We’ve been slow to decide where to put a permanent vegetable and herb garden at our new place, so we missed the ideal spring planting window (you can see our previous edible gardens here and here). To still grow something this year, we chose a simple, temporary solution: a portable herb garden planted in a galvanized tub.
Our plan was to keep things small and useful — just a few edible essentials close to the kitchen. We bought four organically grown herbs at the farmer’s market for $12: parsley, oregano, basil, and mint. (If you’re curious, we shared more about that farmer’s market trip on BabyCenter as part of their “Big Day Out.”)
The galvanized tub we used cost about $8 at Lowe’s, which was much cheaper than buying a planter the same size. To make it suitable for planting, we added drainage holes in the bottom with a cordless drill. I enlarged the holes slightly by working a large nail around in each one, and — because I’m a little sentimental — I arranged the holes in the shape of a heart.
Update: Several readers suggested testing the metal for lead to be sure nothing would leach into edible plants. We purchased a $4 lead test kit from Home Depot and checked the seams, inside, outside, bottom and around the drilled holes — all negative. If you’re unsure about the purity of galvanized metal you plan to use for food plants, testing is a quick, inexpensive precaution.
For extra drainage we added a layer of gravel leftover from our patio project. The gravel should help keep soil from washing out of the little heart-shaped holes at the bottom.
Before adding soil, we did a dry run to arrange the plants. Taller herbs — basil and parsley — went toward the back, while oregano got space along the side since it tends to bush out. We planted the mint inside a separate buried pot to prevent it from spreading aggressively through the container — a handy tip we picked up from a local gardener at the market.
We used an organic potting mix from Lowe’s rather than our compost because our DIY compost bins are still breaking down following the move. The organic mix cost a bit more but felt worth it since these plants will be used in the kitchen and were already organically grown.
With soil and plants in place the tub was looking cozy. If the herbs thrive and get crowded, we’ll either thin or transplant some into larger pots. The beauty of container gardening is flexibility: this setup is mobile, so we can move it to test different sun exposures and ultimately decide where a permanent garden might go next year.
Because our patio area doesn’t get a lot of sun, we placed the tub on our small balcony off the living room and kitchen. Despite being nestled between two sections of the house, that spot receives a surprisingly good amount of light — almost the nearest thing to full sun on our property — and it’s convenient for snipping herbs while cooking.
If this potted herb garden works well, it can stay on the eventual larger deck we plan to build or even serve as a centerpiece on an outdoor table. If not, we can adjust location, soil, or spacing next season when we’re ready to commit to a more permanent layout.
No herb garden post is complete without a close-up of the plant labels. I made simple popsicle-stick markers and had a little fun naming them with Clue-style titles — hence “Colonel Oregano.” It’s all just for laughs, but it makes the garden feel personal and playful.
Are you growing herbs or vegetables this year? What’s working well in your containers, and what’s not? We’d love to hear about your successes and tips — especially on container gardening, drainage strategies, and how you keep invasive herbs like mint in check.
Psst — don’t forget to check out the rest of our farmer’s market adventures on BabyCenter.