Thyme, parsley and chive herb pot

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Thyme, parsley and chive herb pot

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Wednesday, 17 July 2019 at 2:43 pm

Save space by planting up a three-tier herb container. We show you how.

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If you're short on gardening space, why not grow your herbs vertically? Build you own tiered herbal tower cheaply and easily by 'planting' smaller pots inside larger ones.

As well as looking attractive, a tiered herb garden packs a lot of plants into a small space, and creates separate planting pockets for herbs with slightly different needs.

The largest pot at the base of the tower will have moister compost and a little more shade that the one at the top, which has the best drainage and gets the most sun.

Use potting compost, planting the more moisture-loving annual or traditional herbs in the lower two tiers, and adding grit to the upper tier for Mediterranean herbs.

You Will Need

Three pots of different sizes
Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
Home-grown herbs
Crocks

Total time: 30 minutes

Step 1

Adding compost to the largest pot

Place some drainage material in the base of the widest pot and half fill it with potting compost. Then sit a second, slightly smaller pot on top, in the centre.

Step 2

Planting up the sides of the largest pot with parsley

Plant parsley all the way around the edge of the larger pot. You may need to squash the rootballs slightly to get them in. Fill any spaces with compost.

Step 3

Adding the smallest pot to the display

Half fill the second pot with compost and sit the third one in the centre. Plant chives all round the edge of the second pot, splitting the rootballs so they fit the space.

Step 4

Planting up the third pot

Plant thyme into the third pot, using compost with mixed with a little added grit. Water the display and place in a sheltered spot that enjoys the sun for at least half the day.

Kevin Smith says...

Create this display in-situ as it may be heavy and awkward to move once it’s complete. Disguise any bare compost with a gravel mulch – it’ll add the finishing touch and create a professional look.

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