I will be interested in seeing responses to your questions also. On the Victory Garden I saw them create a container mixing in several herbs. They transplanted individual plants into the container rather than starting from seed. They used a large container. But my experience with herbs makes me hesitate to try it. I have grown basil both in containers and in the garden. As it matures it gets such an extensive root system, I can't imagine it doing well crowded in a container with other herbs. Also, dill grows tall so I wouldn't try putting it in a container. May just be the variety I grow however.

You need to consider the adult size and shape of each kind of herb to determine how close they can be. For instance, Basil wants to be a small bush and will cover up the lower growing Thyme; whereas dill is tall and skinny, but has a long taproot, and can be planted more densely. (By the way, Dill can be quite dramatic when planted in a long-john.) I don't think root-mass is too much of a problem for herbs that are only going to live one summer anyway, but you do need to fertilize more.

Don't try to move the herbs, they're past their prime by Fall anyway.

Westelle - what is a "long-john"? If the dill is tall and skinny, would one of the other annual herbs be a low grower and fit in front of it in a container?

So can I start another batch of seeds in late summer/early fall and grow them inside during the winter?

I know the chives are fairly short. How tall will the oregano get if planted in the ground? I've only grown it in pots before. Also, how tall will the thyme get? The reason I am asking is that the perennial herbs will have to be mixed in with my perennial flowers, as I don't have room for a separate bed for herbs. That is why I am planning on putting the annual herbs in pots ... I don't want to use up what little room I have in the flower beds for something that won't come back.

Does this make sense to anyone other than myself? Anyone else mix their herbs into their flower beds?

A long-john is a tall, narrow, terra cotta pot that is made to grow plants with a long tape root .... dill, parsley, etc.

If you have good luck growing herbs inside then start the seeds as you said.

Oregano gets to be about 10-12" tall, but quickly makes a wider "block" as it ages.... and then it sends out runners to make more plants. You could easily keep this into a more compact "block" by ruthlessly cutting away unwanted volume every year. It will work quite well in the flower garden. Actually, I have almost all my herbs in with the salvias, roses, lavender, fruit and citrus trees.... just a big muddle.

I grow herbs mixed in with perennial flowers and it works fine. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, and sage. Oregano does need a yearly pruning or it will get out of control. I usually cut back each spring when it starts new growth. The dill in our garden grows 4 to 5 ft. tall and reseeds itself. It is easy to pull the unwanted new plants as they pop up though.

My question is regarding the annual herbs cilantro, basil, parsley, sweet marjoram, and dill. I have a couple of rectangular planters, but I'm not sure how close together the plants can be, basil, parsley, sweet marjoram, and dill. I have a couple of rectangular planters, but I'm not sure how close together the plants can be

Extremely close. Last season I grew thyme, basil, dill, marjoram and sage in an 18" container and all did very well. I could have squeezed another 2 or 3 herbs in there.

Dill gets quite tall, but it is very 'airy' and doesn't really shade much. I would give each plant about 4-6 square inches of growing space in a container and let them fight it out. Herbs are herbs because they are pretty tough and adaptable plants. Virtually all of them do very well in containers, even when extremely crowded.

If you want the absolute best yield from a particular herb, then give it it's own space, but otherwise dense container planting works really well, yields acceptably and looks terrific.

Justaguy2: I am so glad to hear that I can plant them that close together. My perennial beds are quite small, and I have already ordered plenty of new things ... perennials, ornamental grasses, as well as annuals to go in them. So the "real estate" left for herbs is minimal.

If I am successful at starting all of these seeds that I have, I will have more herbs than I know what to do with. I may have to go out and buy even MORE containers, LOL!