DIY Recycled Herb Garden

Image: source

Did you know that 50% of the plastic produced in the world is only used once? And did you know that plastic is being produced at a quicker rate than it can be recycled? There are plenty of ways to reuse those plastic items from your house, as well as your neighbors’ and friends’ houses, too.

Spring is coming and it’s the perfect time to start your own herb or flower garden! Instead of going to the gardening store to buy hefty pots, look in your refrigerator and you’ll find just what you need.

Here is how to make a beautiful garden out of recycled beverage bottles:

Gather your Supplies

1 or more plastic beverage bottles of any size (the bigger the better)

Scissors

Panting Soil

Herb Seeds

Paper

Pen

Tape of any color

Artificial flowers

Step 1: Clean your bottles

Remove the labels and give the outside a light scrub, then rinse the inside clean.

Step 2: Cut your Bottle

There are many planter style’s you can make out of your bottles, as you can see here, but today we are going to start with the simplest model!

Find where the bottle curves at the top- you want to carefully cut above where you hand naturally grasps and where the bottle begins to curve. What you’ll end up with is the top of the bottle, and a freestanding base.

Step 3: Ventilate and Assemble

Poke the scissor tip-sized holes equally spaced about an inch down from the lip. Flip the top upside down and rest it in the freestanding base like this!

Step 4: Plant your Herbs

Now that you have an idea of what you’re actually making- take the upside-down funnel top and fill it halfway with planting soil. Make a hole in the center of the soil about one and a half inches deep, then take two or three herb seeds (or previously sprouted seedlings) and drop them in. Cover the seeds with soil and gently pat down.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Now that your seeds are planted, fill the freestanding base with water- enough to cover your poked holes- and assemble your recycled planter. Label your herb pot and place your creation on a windowsill or somewhere that will soak up the rays and watch your plant to grow.

Now, here is an insider’s tip: herb gardens have a tendency to be a bit lack luster as they sprout flowers or grow to big- so to beautify our herb gardens, we will incorporate some artificial plants. However it is possible that we can have the best of both worlds. To keep on the recycling-path, go to your local second hand store to find these artificial flowers instead of buying them new. Wait to place your beautiful artificial flowers in the soil until you can see where the seedling is sprouting, to make sure you don’t impede it’s growth.

Congratulations on your beautiful herb garden! Now you can have fresh herbs and know that you contributed to the movement of going green!