Parsley, celery leaf, mint, lemon balm and fennel like richer soil (mulitpurpose or basket compost with watercrystals and feed granules). Coriander doesn't keep, so you want to sow a batch every two weeks or not bother at all.
Mediterranian herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender prefer well-drained, rahter poorish soil, so leave out the water crystals and add some grit or sharp sand.
Mint, lemon balm, fennel, sage, lavender and rosemary can grow fairly big - as big as you allow them! You can start with a windowsill box and pot on as needed. Rosemary can grow into a proper shrub 3-4 feet high.
PS: It is nowhere written down that you can't grow some dandelion in a pot or two for you guinea pigs, or sow some grass seed or wild bird seed quite tightly onto the surface of a pot or a tray in order to have a cut-and-grow treat for your little friends. Just cover the seeds with clingfilm until they have sprouted, and keep the compost moist, but not wet! Same goes for cut-and-grow lettuce mix.
