Spring Recycling Project: Turn Your Old Containers Into An Herb Garden

Mini Herb Garden In Old Bowl

The sun is shining and spring is in the air, in Middle Tennessee, at least. Those of you in other areas, might have to wait a bit, but the time to engage in spring cleaning and outdoor planning is here! Did you know that gardening is America's number one most popular hobby? Today, I am going to share with you my latest spring project, mini container gardens, some using old bowls and pots I found while doing my annual big house cleaning. I was also able to use some old terracotta tiles that were salvaged from a friend's home remodeling project.

First, I had to get some plants to use in my container garden, so I headed to Martin's on Broad St. in Murfreesboro, one of my favorite stores. They have any kind of plant you could ask for, from vegetables to houseplants, and larger trees and shrubs. This week they are offering 1.00 off on all 3 packs of herbs, so that is what I purchased, herbs and some other plants.

More Plants with a Handmade Garden Tile

You will need to separate your plants into compatible groups, based on the amount of sunlight each plant needs to thrive. Keep full sun plants together and put shade loving plants in a different pot. You can move your containers around during the growing season to give the vegetation more or less shade. The plants in the blue bowl at the top of the post are all sun loving plants, dill, strawberry, chives, and cilantro. The smallest pot has patchouli, which needs partial shade.

Next, you will need to prepare your containers. I made drainage holes, using a kitchen knife, in the blue bowl and lined the bottom with broken shards from the red tiles. This will help the water drain, so the roots of my plants will not rot. The pottery shards also give weight to my container, so it will not tip over during a storm or windy weather.

Now, fill your containers with potting soil and plant food. I used regular potting soil in a bag and miracle grow plant food. The gardening center sells many types of plant feeds for flowers and vegetables and potting mixtures for different types of plants. Make sure you are using the appropriate type of soil and food for your project.

Tile Used for Decor and Broken Pieces Put in Bottom of Containers

Finally, decorate your mini garden. I used the rest of my pottery shards from the tile above, along with some river rocks and a blue castle figurine. I also used a whole red tile to make a garden stone. It is decorated with alcohol inks and stickers and sealed with a waterproof varnish.

You may need to repot aggressive growing plants into larger containers throughout the growing season and stake up vegetables. Relocate your plants to a garage or covered area in case of poor weather. Water your plants regularly, and if any die, don't give up! Simply choose a new type of plant to try instead.

Garden Tile