How to build a herb planter – to make easy work of watering your herbs

This month, Sarah Squire from Squires Garden Centres shares her gardening know-how

Do you want to learn how to make a herb planter? It couldn’t be easier with our how-to guide.

Growing your own food is much easier than you might think. All you need are a few basic pots and some compost, or a small patch of soil. With supermarket prices increasing and the current drive to eat healthily and reduce plastic food packaging, growing your own makes a whole lot of sense.

Check out our dedicated gardens channel for more advice and inspiration

How to build a herb planter

You will need:

1 large terracotta pot
3 medium terracotta pots
Wooden or metal rod
Compost
Herb plants
Heavy base (optional)

1. Secure rod

Fix the rod into a heavy base such as a parasol stand, or push nice and deep into the ground to make sure it’s very stable.

2. Get building

Thread the largest pot through the rod to the base and half fill it with compost. Plant a few herbs around the edges, to the same depth that they were in the pots they came from. Herbs such as mint, rosemary, basil and parsley are very easy to grow and will do well.

3. Fill your pots

Add compost to your other pots and plant with a selection of more herbs or salad and vegetables such as lettuce, beetroot, potatoes, peas, spinach and beans. These are all hearty and grow in abundance. Make sure to leave the centre of each pot unplanted.

4. Layer up

Place each of the pots onto the rod, tilting in opposite directions. Fill all the gaps with compost, firm down and water well. By the autumn, annual herbs such as basil and coriander can be discarded. Perennials such as chives, oregano and mint will regrow in the spring.

Will you be creating a herb planter or herb tower in your garden?