Help please. I'd like a herb planter but am not sure where to start.

[Blatherskite]

I need help please!

I've got an empty spot right underneath my kitchen window that's really in need of some brightening up. I've bought one of these and was hoping to fill it with herbs as I do a lot of cooking and love to use fresh herbs whenever I can.

The wall is East facing but we've got some herbs in pots there that are doing OK so I'm hoping that with deeper soil and better water retention in the planter, they might do even better.

What should I do to help them do as well as possible? Is there a special compost I should use? Particular herbs I should choose/avoid? I love Thyme but seem to be totally unable to grow it. Whatever I do, it always seems to die Do I need to put some sort of drainage material in the bottom of the planter? It's going to be stood on slabs - at least at first while I convince DH that we should take them up - I was hoping to put some pots back in front of it for now to create a 2 tier effect and give me more space for more herbs.

I'd love to be green fingered but I'm just not Any help would be appreciated, thank you

Just plant them and they grow, mint can get a bit manic so you do need to thin it out. Good luck.

I would devide into plants that need a some water and some that hardly do - thyme - I have had a few die on me - doesn't need much water - plently of drainage - and poor soil - so from garden and possibly a bit of sand
chives has worked well in a pots for me , rosemary too

I've just done one with corriander and basil because I use them most...I used ordinary potting compost and planted the seeds..I am doing mine indoors as they're easier to get at for cooking.

I've planted it up with multi purpose compost but mixed in a whole bag of grit as I read somewhere that it would help. The bottom inch or so is gravel for drainage.

I've put in rosemary, chives, parsley and some thyme as they're the ones I use most. There's still space for a few more though. I also planted up some pots - 2 with sage and mint (to stop then spreading), 2 with Basil and Greek Basil (to stop me having to dig them out every winter when they die) and 1 with another thyme so I can see whether it does better in the planter or the pot.

I fancy adding oregano for using on pizzas but MIL says that's another one that spreads so that would probably need to go in a pot too.

It looks pretty - for now at least :)