HOW TO do Herbs in a Vintage Cheese Box
This makes a fun and unique gift for a special person in yuor life. I had these at my Mother's Day Open House and this could easily be a Dad's Day gift, as well. They are fun to do, too!Please note, for optimum plant care, please do not leave the herbs in the cheese box for an extended period of time. Plant them into your herb garden and ENJOY!
First, gather your materials. You will need:
Assorted Herb Plants
Cheese Boxes
Soil - I chose one with some perlite in it for drainage
Gloves (if desired - I don't desire for this project!)
Small Stones
Plastic Bags
Burlap
Scissors
Sheet Moss
Grapevine
Here's my herb plants!
Vintage Cheese boxes - You can find these at flea markets, yard sales, antique stores, Gram's barn...I find that anything over $5.00 I leave it for the next person
At this point I cut burplap for all of the boxes I am doing - it's easier to do it all at once! Cut the burlap just a bit larger than the cheese box - you want it to hang over the edge a couple of inches.
I then cut a double layer of plastic (in this case, a trash bag) to fit inside of the cheese box on top of the layer of burlap. I do thi sso when you water the plants, there is less likelihood of water seeping through. But, be careful and be smart. Don't take chances and water final product where there is no furniture that will be ruined!
Line the plastic with a layer of stones for drainage for the plant's care and consideration.
Pick the herbs that you want to plant together and remove them carefully from their pots, by pushing up from the bottom and gently squeezing the pot together. Don't just grab the plant and yank, or you might lose some roots. Shown here are sage (left) dill (middle) and sweet marjoram(right). What a wonderful smell combo!
Spread the roots out a bit by placing your thumb at the top of the plants and your fingers at the bottom of the plant and separating the roots by pulling your fingers apart (GENTLY!). Add some soil around each plant. Don't worry too much if the soil gets on the burlap. This is not an exact science! Make sure all three plants are firmly tamped down with soil around them so there are no air pockets
This is where you fold your burlap over the plastic to hide the plastic from sight. I like some of the burlap to show and you can "tuck" it in around the cheese box. It stays put pretty well.
Cover the soil with sheet moss.
Make sure all the soil is covered. This is mainly done for aesthetics.
If your cheese box is tall enough, you can leave the plants in their respective containers and tuck in the burlap around them. In this case, we have basil, parsley and rosemary, respectively from left to right. All favs of mine! As mentioed above, for optimum plant care, the herbs will thrive and flourish if NOT left in these containers for an extended amount of time. Plant them in your garden and enjoy!
I like to "finish" the container with a "tent" of grapevine. Libby "helped" me gather these vines from the hedgerow. (Libby wanted to chew them, but she had fun!)
Start with one flexible vine and anchor it in one corner and loop it to the far opposite corner. This is a bit of trial and error to get the lengths as you want them, but remember this is supposed to be fun and noone is grading you. So don't stress it if you break a few or have to re-cut a couple of times
Here i sthe first arch looped from one corner to the opposite far corner
Easy Peezy, add the second loop over the first again, starting in a corner not yet used and going to the other far opposite corner, not yet used. I "tie" it off where they meet (which is not always n the middle) with a bit of twine. Not shown here, but it's a good idea to identify the plants in the container with some kind of label. I used chalk on craft stix painted with chalk paint.
ENJOY (but only for a little bit, then plant them in your garden!)
