This particular DIY project is one that’s close to my heart as it combines two of my favourite things: cooking and gardening! This lovely and simple hanging basket will mean you’ve got a pretty, functional and long-lasting garden feature that’s close at hand when you’re ready to season your favourite meals.

Photo by Char from Pexels

Herbs are best in a sunny, sheltered space, and this basket would be perfect hung by the kitchen door, or on the patio near the barbecue so it’s close at hand for summer cook-offs! Different types of herb plants have such a range of colours, textures and structures so you can really play around to create a striking final effect.

What I love about this project is that you can really tailor it to meet your own needs in terms of aesthetic and flavour values of the plants used. I love to add flowering plants too like borage, nasturtium  and savory to stop the end result looking too green and leafy. Choose a large, wire-framed hanging basket (available at most garden and home stores), and moss or a similar material to line the basket with, so that the plants can grow and spread through all sides.

Suggested plants to use:

• Leaf coriander
• Prostrate rosemary (has a more trailing habit than usual rosemary)
• Variegated mint (weak grower, so good for container growing)
• Parsley
• Purple sage
• Basil (great as a pest repellent)
• Greek oregano
• Fennel (prefers full sun)
• Climbing nasturtium
• Scented-leaved pelargonium

Let’s get started!

1. If you’re using a round-bottomed basket, secure it in the mouth of a suitably sized pot or similar so it doesn’t roll off when you’re planting it up.
2. Line the inside of the basket with moss, or your chosen prefabricated liner. If using prefabricated, cut holes in the sides where you’d like to plant through.
3. Cover the base of the basket with a good few inches of potting compost.
4. Remove about half of your chosen herb plants from their containers and push through the sides of the basket from the outside, so as not to damage the leafy tops. This looks particularly effective with trailing varieties like prostrate rosemary and oregano.
5. Pile another 5cm of compost inside, and repeat the side-planting method if your basket is particularly large. Make sure the plants are staggered and sufficiently spaced.
6. Plant the rest of your herbs in the top of the basket, making sure there’s plenty of compost surrounding them. Plant the taller plants towards the centre of the basket and the lower, rambling types around the edges.
   

   Image by kat_brcs from Pixabay

7. If you’re using nasturtium, secure the stalks using twine or ties to the chain of the basket and along the bracket holding it up. This helps the plant to ramble along and looks really striking.
8. Hanging the basket in a warm and sunny spot helps concentrate the scent of the herbs – great for cooking but also for when you brush up against them on a warm evening!
9. Water regularly, and give general purpose liquid feed every two weeks (organic is best).
10. If you’re choosing short-lived herbs like basil and coriander, they’ll need replacing after their season.

This is a really quick and effective garden DIY project that all the family can get involved in. I’d love to see your creations if you decide to follow this tutorial – send me your snaps over on Facebook or Twitter.

I’ve also written this DIY tutorial for a lovely succulent hanging basket – another great project for space-saving gardening.

Happy planting!