Make a hanging herb garden
I am big on fresh herbs at the moment, but not only herbs, I am busy transforming my garden so that I can grow a lot of my own fruit and vegetables.
Spinach, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, granadilla, rhubarb, and a few others are vegetables that I normally want on the spur of the moment, and it would be nice to have my own fresh supply growing in the garden.
For the herbs, I have planted some here and there in the new bed that I am busy building, but I have also made a hanging herb garden that is mounted right next to the door, so that I can easily pick off a few for cooking. The wall-mounted herb garden is a modification on a previous craft project and uses recycled materials that were lying around:
YOU WILL NEED:
Scrap of wood
Empty 2-litre plastic bottles
Batting
Fresh herbs
Potting soil
Some small screws
2 picture hooks
2 concrete nails
Hammer
Optional:
PC printed stencil
Craft acrylic
Paintbrush
HERE'S HOW:
1. Cut a piece of board to the size that you want your hanging herb garden. It should be approximately 20cm wide and long enough to accommodate the amount of herbs you want to place in the herb garden.
2. Attach two picture hangers to the top of the board at the back, for mounting onto the wall.
3. Use a craft knife to cut the top section off the cold drink bottles. If you look at the empty bottle you will see a moulding line at the top, and you can use this to cut a straight line.
4. Space evenly along the length of the board to allow for growing height, and fasten the tops onto the board with small screws.
5. Use a piece of bundled up batting to fill in the neck of the bottle. This prevents the soil from falling out! Only place a small amount of potting soil into the container for the time being, as the soil from the potted herb will take up quite a bit of space.
Plant the herbs into the container and fill up with soil, leaving at least a 1cm gap between the level of soil and the top of the container.
Now you are ready to hang your herb garden in a sunny spot just outside the kitchen door. Measure where you want it to hang and hammer in two concrete nails.
Below are some images of the herb and veggie garden that I am starting. It's still new but I will be taking pictures later on as it grows. The herbs and veggies are being planted in boxes made out of shutterply, which is very cheap, so that I can increase the amount of growing space by stepping the bed in layers. It will also make it easier for me to see what is going on. But most importantly, it keeps the dogs from tramping over all my plants!
