I’ve had a strawberry pot for many years, but I’ve only planted strawberries in it once. Instead, I’ve experimented with other kinds of plants like succulents one year and colorful annuals the next. This year I decided to plant an entire herb garden in this clay pocket planter.

I selected five different herbs based on the ones I use most often in my cooking: basil, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Of course there are many other herb combinations to plant, depending on your favorite summer recipes.

For this herb garden you’ll need the following materials:

Strawberry pocket planter and saucer
Assorted herbs
Potting soil
12″ section of PVC pipe
PVC pipe cap or sponge
Newspaper
Coffee filter

Here’s how to get started:

1. Drill holes at regular intervals along all sides of the PVC pipe. This creates a simple irrigation device that helps get water to the roots of all the plants.
2. Place the cap on one end of the pipe or use a piece of sponge to plug the end. This slows down the water when watering the plants.
3. Place a coffee filter on the bottom of the planter to keep soil in the pot.
4. Stand the PVC pipe slightly off center in the pot and stuff a piece of newspaper in the top to keep out potting soil; add potting soil to hold the pipe in place.
5. Continue adding a layer of potting soil until it reaches the first set of pockets.
6. Place one plant in each pocket and add soil as needed.
7. Continue until all the pockets are planted; then plant the top of the strawberry pot.
8. Remove newspaper and slowing pour water into the open end of the PVC pipe.

The herb garden may need watering every day, especially during the hottest part of summer. Trim herbs throughout the season to keep plants productive. Use the fresh clippings in recipes or dry herbs to use later in the year.

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