No need to rush out and buy clippers just yet. Woody plants such as lavender, thyme, sage or rosemary will grow more slowly than the herbaceous ones and that's another good reason to start with plants rather than seeds. In this case a pair of little clippers could be useful immediately. Although The Rosemary House ships plants in spring, at this time of year, you may have to seek out a local greenhouse with an herb department. A kitchen windowsill of potted herbs won't cost more than a bag of groceries.
Full sun is mandatory for most of the culinary herbs.
They like it almost as much as do corn and tomatoes. One of my favorite tricks is growing these full sun lovers on mirrors reflecting all available light. Believe it or not, you can actually grow them in a closet by installing a horticultural light set-up. They respond beautifully to artificial light, much better than to weak sunlight. I use a small corner contraption on my kitchen counter as a wintertime nightlight to grow parsley, rosemary, chives, and tarragon, some of my favorites.