There is something quietly satisfying about stepping out of a Scottish back door, scissors in hand, and snipping a few chives for your morning eggs. You do not need a walled garden or a south-facing acre to make that happen. A couple of decent-sized pots, a sheltered corner and a willingness to check the compost now and then will give you fresh herbs from May right through to the first hard frost.

Work with the space you have

Most Scottish patios, tenement back greens and wee courtyards offer more than they first appear to. Spend a day noticing where the sun actually falls. In Scotland, that means tracking it from mid-morning to late afternoon, because a spot that looks bright at nine might be in deep shade by two. Herbs that come from the Mediterranean — rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano — want that brightest, warmest patch against a south or west-facing wall. Soft herbs such as parsley, chives, mint and coriander are far more forgiving and will manage in partial shade, even on a north-facing side.

Shelter matters as much as sun. A corner beside a wall or a fence keeps pots out of the worst of the wind, which dries out compost and snaps brittle stems. If your only option is exposed, group pots together and choose lower-growing varieties. A bench or a windowsill ledge can lift pots into better light and away from slugs.

Get the pots and compost right

Drainage is the single most important thing. Scottish rain is generous, and a pot with no holes will turn into a swamp. Choose containers at least 20cm across for smaller herbs and 30cm or more for rosemary, sage or mint. Terracotta looks lovely and breathes well, but it dries out faster; plastic or glazed pots hold moisture longer, which suits our damp climate. Whatever you use, raise it slightly on pot feet or stones so water can escape freely, and empty saucers after heavy rain.

Use a good-quality multipurpose compost, and for woody herbs mix in a couple of handfuls of horticultural grit to improve drainage. If you are planting mint, keep it in its own pot — it spreads underground and will otherwise take over everything else. A layer of gravel on the surface helps keep compost off the leaves and deters fungus gnats.

Match herbs to light and shelter

• Full sun, sheltered: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender.
• Partial shade: parsley, chives, mint, coriander, chervil, lovage.
• Damp or north-facing: mint, parsley, chives, watercress in a deep pot.
• Tricky in Scotland: basil and dill prefer warmth; grow them in the sunniest spot and protect from cold nights.

Group pots by need. A row of sun-lovers along a warm wall and a cluster of leafier herbs in a shadier corner makes watering and harvesting simpler.

Watering, feeding and dry spells

Pots dry out far faster than garden soil, and a light Scottish drizzle does not always reach them, especially under eaves. Push a finger into the compost up to the first knuckle. If it feels dry, water thoroughly until it runs out of the bottom. In a dry spell — and we do get them — that might mean once a day, ideally in the morning so leaves dry before evening. Water little and often in small pots, deeply and less often in larger ones.

Feed leafy herbs every fortnight with a liquid seaweed or tomato feed from late spring to late summer. Woody herbs need less; too much food makes them soft and leggy. If you are going away, move pots into shade and stand them in a shallow tray of water, or ask a neighbour to check them.

Harvest often, and keep them coming

The more you cut, the more these plants produce. Take leaves from the top and never strip more than a third of the plant at once. Pinch out the growing tips of basil and mint to keep them bushy. For parsley, coriander and dill, sow a few seeds every three or four weeks in a small pot for a steady supply rather than one big glut.

As autumn arrives, move rosemary, thyme and sage against a house wall for warmth and reduce watering. Chives and mint will die back and return in spring. Parsley often survives a mild Scottish winter in a sheltered spot. Bring tender pots into a cool porch or greenhouse if you have one.

From pot to plate

This is where a few containers earn their keep. Chives stirred through boiled tatties with a knob of butter. Parsley chopped into neeps, or scattered over a fish pie. Mint folded through freshly podded peas. Rosemary tucked under a shoulder of lamb before it goes in the oven. Thyme with roast chicken, sage with pork, coriander in a lentil soup. Even a small patio can keep a family kitchen supplied with the flavours that make Scottish home cooking sing.