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Culinary herbs pot display

in : Pots & containers: Edibles

You will need

  • Herbs, e.g. basil, coriander, chives, rosemary, parsley
  • Window box
  • Drill
  • Bubble wrap
  • Polystyrene chips
  • Compost
  • Grit
  • Slate chippings

Pots & container categories

Overview

Home-grown herbs will bring your cooking to life, so why not make life really easy by planting them in a window box? Position it on your kitchen windowsill, then all you have to do is lean out to snip fresh pickings of fresh, home-grown herbs whenever you want them.
Plant it: May - July
At its best: July - August
Takes just: 30 minutes

How to do it:

Growing herbs - adding polystyrene to the container to aid drainage

1Drill holes in the bottom of the container and line the sides with bubble wrap. Add a layer of polystyrene chips to aid drainage. This will also prevent the pot becoming too heavy.

Growing herbs - mixing grit into the compost

2Half-fill the container with John Innes compost, mixing in plenty of grit to avoid waterlogging.

Growing herbs - teasing out the plants' roots

3Arrange the plants in the window box while still in their pots. When you're happy with the overall look, remove the plants from their pots, gently teasing out the roots to help the plants establish quickly.

Growing herbs - firming compost around the herbs

4Hold the herbs in place as you fill in around them with more compost, leaving enough space at the top for watering. Firm them in to get rid of any air pockets in the compost.

Growing herbs - watering the window box

5Place the box in position on the windowsill before you water it. A planter of this size will need at least a couple of gallons to soak the compost and the plants' rootballs.

Growing herbs - herb window box

6Top the herb container with slate chippings to make it look attractive and help retain moisture in hot weather.

Adam's tip

Choose herbs that you use a lot in your cooking - the more you pick them, the happier they'll be.
Small plants are cheaper but take longer to establish. Choose large plants for instant impact.

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Talkback: Culinary herbs pot display
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barbsf84 24/11/2011 at 15:28

can you grow forest flame from a cutting of an already healthly plant

bethlineham 24/11/2011 at 15:28

why does this pot need bubble wrap and polystyrene chips when other pots with herbs don't seem to?

spring Jean 15/05/2012 at 16:53

what is the bubble wrap for?

kate1123 15/05/2012 at 18:46

This is for a window sill box, so I assumed it was because  you do not want water all over your sills.