In the realm of culinary creativity, the phrase "bloom where you are planted" takes on a whole new meaning, especially when it comes to basic herbs. These flavorful additions to dishes can be grown easily with minimal effort and can thrive in various environments. Whether in a garden, outdoor or indoor pots, or even in containers made from repurposed T-shirts, herbs are versatile and resilient.
All it takes to cultivate healthy herbs is good soil, adequate water, and plenty of sunlight. No need for fancy fertilizers or constant transplanting – just simple maintenance for a fresh supply of parsley, chives, thyme, and more right at your fingertips. With a small herb garden in your kitchen, you can elevate your culinary creations with ease.
Creative placement
For a unique way to create a vertical herb garden, consider repurposing old T-shirts. Start by layering one or two worn shirts on top of each other and attaching them to a sturdy backing fabric like shade cloth or an old tarp. The goal is to add some weight to the material. Next, cut other old T-shirts into small squares, around 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 inches, and stitch them onto the front of the base shirts and backing. Now you have pockets perfect for planting herbs. Fill each pocket with potting soil and plant your herbs, whether from seeds, cuttings, or store-bought plants.
Hang your new herb garden on a wall or in a kitchen window. If that's not an option, consider hanging it on a pantry or entryway door. To maximize sunlight exposure, close the door if it typically faces a wall during the day and open it to let the herbs soak up the sun. At night, close the door to give the plants a rest. If space is limited, hang the garden inside a cupboard and open it during the day, closing it at night.
A note on watering
Don't forget to water your hanging herb garden made from old T-shirts. To do this, take the garden outside and water from the top, allowing excess water to drain. Once it stops dripping, squeeze out any extra moisture from the pockets, especially those at the bottom, and rehang your garden on the door or wall.
For those unable to venture outdoors, the same care can be given to your vertical garden indoors, right over your kitchen sink or laundry tub. Ensure a thorough watering, allowing excess water to drain into the sink. Once the dripping stops, gently press the pockets to prevent any further dripping onto your kitchen floor or inside cabinets. Alternatively, you can let the garden drain directly into the sink until the soil is no longer dripping. It's important to note that herbs typically only require watering every one to two weeks to thrive. Incorporating watering your vertical garden into your routine kitchen cleaning or maintenance can make it a simple and seamless task.
