Two families, two treatments
The Mediterraneans — thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, lavender — want sun, poor free-draining soil, and very little water. Regular watering kills them more surely than neglect.
The tender ones — parsley, chives, mint, chervil, basil — want water, richness, and tolerate part shade. They do not belong in the same pot.
Putting basil and thyme together condemns one of them. It is the commonest mistake in shop-bought planters.
Savory
Little used and remarkable. Peppery, almost hot, between thyme and oregano. Summer savory is annual and finer; winter savory lasts years and forms a small shrub.
It traditionally accompanies pulses and goat cheeses — hence its German name, Bohnenkraut, bean herb. It is said to ease the digestive discomfort associated with legumes, which remains a traditional observation rather than an established fact.
The gesture that changes everything: cut often. A herb that runs to flower stops producing leaves and loses flavour. Pinching the tips every fortnight doubles the harvest and prolongs the plant.
The container
Terracotta for the Mediterraneans — it breathes and dries quickly. Plastic or glazed for the tender ones, which hold water. And a real drainage hole with a gravel layer: a pot without outflow is the leading cause of balcony death.
Exposure
Full south for the Mediterraneans, without exception. East or part shade for mint, parsley and chervil, which bolt and yellow in scorching sun. A north balcony grows no herb properly — better to know before buying.
our piece on flower symbolism places these plants among those that mark the seasons.