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Plus, here's how to keep them thriving.
Lavender, basil and rosemary are some of the most difficult herbs to keep alive, new research has found.
Do you struggle to keep indoor plants blooming? Well, the team at MyJobQuote.co.uk found that many of us aren't very green-fingered at all, with 302,980 Brits turning to Google each month with concerns about their wilting indoor jungles.
In fact, lavender is the most difficult herb to keep alive, with 10,400 plant parents in need of help every month. Basil, mint and rosemary also come close behind, followed by popular herbs such as coriander, dill and parsley.
They might look lovely potted on a windowsill, but growing them ourselves seems to be a challenge. Take a look at the full list below...
The 10 hardest herbs to keep alive
- Lavender (10,410 monthly searches)
- Basil (9,620)
- Rosemary (4,040)
- Coriander (2,770)
- Mint (2,600)
- Dill (1,640)
- Parsley (970)
- Oregano (730)
- Sage (410)
- Lemongrass (370)
'If you've ever purchased a supermarket herb plant, it's very likely that you have been met with the disappointment of a dead plant just a few weeks later,' say the plant team at OnBuy.
Speaking about the steps you should take to ensure it lasts longer, the team explain the important of picking a good quality plant: 'Avoid any plants that look like they are already to wilting, have damaged stems or have been squashed between shelves or surrounding plants – if your plant ticks any of these boxes, it's likely to cause issues in the future.'
It's also important to ensure you have the right pot for your plant. OnBuy explains: 'Once you have taken the plant home, having a good-sized pot will make a world of difference; splitting and repotting your kitchen herb plants is key.
'Due to the small space that a plastic supermarket pot provides, overcrowding in the soil is a common issue and it is advised to carefully split your plant into two so that they don't get tangled up further and eventually die.'
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15 great plants for small gardens
Abundant blue flowers are produced continuously from May to September above elegant deeply divided mid-green leaves – features that won it Plant of the Century at the 2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It’s happy both in sun or shade.
Flowering for months on long elegant stems, this low-maintenance, colourful bloomer for a sunny border is short-lived but worth replacing. It thrives even in poor soil and is best positioned in full sun.
Long-Flowering Perennials
Geum 'Totally Tangerine'
Long stems carry blooms of bright pumpkin-orange flowers, which last from spring to autumn, above good scalloped foliage. Place it in a sunny spot.
This compact, year-round beauty produces new, fiery red foliage in spring followed by clusters of white in midsummer, before colouring up to bronze red in winter. It grows well in sun or shade.
Despite its glamorous appearance, this easy-to-grow tropical-looking plant is as tough as old boots and happy in sun or shade.
Plant this taller variety of sweet box – with deep-purple ornamental stems bearing heavily scented flowers from December to February – near your back door to best appreciate the amazing perfume. It’s happy in shade.
This versatile, evergreen, self-clinging climber is perfect for a north-facing shady wall, just like the more familiar Hydrangea petiolaris. Masses of tiny creamy-white flowers are carried in dainty clusters from late summer into autumn.
Climbers
Hedera helix 'Green Ripple'
With beautiful crimped, evergreen foliage, this ivy is quite a vigorous grower, but if it gets out of hand, just hack away unwanted stems in spring.
Initially this woody evergreen will need support. Its glossy dark green leaves turn bronze in winter while summer sees clusters of starry white, fragrant flowers. It’s fairly frost hardy, flourishing in full sun but will grow on a shady wall, producing slightly less bloom.
Strident dwarf iris with large blue flowers and a yellow band is an early (Jan-Feb), long-flowering iris with a good scent that looks great in a pot.
This classic green and ivory tulip will grow in shade, returning for at least four years. It’s wonderful among ferns in containers.
Breathtaking brilliant-pink flowers are produced in autumn when much else is over. Nerines do extremely well in pots.
Masses of tiny yellow flowers appear on this all-season, deciduous tree before the leaves shoot. Bright red, cherry-like edible fruits follow against an impressive display of reddish-purple autumn foliage. Older trees develop beautiful bark in shades of orangey brown.
This pretty ornamental pear tree is the first to come into flower in spring, and last to lose its leaves in the autumn, when foliage turns bright orangey red. A small tree is ideal for screening in a small garden, and tolerates urban pollution, thriving in a wide range of soils.
Beautiful year-round, buds burst from bare branches in March in a flurry of white stars, as the leaves emerge in shades of copper. Edible berries ripen from blue-black to a rosy red in June, to be followed by wonderful autumn foliage in brilliant orange and red.
Lisa Joyner
Senior Digital Writer, House Beautiful and Country Living
Lisa Joyner is the Senior Digital Writer at House Beautiful UK and , where she's busy writing about home and interiors, , , pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for , and magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
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