Home Decor: Turn a ginger jar into a herb garden

March 06, 2017 1 Comment

Did you know that you can turn a ginger jar into an aromatic and oh-so-convenient herb garden?

If you love the smell of fresh basil, mint, rosemary and other herbs that smell divine when they are fresh then you are going to love what I have in store for you.

Ginger Jar Herb Garden

Make ginger jars a staple in your kitchen

Forget terracotta and ordinary plastic pots! To make your herb garden look amazing, smell heavenly and last for as long as possible, get a couple of blue and white porcelain ginger jars. Besides providing the ideal moist environment that can entice growth, these simple but classic jars will look amazing standing front and center on your kitchen windowsill or pantry.

Don’t be fooled by the name. Even though ginger jars used to store ginger back in the past, they are used for way more now. Growing herbs in them is a breeze which you will appreciate if you prefer to use au natural ingredients to make sure your food titillates the palate.

Want fresh mint to give that cocktail some zing? Just snip a few leaves from your ginger jar garden and viola! Instant bar drink. Want basil on short notice for that pasta dish? Just remove some fresh from the stalk and rub it in there for instant flavor.

Or better yet, if you have an upset stomach, did you know that some fresh parsley is all you need to soothe that upset stomach? Now imagine all of these herbs growing fresh in a row on your windowsill with the sun shining down on them. Makes a pretty picture, right?

With the right conditions such as proper drainage and light, you will be seeing those buds peep out from the soil in no time. You can either go full farmer mode and grow them from seeds or plant some stalks and watch them grow. The power is yours!

Make those jars pop with herbs

Contrary to popular belief, most herbs are extremely easy to grow so yours will have no trouble struggling out of the soil. As a newbie, try out seeds first and try transplanting when you have harvested a few of those mini-crops.

Here’s how you should get this garden started:

First things first; you cannot have herbs if you don’t have ginger jars to grow them in, here are a few staples you will need:

A few ginger jars (depending on the number of herbs you want to grow).
Herb plants (if you want to transplant) or seeds.
Potting mixture
Labels (to ensure you don’t add mint when you should add basil)
Gravel or small rocks for support.

Add Rocks to Ginger Jar

Step 1 – Create a foundation

Remember those rocks I recommended? Start your ginger jar herb garden by filling those up till 2 inches below the rim of the jar. You can also use marbles if you wish. This will protect the roots of those delicate herbs from getting waterlogged and sip just enough to remain healthy.

Add soil to your pot

Step 2 – Soil it

Not just any soil will do though. Potting soil is different from the regular variety because it is chock full of organic material that can make your herbs big and strong. This includes material such as compost, perlite and peat which can ensure your herbs remain nourished and moisturized. You can find this mixture easily enough in your local farmer’s market or in stores.

Step 3 – Add seeds or transplant herbs

A ginger jar herb garden can only be called a utopia for herbs if you introduce more than one type in it. Make your garden inclusive and kitchen-friendly at the same time by growing all of the herbs you will ever need. All you need to do is sow the seeds right on top of the potting mix, add a layer more, add water, sit back and watch the magic happen – with frequent (light) watering of course.

You can also transplant herbs directly into the jars if you wish but make sure the roots are exposed slightly. This will promote growth and the packed earth will ensure they remain in place. If you use plants with stronger roots, remove some of the potting mix from the jar before planting so that they have direct access to air and water.

Ginger Jar Herb Garden

To the untrained eye, there is no difference between mint and parsley leaves. So if you are a bit unpracticed at recognizing the differences, label all of the jars! Once that’s done, line all of them in a row on your kitchen sill and wait. With some tender loving care and slight watering, you should see a fragrant garden bloom there in no time.

Ginger Jar Shelby Dillon