Other than having a SERIOUS case of the Mondays...I get to share the epic conclusion of the Herb Garden saga with you. Ok so its not really epic and it wasnt a saga but it just sounds better that way! To see how to build the garden check out part 1 here. To see how we waterproofed the garden check out part 2 here. All the hard work is done now its time to have a little fun!
At Home Depot they had a pretty good selection of potted herbs and herb seed packets. Ultimately we choose to do the seeds because the seed packets were only $1 whereas the potted herbs were $4. What we decided would be best is using a pot to contain each herb but cut the bottom out of the pot so they roots can grow with no problems. Each pot cost $1 each and we bought 8 total, so for all the seeds and the pots we spent $16
To cut the bottoms out just get a knife and start slicing...it takes about 2 seconds.
Pots are prepped now we need to prep the box. First we drilled holes in the box so any water can drain out the bottom and not just sit and fester and become a gross breeding ground for mosquitoes. We live in Texas so thats a real concern, those bugs are straight from Satan...if you have never been bitten consider yourself the luckiest person in the world. Here is what the drilled holes looks like.
My hubs works at a plumbing supplier so he brought home some heavy duty shower curtain material to keep the box from excess water damage. We did waterproof the bottom of the box but since this is the area that will have the most water contact much more frequently than the rest he thought it would be a good idea to take an extra precaution as well. This material cost $15
We used a staple gun to attach it to the box. It doesnt look pretty but it will get the job done!
Now we can add the mulch! We bought compost, garden soil and potting soil so the plants could have a good mix of nutrients. We actually lucked out and were able to get 3 bags of garden soil at 50% off because we bought bags that had been ripped yay! For all the bags you see below the cost was $35
After we moved all the mulch and the box to the backyard and the box was in place, we dumped all the bags into the box and mixed it all up. With gloves of course compost is nasty.
After the soil was added we put the pots in also and put some more soil in the pots.
Save the best for last and thats adding the seeds. Read the back of the packet to make sure you are planting them at the right depth, each seed is different. Also as a side note, I have seen many people posting that you need to start them inside. I didnt see those until after I planted my seeds, but I have to tell you Im not sure it makes a difference. I already see the Basil and Dill sprouting and its only been 1 week. So you can start these inside if you want but I didnt and its turing out ok for me.
And there you have it, easy peasy! I will post again once you can see the herb sprouting, it should be pretty cool to see what happens with this! Oh and total cost for this project was:
Herbs $8
Pots $8
Soil $35
Plastic Shower Cutrain $15
Waterproofing Paint $25
Total $91
Not bad all in all...if your building a smaller container than Im sure your soil wont be as expensive as ours, we had to put 5 bags.
I hope you enjoyed making an herb garden...I pesonally cant wait until Im using fresh herbs in my food rather than all the dried stuff I use now!
Project Housewife Out!
This if fun! Thanks for coming to our "Strut Your Stuff Saturday." We hope you'll be back next week! -The Sisters
ReplyDeleteThe bottomless pots are a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I thought it was a great way to keep them separated...hopefully it works!
DeleteThis is awesome! How do you preserve your herbs? I've got a great tutorial on freezing them if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up!
Sarah
Sure! Whats the link so I can check it out!
DeleteGreat idea cutting the bottom off of the pots. In previous years I have had success with windowsill herbs, but this year I'm dreaming big- an outdoor herb AND veggie garden! Fingers crossed it will work out.
ReplyDeleteJessica
Good luck with yours! Growing up we had a massive garden and I missed it so we came up with this idea.
Delete