A Mini Herb Garden – An Easy Container Project

This is about creating my first herb garden. Well, it’s really just a herb container, but it’s my first experiment with herbs and I think it’s pretty cute. Last year I bought my first tomato plant and this year I’m adding some herbs in containers. I know it’s not much, but it works for me. It was super easy and I’m pretty smitten with the end result.

Last week at Ikea I found these oversized terra-cotta pots with saucers for $5.99 – gotta love that deal! I didn’t have room in my cart or I would have grabbed more. So dumb. I’m going to have to go back this week  but I’m thinking they are probably gone…

The other night I started my adventure with chalk paint  and the more I painted, the more I looked for things to paint and I saw those pots…

I am IN LOVE with chalk paint, but that is another story. Here’s tip number one for chalk paint: Do NOT use a cheap brush. See that bristle in the photo above? ughhhh. Any how, painting the posts took no time…

I even threw in an old candle holder that I had in my garage. I’m planning on turning that into a bird feeder – but that’s for another day!

While the paint dried I decided to make some markers for the organic potted herbs I found at Walmart for $2.98 ea. I’m starting with parsley, mint and oregano…

I already had everything I needed. A black sharpie, three wine corks…

and three wooden skewers for making shish kabobs. The point on the end of the skewers is perfect for pushing it into the cork…

Write the name of the plant on the cork, insert the skewer into one end and voila!…

Cute, yes? I suggest you practice writing first. The printed the first two, but wasn’t happy with them – I found I liked them in cursive better!

I was planning on putting two coats of paint on the pots, but found that one was perfectly fine – I like seeing the original color of the pot peeping through. It took less than an hour for the paint to dry and then I pulled out some stencils I had from years ago…

I just needed a brush, paint and a plastic plate , all of which I had too.  I prefer using a plastic plate because it’s non-absorbent…

It took less than a half an hour – I love the imperfection….

 A quick note of advice: If stenciling on a rim, remember to leave room for letters like g, y, j, etc… I did not. A lesson learned. The second pot was going to say vegetables. After I stenciled the v I thought about the “g” and said “oh crap”… or something like that 🙂  Do you know how hard it is to think of a cute saying that doesn’t involve one of those letters? For now the second one says alive, delish & fresh. Next time I pull out the chalk paint it’s going to be a do-over. I think it’ll say live, love eat. Or maybe tomatoes. I don’t know… any suggestions?

Anyway… I really do love the end result…

Now I’m going to have to go find some new recipes so I can try out my fresh herbs…

Happy Monday! Amy xo