Indoor Herbal Basket Planter
Making an herb basket for your kitchen is the perfect way to not only get the benefit of using fresh herbs, but a great way to bring some green into your home during the end of these winter months. There are a couple ways you can achieve this. The first is to start seeds in pots on your own or you can make this quicker by purchasing assorted herbs at your local nursery. You’ll want to find a basket; in this case we thrifted one at a resale shop for just a few dollars. The next step is to line your basket. Here I used a black garbage bag and cut it to fit slightly bigger so I could tuck the edges in when I was all finished filling it. It’s important to fill it with an organic potting soil, especially if you are planning to use the herbs as food. I always pre-wet the soil to ensure that it is moist enough for the new plants and also it helps when tamping it down to ensure that the soil settles. Pop each of your established herb plants into the potted soil and voila! Watch it grow!
what you will need:
Large basket, preferably one that you do not mind if it becomes damaged. We buy all of our baskets at the thrift shop.
Plastic garbage bag. It should be large enough to fill your container, and you can cut it to fit the size of the basket. Leave an extra inch or two than what you think you need so that it may be folded and tucked under the soil.
Potting soil. If you are using already established plants, you can use a classic potting soil.
Plants. We filled our herbal planter with thyme, rosemary, and basil. You can choose any herbs you like, as most thrive while growing in containers. Other options may include oregano, marjoram, chives, mint, lemon balm, etc.
directions:
Place the plastic bag into your basket. Press it down to conform to the shape of basket and leave about an inch of overhang sticking out of the top.
Moisten your potting soil. This is the best way to give the soil a bit of compaction so the roots have a place to take hold as they grow. Fill the basket with potting soil and tamp down gently with your hands until it creates a firm layer. Tuck the overhang of the plastic bag back towards the edge of the basket to hide it.
Plant the herbs into the soil. You will want to plant them so that their roots are fully buried in potting soil, some even prefer to be buried up to their first sets of leaves.
Give them a good drink and place in a sunny spot!
This is a simple way to enjoy fresh herbs at home in a gorgeous planter. Easy to put together and affordable, it’s a wonder that this is not the planter of choice more often. We love the European feel that it gives to our home and eventually to our vegetable garden when things can be moved outside!
Enjoy!
xx Jill
