An Herb Garden Planter is a great little container garden project, and with a little help from Dollar Tree, and some a clever hack, we’ll show you how to create an easy rustic planter! This DIY Herb Container Garden is a fun garden project that can quickly be put together for your patio table or as a gift. My post originally appeared on Juggling Act Mama as a guest post, so be sure to check out her site for great recipes and other projects!
DIY Container Herb Garden
Gardening can feel like an expensive hobby. All the plants! All the pots! And don’t get me started on the price of premium soil. But what if you could create a beautiful and table-top worthy herb garden planter with a little help from your favorite dollar shop? Well, I have news for you. You can! 
Hey all! It’s Courtney from The Kitchen Garten, and I love bargain shopping; it’s true, and I am also a big fan of putting my hands in the dirt and growing all. the .things. So, in a recent trip to the Dollar Tree, I noticed this shiny metal container, complete with French words, and I was sold. And since spring has finally arrived, I knew it would be perfect for a herb planter. Container are the perfect place for herbs, especially those that are annual (die in the winter) or those that can go crazy in the ground (I’m looking at you, mint).
I’ve used Dollar Tree finds in my gardening adventures before with my DIY Hanging Succulent Planter.
I love paying less for project materials and making something beautiful and useful for the home. This also makes an amazing DIY gift, too! Think about making this for:
- Hostess Gift
- Mother’s Day
- Teacher Appreciation
- Housewarming Gift
It would also make lovely centerpieces for a garden-themed bridal or baby shower, too! You could add a pretty flowering annual like verbena or petunias for a burst of color. Calibrachoa is also great for container gardens. That’s what Ang from Juggling Act Mama used in her Pallet Planter.
So what do you need to get started on this fun project?
Herb Garden Planter Materials List
- Metal Container (I snagged mine at the Dollar Tree!)
- Good quality potting soil (Espoma is a favorite)
- 3 Herbs of your choice (I used orange mint, rosemary, and oregano)
- Salt
- Rocks
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- White Vinegar
How to Make a DIY Container Herb Garden
Start by aging your bucket. I didn’t care for the shiny metal look of the planter from The Dollar Tree, so I decided to “age” it using instructions from Saws on Skates.
- Since the planter is an oval shape, this was a bit tricky, but place your bucket in a larger plastic container.
- Add 1/2 cup of salt and a gallon of white vinegar to the container. Submerge one side of your planter.
- Let it sit for an hour or so (or longer if you’re not home). After that, flip the container and submerge the other side. You should notice discoloration starting to appear on the metal.
- Once both sides have been submerged in the salt and vinegar mix, pour out the leftover liquid. (I used my leftover vinegar/salt mix in my DIY Weed Killer sprayer.)
- Now pour hydrogen peroxide on the container, submerging one side for an hour, then repeat on the opposite side.
What you’ll have afterwards is a lightly rusted and weathered planter.
- Now let’s get to the actual planting! Create drainage for your herbs by placing river rock or any smaller stones in the bottom of the planter. This keeps water from sitting at the bottom of the soil which could damage the roots of your herbs. Since this DIY container herb planter is smaller, the rocks at the bottom will not create a heavy planter that is difficult to move or carry.
- You’re now ready to start adding your herbs. Chances are, if you purchased herbs in larger cups, you may have all the soil you need right there. So begin by deciding which order you’d like your herbs in. My taller herb, rosemary, went in the middle, while the hanging mint and low-growing oregano went on either side. Once you’re ready, squeeze the herb container and gently remove it from its cup. Once it’s free from the original container, gently loosen the soil at the bottom to break up any bound roots. This will help your roots to grow and thrive. Once the herbs are in place, use any extra soil from the cups to fill in any gaps in the planter. If needed, grab extra potting soil to do this.
- Finally, clean up any loose soil clinging to your DIY Container Herb Garden and lightly water your herbs. You’re ready to add your new planter to any outdoor patio space or to gift it to a lucky family member or friend. Most importantly, be sure to use the herbs that you’ve planted.
This lovely little planter sat on our patio table all summer long and into the fall. It was a lovely addition to our backyard space, and the herbs also help to keep mosquitoes at bay! (Check out my post on other plants that repel mosquitoes in your backyard.)
Other Herb Garden Posts:
How to Prune Basil for Larger Yields
DIY Herb Container Garden
Inexpensive and fun DIY herb container garden that uses a metal Dollar Store bin that is artificially aged. A fantastic garden project that also makes a wonderful gift.
Materials
- 1 metal container
- 1 Rosemary plant
- 1 Mint plant
- 1 Thyme plant
- Potting Soil
- River Rock
- Vinegar
- Salt
Tools
- Gardening gloves
- Plastic tub
Instructions
- Since the planter is an oval shape, this was a bit tricky, but place your bucket in a larger plastic container.
- Add 1/2 cup of salt and a gallon of white vinegar to the container. Submerge one side of your planter.
- Let it sit for an hour or so (or longer if you’re not home). After that, flip the container and submerge the other side. You should notice discoloration starting to appear on the metal.
- Once both sides have been submerged in the salt and vinegar mix, pour out the leftover liquid. (I used my leftover vinegar/salt mix in my DIY Weed Killer sprayer.)
- Now pour hydrogen peroxide on the container, submerging one side for an hour, then repeat on the opposite side.
- Then you’ll want to create drainage for your herbs by placing river rock or any smaller stones in the bottom of the planter. This keep water from sitting at the bottom of the soil which could damage the roots of your herbs. And since this rustic planter is smaller, the rocks at the bottom will not create a heavy planter that is difficult to move or carry.
- You’re now ready to start adding your herbs. Chances are, if you purchased herbs in larger cups, you may have all the soil you need right there. So begin by deciding which order you’d like your herbs in. My taller herb, rosemary, went in the middle, while the hanging mint and low-growing oregano went on either side. Once you’re ready, squeeze the herb container and gently remove it from its cup. Once it’s free from the original container, gently loosen the soil at the bottom to break up any bound roots. This will help your roots to grow and thrive. Once the herbs are in place, use any extra soil from the cups to fill in any gaps in the planter. If needed, grab extra potting soil to do this.
- Finally, clean up any loose soil clinging to your Dollar Tree Herb Planter and lightly water your herbs. You’re ready to add your new planter to any outdoor patio space or to gift it to a lucky family member or friend. Most importantly, be sure to use the herbs that you’ve planted.
Notes
Use any combination of herbs that you prefer!
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