After killing eleven plants in eighteen months, these are the ones still alive.
My balcony gets about four hours of direct sun. South-facing, but with a wall on one side that creates afternoon shade. I have, at various points, attempted basil (dead within a week), coriander (bolted immediately), parsley (yellowed and gave up), and dill (looked like it was thriving until it suddenly wasn't).
What works: mint, which thrives on neglect and will take over any pot you give it. Thyme, which seems to enjoy drought and forgets to mind when I forget to water it. And rosemary, the toughest plant I've owned, which has survived two winters outside and a cat who chews it for fun.
The lesson, if there is one, is that you can't will a herb into surviving conditions it doesn't want. Start with what your space gives you, not what you wish it gave you. The herbs above are all Mediterranean. They're happy with sun, sandy soil, and being ignored. That sounds like a lot of us, honestly.
