Last week I posted some ‘before’ pics of a few projects we have on the go. One of them was to make a herb garden from some old concrete laundry tubs we found on the farm. CrashHubby has grown herbs before, but as he was busy with the fence, this was to be my little project. So I turned to a fellow blogger for some tips to crash test!
Kyrstie from A Fresh Legacy – a leaf from my garden might have a new blog, but she has a well established vegetable and herb garden. She has been kind enough to share some tips with me to get me started growing my own herbs at home.
Crash Test: Growing Herbs in Pots
Test Conditions:
A stretch of Melbourne’s hottest weather this summer, two hot cranky kids who like to ‘help’ by flinging out all the potting mix, a busy husband (which means I had to do some of the hard work!).
Test subject:
Kyrstie’s guide to growing fresh luscious herbs at home! Here we go . . .
1. Select Herbs that you like and will use
Kyrstie advises selecting according to the type of cooking that you do.
We, I mean, CrashHubby does a lot of cooking. I actually cook too from time to time ;). Here’s what I chose:
- Lavender (I use this in an awesome tart tartin, hmm pre quitting sugar days though – oops)
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Lemongrass
- Dill
- Parsley (flat leaf Italian and curly)
- Chives
- Lemon Verbena
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Basil (already had three plants going in a pot)
- Mint (again, already some in a pot
Selection of herbs, potting mix and scoria
2. Planting Guide:
- Select a sunny location that is close to the house.
Check! The laundry tubs are sitting on a north facing wall at the back door – just steps from the kitchen.
- Prepare the pots/tubs
This is actually my own step (gee aren’t I all professional and stuff?). Before I could plant in the tubs I had to drill holes in the bottom for drainage, cover them with mesh so the holes don’t clog up and then put down a free draining layer of gravel (I chose scoria – $6 for a bag from the local gravel type place around the corner). Drilling was really hard, even when CrashHubby had started some of the holes for me already. It shook me to my teeth!
Preparing concrete tubs for planting
- Prepare the soil for planting.
Kyrstie’s tip is to use a good quality potting mix if planting herbs in a pot, or ensure your soil is rich in nutrients. I did a bit of both as we had a lot of tub to fill! I made a mix of 2 bags of Brunnings EasyWetta Potting Mix, rich soil from an old garden bed and sand. It took two large wheel barrows of this mix to fill the four tubs and we still needed an extra bag of the potting mix to top them up and allow for settling.
- Plant your seedlings as per the label instructions for spacing between plants
Check. Well, kind of. OK, no, I did not follow correct instructions for planting. I will cull if I have to!
- Plant spreading plants in a pot (alone) eg: Mint, oregano
Oops again. I really should have printed Kyrstie’s tips and had them next to me when planting. Mint is ok as it is in its own pot. But I forgot about the oregano.
- Plant herbs with similar requirements together
This I got right, well, eventually! I put the Mediterranean herbs that can handle drier soil in a couple of the tubs and the ones that like a bit more water in another. Unfortunately I put the latter in the tub that gets the sun first and for the longest! My parsley got fried when we were away for the day. I had to do a switcheroo.
- Water seedlings once they are planted and water at least every second day, more frequently if the weather is hot
It has been really hot, and my parsley and dill suffered a bit. I will water their tub morning and night as the soil is really drying out.
- Cover with a net if birds are a problem in your area as they tend to demolish new seedlings quickly.
Not a problem yet, but I am a bit worried about our rampant possums. I will be ready with a net.
- Spread eggs shells around new plants to deter snails
I dare you snails. I have eggs and I’m not afraid to break them.
- Fertilise with Seasol or a similar product within a week of planting
Shall do!
- Mulch
I haven’t done this but will today – the weather is too hot not to.
- Monitor the progress of your plants often
Absolutely! I have to be super vigilant and watch out not just for scorching heat or rampant wildlife, but also CrashBoy digging in my garden with his new sandpit toys.
“CrashHubby – we need that sandpit, stat!”
Visit A Fresh Legacy to find out more details on planting and for tips on maintaining and harvesting so you can grow herbs at home just like me!
Well, you’ve already had a sneak peek with the photo at the start of the post. So, do you want to see the rest of my herb garden? Of course you do!
Test Results
- Herbs in concrete laundry tubs! (click to enlarge)
- Sage, marjoram, lemon verbena, oregano and thyme
I was going to paint the tubs, but decided against it in the end. I’m planning on adding extra colour along the front of the tubs with with Blue Chalk Sticks (a lovely succulent), or pots of bright flowers. Got any suggestions?
A big thank you to Kyrstie for setting this wee challenge for me!
Laney x
A Fresh Legacy – A leaf from my garden is written by Kyrstie. Kyrstie is a mum to two little boys, Punky and Cuddles, she loves to cook – especially with her home grown herbs and vegetables. She has recently added chickens to her backyard and has many new kitchen and garden projects planned for this year.
Your herb garden looks fabulous Laney! You have done a beautiful job. I am so impressed by your drilling work and that you put the gravel in first, good thinking :) I am sure you will have lush herbs overflowing from your pot very soon. You can wait until they start to spread to move things around if they get too crowded. The herbs that spread easily usually create new roots so you can pull them out and replant elsewhere very easitly. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the backyard blitz as it evolves. Well done, it’s been fun to help out at Crash Palace. Thanks for having me to visit. Kyrstie
Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy’s last post..Potato Salad
Thanks to you Kyrstie! The drilling work was tough – I though was going to get shaken to pieces. Great, I’m glad it will be easy to move things as I think it will get a little crowded. It is such a great sunny spot. Thanks again!
We have a few herbs growing in the garden beds in rather random places but no proper herb garden. I’ve been meaning to start one for ages, but it’s hard to get inspired about working in a garden when you don’t own the house. I absolutely love that you used old laundry tubs for pots, they look fabulous!
Kate @ Puddles and Gumboots’s last post..Ready Set Go, It’s 2012
Hats off to you hun – I love a good herb and vegie garden, but I just cannot keep them alive. Maybe you have inspired me to try again though. Love the lavender, I have just planted that as I heard it is pretty hardy and hard to kill….here’s hoping :) xx
Sonia @ Life Love and Hiccups’s last post..Wanna see my NEAT Pantry? Of course you do!!!!
So love those herb gardens! Perfect ;)
funny how hot it has been in Melbourne – we have rain here….so much of it!
How about having a row of pot plants in front of the tubs with plants that are colourful and will take the heat….maybe Lantana or Periwinkle plants are good!
I so miss my roses that I used to grow :)
Cheers
Lisa
Lisa wood’s last post..Things In My Home
We could do with some of your rain right now! Although today has been perfect, not too hot. Yes, I think I will put something along the front. Isn’t Lantana really big?
Looks beautiful! Well done ladies. One thing I want to mention is your choice of lavender. The Italian & Spanish varieties such as the one you have planted are very camphor-rich so won’t be any good for cooking (or drying for a traditional lavender fragrance). The English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the edible (and most fragrant) one . You could select one of the dwarf cultivars such as ‘Munstead’ or ‘Hidcote’ as the straight L. angustifolia will get too big and smother out your other plants. Looking forward to seeing more photos as the herbs all grow. BTW: The lavender you have planted will do a great job of attracting bees though, which is marvelous for pollinating your fruit trees and veggies! Sunshine & Smiles, Lyndal.
Thanks Lyndal. I have to admit I didn’t think to check for that! I chose it for it’s size and smell. That’s ok, we are putting larger traditional lavender bushes out the front of the house, so I can use them for cooking! Thanks for visiting and helping out.
How heavy are those laundry tubs?????
Very, very heavy. Took two men with a lot of difficulty to move them into place. Unfortunately we have to move them again because we are paving the area. Not sure how we’re going to move them full of rocks, soil and herbs!
Hey are using WordPress for your site platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create
my own. Do you require any html coding knowledge to make
your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Debora’s last post..Debora
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to your blog before but after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new
to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking it and
checking back regularly!
Guadalupe’s last post..Guadalupe