DIY Container Herb Garden

4 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Medium

Create a small herb garden with a Dollar Tree container and any herbs you choose!

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 herb garden planter! 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!


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


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.

  1. Since the planter is an oval shape, this was a bit tricky, but place your bucket in a larger plastic container.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of salt and a gallon of white vinegar to the container. Submerge one side of your planter.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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.)
  5. Now pour hydrogen peroxide on the container, submerging one side for an hour, then repeat on the opposite side.


What you'll now have is a weather and rustic planter!


  1. 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.
  2. 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.

3.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 fun planter is a fantastic gift that's easy to put together and a joy to use!

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Courtney |The Kitchen Garten
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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