Most serious culinary endeavors include fresh herbs. The freshest herbs are those you can pick right out of your own herb garden, as you need them. If you are serious about using fresh herbs, you should plant them independently in separate pots. You always want to have enough fresh herbs for your needs. A huge outdoor location is not required. Grow them in independent containers, transplanting as they grow and need more room. Place the pots on your patio, deck or out in the yard.
Choose the herb seeds for plants you already use in your cooking. Some annual herbs you might try are basil, anise, coriander, summer savory or dill. Some options for perennial herbs are chives, mint, tarragon, marjoram, rosemary, thyme or sage.
Fill the compartments in your seeding tray (found at nurseries or garden centers) with potting soil, but leave a clear space at the top of about an inch.
Spray water with a bottle mister onto the soil. Mix it around with your finger, to moisten each seed compartment soil.
Read the manufacturer's suggestion for planting depth, found on the back of each herb seed packet. They will all have different requirements. Poke a hole in the soil, to the depth suggested. Use a pencil or other thin object to make the hole in the soil.
Drop a seed in each hole and cover it with soil. Mark what seeds are planted in each seed compartment. Some herbs seed packets will suggest planting more than one seed per compartment. Always follow the manufacturer's suggestion, as they have done extensive testing to learn the ideal planting conditions. Cover the seeding tray with a sheet of kitchen plastic wrap, loosely.
Place the seeding tray near a sunny window. Check the soil, for dryness, often. Spray a light amount of water, onto the soil, as needed. Never water so much that you have a muddy mess.
Take off the plastic wrap as soon as you see sprouts (germination) coming through the soil. Continue to water as the soil top becomes dry. Transplant the seedlings, in pots or outdoors, when they reach a height of 3 to 5 inches.