Pots don’t have to be boring and conventional. You can plant into things that you have lying around the house or garden, such as old teapots, wheelbarrows or watering cans. Also when you go shopping, keep an eye out for any containers that might make good planters. In our segment Don planted herbs in a cutlery drainer, and he used two different sized, steel woks to create an innovative herb sculpture for an Asian-style garden!

Wok art

• Don drilled drainage holes in the bottom of each wok. (Tip: first use a nail punch to make depressions so that the drill bit won’t slide off the bottom of the wok.)
• Each wok was filled with potting mix, and then the smaller one was placed on top of the larger one, creating a two-tiered effect.
• The woks were planted out with Vietnamese mint, parsley, coriander, oregano, basil, chives and lemon grass.

Cutlery centrepiece

Don filled a cutlery drainer with potting mix and planted it with lemon grass, coriander, parsley, basil and oregano. This makes a great centrepiece for the dinner table. The idea is that you place a pair of scissors next to the mini pot of herbs, and then your guests can snip off fresh herbs and add them to their food!

Our herb selection

Herbs grow best in a full sun position. Feed with a nitrogenous fertiliser, such Aquasol or Thrive. Keep the water up to them, and trim regularly to keep the plants bushy and promote more leafy growth.

• Vietnamese mint. Vigorous, moisture loving plant to 1m tall. Use it in chicken, rice and vegetable dishes.
• Parsley.  A frost-hardy biennial herb to 30cm high. It is a very greedy feeder, so fertilise monthly in the warm months. Combine with sauces, salads, soups, fish, eggs and vegetables.
• Coriander. An annual to 50cm high. Prune off the flower stems to produce more leaves. The leaves, stems and roots can be used in cooking, and the seeds can be ground and used in curry.
• Oregano.  A spreading plant with oval green leaves and purplish pink flowers. Pick the leaves as required. Combine oregano with tomato dishes, eggplant, beans, meat sauces, stews, stuffing and pasta.
• Sweet basil. An annual with aromatic leaves. Prune flowerheads regularly to promote bushiness. Combine with tomato dishes, salads, pesto, prawns, potato, pasta and eggplant.
• Chives. A spreading herbaceous perennial to 30cm high. Clumps can be divided during winter. Combine with chicken, eggs, fish, potato, cucumber, celery, salads, soups, mayonnaise and vinaigrettes. Add raw leaves and flowers into uncooked food for a mild onion flavour.
• Lemon grass. This clump-forming perennial has arching, lemon-scented leaves. It is easily grown in frost-free climates, but in cold climates it needs to be cultivated in a pot and given winter protection. It likes a sunny position. While the base of the stem is commonly used in Asian cooking, the leaves make a pleasant herbal tea. Lemon grass is good for digestion and is reputed to have a sedative action.
  

Further information

Approximate costs Wok prices vary - look out for bargains in second-hand stores 200 mm Japanese plant stand, $16 from garden centres Herbs in 100mm (4") pots, $5 each 500 gm Aquasol or Thrive, $5 ‘Trends’ cutlery drainer, $5

Copyright CTC Productions 2003