If planting containers, you can start your gardening earlier than folks you are planting things directly in the ground since you can move your containers in at night or before any odd freezes.

For more specific information, you will have to share what you are thinking of growing.

FataMorgana

Looks like the word 'Herbs' means anything that has a leaf, smells and tastes. Without really knowing what your asking for its almost like asking a general question about many hundreds of thousands of herbs on this planet. No two are really the same, and there isn't enough room here to list even the most popular ones and their growing requirements. Suggest that you go to your public library or most any book store and start reading...

thanks. I was thinking of rosemary, sage, bay leaves, thyme, possibly oregano

Bay is a tree. Not knowing where you live, it may or may not grow there. There is another similar thread here about the similar issues.

Did you want to start these from seed? I would recommend trying a few plants if you are a beginner. Get the feel for growing herbs before trying seeds. I'd start with your local nursery where you should be able to get oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage. Those are good to start. Rosemary you'll have to bring in for the winter, the rest can remain outside if you bury the pots before the first hard frost.

The previous poster is correct. Starting with plants is much easier and far less frustrating for a new gardener.

Annual herbs are usually easy to start from seed but those are not the type you mentioned. All the ones you mentioned are perennials (lives for 3 or more years). Annuals include cilantro, dill, calendula, and so on.

FataMorgana

You say "I'm not good at gardening", why do you say that? Have you attempted to sow seeds in the soil outside previously and what you've sown didn't germinate? Or have you previously planted flowers, herbs or vegetables and the plants didn't survive? You will need to determine why you think you are not a good gardener first before going forward. Maybe you are like my daughter who wants to desparately grow plants in containers on her apartment balconey but hasn't mastered remembering to water them yet. Whatever the reason you may want to determine what went wrong first. Then go onto growing herbs in containers.

By the way, herbs need full sun will you be able to provide at least six hours of sun light for them to grow?

Don't be discouraged, heck it's said you aren't a gardener unless you've killed plants.

The only time I lost a LOT of plants was the year I was anxious to plant my seedlings outside. They had already been hardened off, and were all planted (all 200 plants). Two nights later, we had a late frost and I lost about 3/4 of them. Now, I wait until the last day of May to plant ouside. After that late frost, the last couple of years following, the temps were much milder and I could have planted almost the first of May, but here, you never know. Many garden shops lost almost all the plants they had due to that late frost.

Some herbs do better in cooler shade, and do not grow well in full sun.

Ksrogers, OUCH! Impatience is a gardeners worst enemy. Most gardeners, especially me have no patience. You are correct in that some herbs do better in cooler shade, but not the herbs queenep would like to grow.

You can imagine me outside in the cold at 1am, with a heavy plastic fabric cloth, trying to cover my rows and rows of plants, then using a garden hose with water sprayed on everything, in hopes it would help hold in some warmth. It sure didn't. I could hear the water freezing and cracking as I sprayed.. The next morning it was all over. I left what was still green out there, and the rest were all pulled out. Tomato and pepper plants really look bad when they get a blast of frost.

"Rosemary you'll have to bring in for the winter, the rest can remain outside if you bury the pots before the first hard frost."

If you live in Coastal BC, you can keep the rosemary outside all year round. Just make sure to find a location that doesn't get too wet, windy, or frost pockets. My creeping rosemary and oregano are thriving under the eves of my house.

thanks for all the great tips. I say I'm not a gardener because in the past I've tried multiple times to grow herbs from seeds with no success lol. My backyard is perfect for herbs because it gets full sun all afternoon. I'm going to grow them in pots and as you said start with new plants. Wish me luck.

Always be sure to use a high quality seed starting medium for seeds. You cannot go wrong with the right stuff to start with first. Jus avoid peat pots, as they don't work very well. Ever seen many of the peat pots being used by nurseries? I don't think they like using them because they just don't work very well.

Rosemary & bay can be tricky to start from seed, that is why I buy plants for some of my herbs. I am trying to sow rosemary for the first time this year, wish me luck. But sage, thyme and oregano can be sown quite easily, infact they can be wintersown making sowing much easier. But in your case I'd find a reputable nursery and buy your herbs there.

ksrogers, I used peat pots for the first time this year to sow calendula (which apparently doesn't like to be transplanted), the main problem with peat pots as I am experiencing is they dry out too fast. Another problem I am afraid may happen is they will decompose before I can plant outside. That is probably why growers don't use them.

Decompose, no. Mine used to have many roots confined inside the peat pots, with only a few roots poking through. This was after a whole summer being planted in the garden. Once pulled the whole plant and pot would easily gcome out of teh soil (tomatoes and peppers). Yes, they do dry quickly and the ones I had were a tangled mess of roots just at the bottoms which weakened the plants due to damage from being seperated.
The rosemary I start from seeds were from 'primed' seeds and these seem to germinate quite well. The plants are not as hardy as other rosemary though as mine never flower, and cant last through a single winter outdoors.