6 Indoor Herb Garden Designs
Bring the outdoors in this winter with a DIY herb garden. “Now’s the perfect time,” says David Sargert, a farmer for Austin nursery It’s About Thyme. He says almost any herb will grow indoors, as long it gets plenty of light. Here’s a look at seven creative ways to make fresh herbs a part of your life year-round.
1. Repurpose Pitchers
Imagine simple wooden shelves holding white pitchers of all shapes and sizes overflowing with tendrils of savory- and sweet-smelling herbs. The Sockerärt Vase from Ikea will set you back only $14.99. Combined with the curves of a vintage-style Fiesta Dinnerware pitcher or antique pitchers that exude character, your indoor herb garden will keep food well-seasoned and serve as a focal point for the kitchen.
2. Transform Strawberry Pots
These terracotta wonders have openings up and down their rounded vertical sides where you can plant herbs instead of strawberries. “Then you have a little herb garden that you can spin around,” says Marshall Grell, a manager at Rainbow Gardens in San Antonio. Paint the pots, or embellish them with other decorative touches for some outdoor personalizing.
3. Hang from the Ceiling
Hanging baskets help you make the most of indoor spaces. “Mint especially likes to be done that way,” Grell says. Suspend the basket near an air conditioning vent, and air will blow the herbs’ fragrance throughout the room.
4. Array Mason Jars
Makers such as Kerr and Ball offer an easy way to plant and cultivate herbs indoors. They run approximately 10 bucks for a dozen, an economical investment.
5. Upcycle Household Items
BalconyGardenWeb.com consolidated some ideas for mounting a vertical herb garden using the most common of containers: 2-liter soda bottles. And a cursory Pinterest search turns up a myriad of ways to transform a shoe organizer into a hanging herb garden: Insert soil and herbs instead of high heels and flip-flops into each pocket.
6. Just Add Water
Some herbs grow well in water, without soil, year-round. EpicGardening.com offers instructions and a free guide for creating a hydroponic garden for less than $100, including instructions for using rocks to create drainage and changing the pH level of tap water so herbs will thrive.
Easy enough, right? Bringing your plants indoors not only adds a little green to your decor, it can promote better breathing (removing up to 87 percent of volatile organic compounds every 24 hours), improve your health, and even help sharpen your focus!
Just because temperatures are dropping, that doesn’t mean your garden has to suffer. Instead, get outside and plant these surprisingly versatile trees in your garden — fruit trees! Here’s how.
© 2017 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
