Hello. Today was a good day for filling the planter. Thank you Hazel for the idea of putting plant pots in the bottom, I have plenty of them.
Next I covered them with an old compost bag and cut holes in it for drainage.
I decided to divide it into four compartments, because someone told me that mint spreads like crazy so I thought it best to contain the roots.
This is what I used to divide it. It's a roll of plastic which has mesh running through it. I got it from the Scrapstore, I knew it would come in useful for something. There's still plenty left. I cut four pieces and held it in place with drawing pins while I filled it.
Starting to put the compost in.
Almost there, ready to put the plants in.
Top it up with compost and there we have it, four herby plants.
I have put it in the spot where the pink painted twigs were, they are past their best now so I have binned them. It's in a sunny spot next to the cat shelter, on the brick patio. Looks pretty darned good.
The plants were £2 each, and a bag and a half of compost £4.70. Hopefully herbs forever. Sorry Briony, no flowers.
It was a lovely sunny day, the cats love it . Mayze is hiding in the rough patch of grass, she has made a nest.
I can see you Mayze.
They are still out now, I had better go and get them in. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip
Lovely planter looks great. Yes lemon mint has taken over our herb planter which is my old china chipped sink. Think I will have to put a devider in like you have
ReplyDeleteIt looks brilliant!!,I would be well chuffed if i could make one of those...although i did think about it when i saw yours cause ive got floorboards left over from my old bathroom...i just cant imagine mine coming together like that!!,and then id get mardy with it!,lol,,Debi,Leic,x
ReplyDeleteI love your herb planter pot. Everyone who wants to save a bit of money should have one of these!
ReplyDeleteThe herb planter looks great. Do I detect chives, mint, parsley and flat leaf parsley? I put flat leaf parsley in my salads. Word to the wise as they say, mint does spread, in time, its like the Wombles, it goes underground and overground wandering free! Jean.
ReplyDeleteIt looks terrific and very practical too.
ReplyDeleteYour planter looks fab Ilona. I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteJacquie x
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI always buy my herbs from Asda to Plant in the garden they are 70p a pot at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered if the supermarket herbs could be planted and grown to last longer.Years ago,when i used to buy them i just stood the in my kitchen window,watered them ...but they still only lasted about a week and then wilted n died.Im going to try again,only this time put them in planters and maybe put outside,I will try Asda cause at the moment they are 99p in Aldi and my local Asda is straight across the road from Aldi,Debi,Leic,x
DeleteThis is your planter box, made by you, herbs grown by you, and it looks fantastic:)
ReplyDeleteGood job! I would like a miniature glasshouse, but I'm holding off until the end of the season when our local nursery sells off the summer stock. Why do cat photos always elicit a smile? She's a cutie! Hugs from Barbara (Canada)
ReplyDeleteIt looks absolutely lovely!
ReplyDeleteJ x
Love it! I grow a lot of herbs - they'll be such a welcome addition. Natalie
ReplyDeleteYou done a wonderful job Ilona, it would have cost quite a lot from a garden centre. Yes it is best to plant mint separately. Glad the idea came in handy. I was lucky I order a grow bag from my milkman (it works (out a few pence dearer to buy it that way but easier to lift) and because they were out of stock he left me a big bag of multi compost for the same price, had a bit of difficulty getting it into the garden but managed in the end. It looks like it's going to be a nice day here.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the day
Hazel c uk
You must make some more of these planters, they are fab. No worries about the lack of flowers I love herbs and used to grow lots when we had the allotment. Great picture of Mayze.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I've seen polysterene used to fill the bottom of planters but never old plastic pots. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteArilx
Love your idea of putting plantpots at the bottom of your planter!,Thing is,ive run really short on those...so now in saving all my plastic milk bottles,cut them plantpot size and make holes in the bottom of them.A great way of saving on compost!,Thanks Ilona!Debi,Leic,x
ReplyDeletePlastic milk bottle, a good idea. You can cut through them with nail scissors.
DeleteHi Ilona,
ReplyDeleteI read your blog every day but seldom comment.The whole idea from wood scraps to completed project is so simple and clever that it deserves a wider audience like Gardeners World on the BBC.
Good idea Colin. I've Tweeted a pic to GW.
DeleteI love your herb planter ... it is just brilliant!
ReplyDeleteElaine
That planter looks the bees knees :) well done bet your super chuffed xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Just put the TV on and Im watching you!!! Well done Ilona for showing people how to save money
ReplyDeleteWhere and when was that on ? I would loved to have seen it. Jean.
DeleteYes, us too. I recognised your shopping bags and square patchwork cushions! Natalie
ReplyDeleteThat's a great planter Ilona-wooden ones are so expensive to buy.My herbs are near my back door-mint, chives,fennel,st Johns wort,there was sage-also I have a large pot of celery leaves regrown from a celery shoot like Debi,it has lasted throughout 2 winters.Also rosemary by my garden gate x
ReplyDeleteHi Flis,Ive just seen your post.We have eaten the first lot of celery,which was grown,from the end of the supermarket one,Ive now planted it in a tall tube....well,its an old plastic cider bottle,with a quarter of the top cut off!,The stump of the celery had grown loads of roots,so i thought i might try n regrow it again.You seem to have done amazing with yours,so i just hope that i am as lucky at keeping it growing has you have,Thanks for letting me know,Debi,Leic,x
DeleteIt looks lovely Ilona just a tip for the mint I would replant it in a plant pot then putit in your planter so the roots can't go anywhere else even though you have your divider in it will spread to the others. Saw you on the tv this morning my hubby was impressed with your savings :)
ReplyDeleteSue
I love how that planter is looking Ilona.
ReplyDeleteI love your herb planter, Ilona! Such a clever idea. The mint will stretch out its branches and root in that way, so as you use it, keep trimming it back. The parsley is biennial, so you will have some (though less flavorful) in the spring and then it will go to seed. Best to replant that annually. If you let your chive flowers go to seed, they will grow everywhere, but the babies are easy to pull out. Also, the chive flowers are good in salads, so no need to let them go to seed at all. Forgive me if you know all this already--I guess you can tell that I'm an herb enthusiast!
ReplyDeleteYour herb planter is perfect! I live in a small apt. with a tiny back patio, and I always have herbs growing there. I really can't cook without fresh herbs, but I also love to just run my fingers through the plants and smell their wonderful scents. Nature is so generous. I'm also glad that one person mentioned the difficulty of growing herbs indoors. All those people who say "grow herbs on your windowsill" are lying! They never really get enough sun, or get too much and are fried, and the house atmosphere is not conducive to healthy growth. Think about it--we humans need to get outside whenever we can. Best regards, Kate in Oregon
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