Grow A Mini Herb Garden

What You Need

How To Do It

Using scissors or a craft knife, cut the bottoms off of the 3 Juicy Juice boxes.
Turn the boxes upside down (the cut edge will now become the top of the herb pot). With scissors, cut a slit about 3/4 inch long at each corner. Fold each edge to the inside of the carton and secure with a piece of tape. Repeat with remaining boxes.
Make sure the juice straw holes are open. These will be the “drains” for each pot.
PARENTS ONLY: Take the three prepared boxes to a well-ventilated area and spray with fast-dry enamel. Let dry for several hours before planting.
Place about a 1/4 inch layer of pea gravel in each “pot.”
In a bucket or bowl, mix about 4 cups of seed starting mix with enough water to make it very moist.
Fill each pot to within 1/2 inch of top edge with the wet mixture.
Sprinkle a few seeds on top, then cover with about 1/8 inch more of the mixture.
Using a marker, write the name of each herb you have planted on a dried bay leaf.
Attach the bay leaves to the front of the pots with glue.
Place a small piece of plastic wrap over the top of each pot and tie with raffia.
Place a layer of pea gravel in the pot saucer and set the pots on top.
Set the planter in a sunny place where it gets light from a window.
Remove the plastic wrap after the seedlings appear.
Thin the seedlings to one or two plants.

Follow-Up Fun

In the spring or summer, once the herbs begin to outgrow their “pot,” transplant them to a sunny location in an outdoor garden.
Have the children help find a recipe that uses the herbs you have grown.
Play the Smelling Guessing Game. Have your children close their eyes and after smelling each herb, have them guess its name.