This lemony, minty-tasting plant is also useful for enhancing desserts, entremets, salads and fish.

Like mint, lemon balm is invasive. Prune at the start of flowering to prevent spontaneous sowing. You can also plant it in pots or mulch it to prevent sprouting.

#13 Musk chervil (Myrrhis odorata)

The leaves give off an aniseed scent when crumpled - Photo by Rasbak / Wikipedia

With its aniseed flavor, musk chervil (Myrrhis odorata) sweetens salads, omelettes and soups. It can also spice up compotes, jams and pastries. This perennial plant has the added advantage of preventing the proliferation of weeds and keeping slugs at bay.

In pots or in the ground, chervil likes to keep its soil slightly moist. Remember to mulch the base with a plant or mineral material to keep the substrate cool and limit watering.

#14 Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus)

Saffron is located on the pistil. Photo by Kenpei / Wikipedia

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. If you don't feel like breaking the bank every time you prepare paella or bouillabaisse, plant a few bulbs of Crocus sativus. Then harvest the precious powder yourself.

Saffron crocuses thrive in light, well-drained soil. If the soil in your garden is heavy and clayey, work it in before burying your bulbs. Add gravel or pozzolan to help water run off.

#15 Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

Lovage can reach two meters in height and a meter in spread when mature - Photo by Vorzinek / Wikipedia

The smell and taste of lovage (Levisticum officinale) are reminiscent of Maggi broths. However, this aromatic herb is not used in the composition of the golden cube! You can, however, use the leaves in the same way, to flavour your broths, cooking water or sauces.

Lovage is a hardy, perennial plant. In winter, its foliage disappears, but comes back the following spring. However, you can protect your plant and encourage its growth by cutting back the clump.

#16 Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Oregano needs sun to flourish - Photo by Joi Ito /Flickr

In ancient times, it was thought that putting a few leaves of oregano (Origanum vulgare) in your loved one's dish would make them fall in love with you. But those days are gone. If the pizzeria down the street adds oregano to your calzone, it's not because the pizzaiolo wants you to fall under his spell. It's just to give his sauce a little kick.

If you plant your Common Oregano in the ground, you won't have to do a thing. The shrub is resistant to drought and frost(it's hardy down to -25°C). You'll need to be more vigilant if you're growing it in a pot. You'll need to water when the substrate is deeply dry.

#17 Marjoram (Origanum majorana)

Marjoram is also said to have medicinal properties - Photo by F&K Starr / Flickr

An aromatic plant native to Cyprus and Turkey, marjoram (Origanum majorana) is an important ingredient in Italian cuisine. Its leaves, with a less pronounced aroma than that of its cousin oregano, are used to season pizzas and tomato sauces.

Marjoram thrives in moist soil. If you plant it in a poor substrate or pot, fertilize it during the growing season. A balanced fertilizer will do just fine.

#18 Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

If silver doesn't grow on trees, you can grow sorrel in your garden - Photo by Michel Langeveld / Wikipedia

Soup isn't the only option for cooking sorrel (Rumex acetosa) leaves. You can also enhance their tangy, delicately lemony flavor in quiches, omelettes, pestos and purées.

Sorrel is a fast-growing plant. The first harvest takes place just three months after sowing! When planting this aromatic herb in a pot, remember to repot it regularly to renew its soil and give it more space.

#19 Savory (Satureja)

Savory is used both in cooking and in the cosmetics industry. Photo by Joost J. Bakker /Flickr

Savory's pungent, slightly peppery taste will allow you to revisit your tomato sauces, marinades and seasonings. Mountain savory (Satureja montana), with its bitter notes, is ideal for those who prefer strong flavors, while garden savory (Satureja hortensis) is ideal for those who prefer a sweeter taste.

Savory requires little or no watering or maintenance. Water only when the soil is completely dry, and cut back clumps in early spring to help the plant renew itself.

#20 Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)

Burnet thrives in poor soil - Photo by David J. Stang / Wikipedia

Less well-known than other herbs, burnet (Sanguisorba minor) nevertheless has a place in your herb garden, vegetable garden and kitchen. Its cucumber- and hazelnut-flavored leaves will be invaluable to your sauces and salads.

You can sow burnet in April or May, directly where you want to grow your aromatic herb. If you're in a hurry, you can also buy plants in pots and plant them in your garden. Planting then takes place in spring or early autumn, before the first frosts.

By Servane Nemetz
on 27-05-2025 at 06h37