You love the idea of growing your own herbs for teas, salves, and everyday wellness, but the thought of starting a medicinal herb garden can feel a little overwhelming. There’s so much information out there, and it’s easy to feel like you need to know everything before you even plant the first seed.

The truth is, you don’t need a full apothecary or years of experience to get started. You just need a few reliable, beginner-friendly herbs that grow well, don’t require constant attention, and are actually useful in everyday life.

This list focuses on easy medicinal herb garden plants that are forgiving, versatile, and perfect for beginners. Whether you’re planting in containers, raised beds, or a small backyard space, these herbs help you build confidence while creating a simple, practical medicinal herb garden you’ll actually use.

1. Calendula (The Beginner-Friendly Skin Herb) 🌼

If you’re starting a medicinal herb garden, calendula is one of the easiest herbs you can grow. It’s forgiving, fast-growing, and actually useful, even if you’re brand new to medicinal herbs.

Calendula is best known for its bright flowers and simple skin uses. It’s commonly used in salves, infused oils, and balms for everyday skin care.

How to Grow Calendula

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Water: When the top inch of soil feels dry

• Where: Garden beds, raised beds, or containers

Harvest flowers when fully open. The more you pick, the more it blooms! 🌼

How You’ll Use It

• Infuse flowers into oil for salves

• Dry petals for simple skin remedies

Shopping List

🪴 Calendula seeds
✂️ Small garden scissors
🫙 Glass jar for infusing oil

Where to Buy Seeds

• Local garden centers

• Online seed shops (Baker Creek, Seed Savers, Johnny’s)

• Amazon for quick delivery

2. Chamomile (The Calm-Down Tea Herb) 🌼☕

Chamomile is one of the gentlest and most beginner-friendly plants you can add to a medicinal herb garden. It’s easy to grow, easy to harvest, and perfect for those who love calming herbal teas.

This is the kind of herb that makes your garden feel useful right away, especially after one of those incredibly long days!

How to Grow Chamomile

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Water: Light, consistent watering (don’t let it dry out completely)

• Where: Garden beds or containers

Chamomile grows quickly and doesn’t need perfect conditions to thrive! This is my kind of plant!

How You’ll Use It

• Brew calming chamomile tea

• Dry flowers for sleep blends and relaxation teas

Harvest flowers when they’re fully open and dry them thoroughly before storing.

Shopping List

🌱 Chamomile seeds
✂️ Herb scissors
🍵 Tea infuser or strainer

Where to Buy Seeds

• Local garden centers

• Online seed shops (Baker Creek, Johnny’s, Seed Savers)

• Amazon for quick, beginner-friendly packets

3. Peppermint (The Hard-to-Kill Digestive Herb) 🌿🍃

Peppermint is one of the easiest medicinal herbs you can grow. It's almost too easy! If you want a plant that thrives with minimal effort, this one belongs in your medicinal herb garden.

It’s commonly used for digestion, headaches, and soothing teas, and it grows fast once established.

How to Grow Peppermint

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Water: Keep soil lightly moist

• Where: Always grow in containers (it spreads fast!)

Peppermint is very forgiving and bounces back quickly after harvesting.

How You’ll Use It

• Brew peppermint tea for digestion

• Dry leaves for teas and herbal blends

Trim often to keep plants full and contained.

Shopping List

🪴 Peppermint plant or seeds
🪣 Container with drainage
✂️ Herb scissors

Where to Buy

• Local nurseries (plants are easiest)

• Online herb shops

• Amazon for starter plants or seed packets

4. Lemon Balm (The Gentle Stress-Relief Herb) 🍋🌿

Lemon balm is one of those herbs that feels comforting just to grow. It’s mild, calming, and perfect for beginners who want a medicinal herb garden that supports relaxation and everyday stress relief.

It smells lightly citrusy and grows quickly with very little fuss!

How to Grow Lemon Balm

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Water: When the top inch of soil feels dry

• Where: Containers or garden beds

Like mint, lemon balm spreads easily, so containers help keep it under control.

How You’ll Use It

• Make calming teas

• Add to stress-relief or sleep blends

Harvest leaves regularly to encourage fresh growth.

Shopping List

🌱 Lemon balm seeds or plant
🪴 Medium pot with drainage
✂️ Herb scissors

Where to Buy

• Garden centers and nurseries

• Online seed shops (Baker Creek, Johnny’s, Seed Savers)

• Amazon for quick starter options

5. Lavender (The Calming, Multi-Purpose Herb) 💜🌿

Lavender is a classic for a reason. It’s beautiful, calming, and incredibly useful, making it a perfect addition to a medicinal herb garden, even for beginners.

It’s commonly used for relaxation, sleep support, and simple home remedies, and it smells amazing while it grows.

How to Grow Lavender

• Light: Full sun

• Water: Let soil dry out between waterings

• Where: Containers or well-draining garden beds

Lavender prefers drier soil, so don’t overwater — this is one herb that thrives on a little neglect.

How You’ll Use It

• Dry flowers for sleep sachets

• Brew calming lavender tea

• Add to homemade bath or relaxation blends

Shopping List

🪴 Lavender plant or seeds
🪣 Terracotta pot with drainage
✂️ Herb scissors

Where to Buy

• Local nurseries (plants are easiest for beginners)

• Online seed shops

• Amazon for starter plants or seeds

6. Echinacea (The Immune Support Staple) 🌸

Echinacea is one of the most popular plants to grow in a medicinal herb garden, especially if you want herbs you can rely on year after year. It’s hardy, low-maintenance, and great for beginners.

Once established, echinacea comes back every season with very little effort.

How to Grow Echinacea

• Light: Full sun

• Water: Moderate watering once established

• Where: Garden beds or large containers

Echinacea prefers space to grow, so give it room and let it do its thing.

How You’ll Use It

• Dry flowers and roots for immune-support teas

• Use in simple herbal preparations

Harvest flowers once fully open, and only harvest roots from mature plants.

Shopping List

🌱 Echinacea seeds or starter plant
🧤 Garden gloves
✂️ Garden shears

Where to Buy

• Garden centers and native plant nurseries

• Online seed shops

• Amazon for beginner seed packs

7. Yarrow (The Old-Fashioned Healing Herb) 🤍🌿

Yarrow is a tough, no-fuss herb that deserves a spot in every medicinal herb garden. It’s been used for generations and is surprisingly easy to grow, even if you’re new to herbs.

Once it’s established, yarrow pretty much takes care of itself.

How to Grow Yarrow

• Light: Full sun

• Water: Low to moderate

• Where: Garden beds or large containers

Yarrow prefers well-draining soil and doesn’t like to be overwatered.

How You’ll Use It

• Dry flowers for traditional herbal remedies

• Use in simple herbal preparations

Shopping List

🌱 Yarrow seeds
🪴 Garden space or container
✂️ Garden scissors

Where to Buy

• Local nurseries

• Online seed shops

• Amazon for beginner-friendly seed packets

8. Sage (The Everyday Medicinal + Kitchen Herb) 🌿🍳

Sage is one of the most practical herbs you can grow. It pulls double duty in both the kitchen and your medicinal herb garden, which makes it perfect for beginners who want herbs they’ll actually use.

It’s hardy, forgiving, and smells amazing.

How to Grow Sage

• Light: Full sun

• Water: Let soil dry between waterings

• Where: Containers or garden beds

Sage prefers drier soil, so less watering is better than too much.

How You’ll Use It

• Brew sage tea for throat support

• Dry leaves for everyday remedies

• Cook with it regularly

Shopping List

🪴 Sage plant or seeds
🪣 Pot with drainage
✂️ Herb scissors

Where to Buy

• Garden centers (plants are easiest)

• Online herb shops

• Amazon for quick-start options

9. Thyme (The Small but Mighty Medicinal Herb) 🌱💪

Thyme may be small, but it’s powerful. It’s one of the easiest herbs to grow and a great choice for beginners building a medicinal herb garden in a small space.

It thrives with very little attention.

How to Grow Thyme

• Light: Full sun

• Water: Light watering once established

• Where: Containers, garden beds, or raised beds

**Thyme loves good drainage and doesn’t like soggy soil.

How You’ll Use It

• Brew thyme tea for respiratory support

• Dry leaves for herbal blends

• Use fresh or dried in everyday cooking

Shopping List

🌱 Thyme seeds or plant
🪴 Shallow pot with drainage
✂️ Herb scissors

Where to Buy

• Local garden centers

• Online seed shops

• Amazon for starter plants or seeds

Remember 🌿✨

You don’t need to grow every herb on this list to start a medicinal herb garden. Even one or two plants is enough to build confidence and start using herbs in everyday life.

If you’re short on space or time, many of these herbs also grow beautifully in an indoor herb garden, right on a windowsill or kitchen counter. Start small, keep it simple, and choose herbs you’ll actually reach for.

👉 Your next step:
Pick one herb from this list and plant it this week. Then, if you need ideas for growing herbs inside, be sure to check out my post on easy indoor herb garden ideas for busy women 🌿💚

Small steps grow the best gardens!