I don’t think it’s too late but I would go to a local nursery and buy some starts as opposed to growing from seed. I always grow my herbs in containers and i have found them to be one of the easiest things to grow. Plus I love having fresh herbs on hand for cooking.
I have had good luck with all herbs. Some are perennial and will come back year after year once you plant them (chives for example) so they’re a solid investment too.
I wanna say that you should be careful with mint and lemon balm. They are very aggressive and if you let them near the ground you will never be rid of them. Generations from now people who do not know your name will curse you for the scourge of lemon balm/mint you unleashed.
That said - they do great in containers. I put the containers with mint on cinder blocks so there is a substantial air gap between them and the dirt (they go exploring if left to their own devices.)
Chives do well and can be started from seed easily. They might not get huge this year, but will survive the winter and be happy in the spring. If you buy from a nursery you’ll make up for missing the spring seeding season.
Wanted to add to be careful about lemon balm even in containers—they will make lots of flowers and the seeds can spread pretty far from the plant. But they are somewhat easy to pull up when young.
I wouldn't start from seed now, I'd just buy small seedlings. They'll do fine in a pot (or pots). All the classic European herbs do just fine here with a few hours of sun (4-6 is plenty). I've not grown anything specifically Asian but Thai basil etc will be fine. I imagine most herbs will be.
I had/have some in longer, rectangular planters (the kind that are a couple feet wide by 6" from front to back). That will hold \~3 plants, so you can either do several of those or something like this which comes in varying widths - [https://www.mukcedar.com/product-page/sarita-planter-box](https://www.mukcedar.com/product-page/sarita-planter-box)
Several nurseries carry those but they're pricier than direct, btw
I have had really good luck with oregano, and some other medicinal herbs. I find i have to restart a new thyme plant every so many years, but the rosemary is huge and doing really well.
Birds and critters don't seem to bother herbs and onions so I usually plant green onions all summer. I also am growing some mint, but keep those in large pots so I don't have to rip it out when it spreads. Sage does well. Basil I have to start inside in the window, and once outside check it regularly for pests.
Maybe just get yourself some gallon or couple gallon pots (or buckets with some drainage hole drilled in the bottom). July you'll have to watch that nothing is drying out. Start with maybe just a couple plants. I'd recommend chives, thyme, parsley, oregano, and maybe something like mint in a couple food bucket type size pots. Get a couple bags of potting soil from the store and see what you think about the grunt work of watering etc.
Gardening is very easy with something like oregano and mint, a repotting every year or so with new/fresh soil. You might never really have to do fertilizer. A small caterpillar sometimes eats my mint, but thyme, oregano, rosemary, chives are pretty low maintenance.
Herbs are great for edible landscaping! Some things do better in the ground and some things are best in pots to keep them from taking over.
Rosemary and sage a very happy in the ground. Oregano, thyme, and French tarragon are happy either way. Some people have some issues with dill and parsley self seeding and taking over, I myself have apparently picked polite varieties and haven't had that issue.
For sure mint and chives are best in pots or else they'll go everywhere.
Basil is a lovely herb, the best thing you can do with that plant is watch and pinch off the main stems regularly to encourage it to bush out more and help keep it from bolting. Basil in particular stops putting out yummy leaves if it's allowed to flower so keep on that one all season.
If you have any local farmers markets or gardener's clubs you can get starts now for them all.
I like going to Trader Joe’s and picking up their basil plants. They transplant really well into larger containers and they are already very established plants so it doesn’t feel like you are starting from zero.
Avid Portland area herb gardener here. Since it sounds like you’re renting where you’re living, I’d suggest container gardening. Depends on what flavors you like, but you can still start soft herbs from seed right now, such as cilantro, basil, Italian parsley and dill. For best results, start indoors from seed using Root Riot plugs and propagation trays with heat mats and humidity domes. All available from Amazon and other sources.
Don’t be like me. If you plant mint, plant it in own separate container. It will take over and spread prolifically in any container where you plant it.
I planted an herb garden from starts last year - sage, thyme, oregano and chives. All have come back this year and are thriving.
Basil from starts is hard. Or at least was for me. I had more success growing basil from seed in the pots where I grew tomatoes.
Chives are easy and start very early in the season. Just keep cutting them off as they grow. I plant a lot of other herbs because I like the idea of them but find chives are one of the few I often use.
I would get starts for these. Oregano, chives, thyme, and savory have all done well in shade for me. Basil I keep in pots otherwise mine gets eaten by slugs almost immediately.
I don’t think it’s too late but I would go to a local nursery and buy some starts as opposed to growing from seed. I always grow my herbs in containers and i have found them to be one of the easiest things to grow. Plus I love having fresh herbs on hand for cooking. I have had good luck with all herbs. Some are perennial and will come back year after year once you plant them (chives for example) so they’re a solid investment too.
Oregano and Sage will also grow back!
Sometimes oregano grows back with a vengeance
If it can fight my blackberries, I welcome it!
I wanna say that you should be careful with mint and lemon balm. They are very aggressive and if you let them near the ground you will never be rid of them. Generations from now people who do not know your name will curse you for the scourge of lemon balm/mint you unleashed. That said - they do great in containers. I put the containers with mint on cinder blocks so there is a substantial air gap between them and the dirt (they go exploring if left to their own devices.) Chives do well and can be started from seed easily. They might not get huge this year, but will survive the winter and be happy in the spring. If you buy from a nursery you’ll make up for missing the spring seeding season.
Wanted to add to be careful about lemon balm even in containers—they will make lots of flowers and the seeds can spread pretty far from the plant. But they are somewhat easy to pull up when young.
I wouldn't start from seed now, I'd just buy small seedlings. They'll do fine in a pot (or pots). All the classic European herbs do just fine here with a few hours of sun (4-6 is plenty). I've not grown anything specifically Asian but Thai basil etc will be fine. I imagine most herbs will be. I had/have some in longer, rectangular planters (the kind that are a couple feet wide by 6" from front to back). That will hold \~3 plants, so you can either do several of those or something like this which comes in varying widths - [https://www.mukcedar.com/product-page/sarita-planter-box](https://www.mukcedar.com/product-page/sarita-planter-box) Several nurseries carry those but they're pricier than direct, btw
I have had really good luck with oregano, and some other medicinal herbs. I find i have to restart a new thyme plant every so many years, but the rosemary is huge and doing really well. Birds and critters don't seem to bother herbs and onions so I usually plant green onions all summer. I also am growing some mint, but keep those in large pots so I don't have to rip it out when it spreads. Sage does well. Basil I have to start inside in the window, and once outside check it regularly for pests. Maybe just get yourself some gallon or couple gallon pots (or buckets with some drainage hole drilled in the bottom). July you'll have to watch that nothing is drying out. Start with maybe just a couple plants. I'd recommend chives, thyme, parsley, oregano, and maybe something like mint in a couple food bucket type size pots. Get a couple bags of potting soil from the store and see what you think about the grunt work of watering etc. Gardening is very easy with something like oregano and mint, a repotting every year or so with new/fresh soil. You might never really have to do fertilizer. A small caterpillar sometimes eats my mint, but thyme, oregano, rosemary, chives are pretty low maintenance.
Herbs are great for edible landscaping! Some things do better in the ground and some things are best in pots to keep them from taking over. Rosemary and sage a very happy in the ground. Oregano, thyme, and French tarragon are happy either way. Some people have some issues with dill and parsley self seeding and taking over, I myself have apparently picked polite varieties and haven't had that issue. For sure mint and chives are best in pots or else they'll go everywhere. Basil is a lovely herb, the best thing you can do with that plant is watch and pinch off the main stems regularly to encourage it to bush out more and help keep it from bolting. Basil in particular stops putting out yummy leaves if it's allowed to flower so keep on that one all season. If you have any local farmers markets or gardener's clubs you can get starts now for them all.
I like going to Trader Joe’s and picking up their basil plants. They transplant really well into larger containers and they are already very established plants so it doesn’t feel like you are starting from zero.
Avid Portland area herb gardener here. Since it sounds like you’re renting where you’re living, I’d suggest container gardening. Depends on what flavors you like, but you can still start soft herbs from seed right now, such as cilantro, basil, Italian parsley and dill. For best results, start indoors from seed using Root Riot plugs and propagation trays with heat mats and humidity domes. All available from Amazon and other sources.
Don’t be like me. If you plant mint, plant it in own separate container. It will take over and spread prolifically in any container where you plant it. I planted an herb garden from starts last year - sage, thyme, oregano and chives. All have come back this year and are thriving. Basil from starts is hard. Or at least was for me. I had more success growing basil from seed in the pots where I grew tomatoes.
Chives are easy and start very early in the season. Just keep cutting them off as they grow. I plant a lot of other herbs because I like the idea of them but find chives are one of the few I often use.
I would get starts for these. Oregano, chives, thyme, and savory have all done well in shade for me. Basil I keep in pots otherwise mine gets eaten by slugs almost immediately.