TRANSFORM the plainest of herb gardens into something pretty with a variety of homemade herb markers.
There are plenty of garden markers on retail shelves at the moment, but sometimes it's nice to custom-make your own. The following are a few examples of herb markers that are easy to make and look wonderful in herb pots and gardens. Twigs
With nothing more than a simple twig, a sharp knife and a permanent marker, you can create a pretty herb marker in minutes. Snip a few six-inch twigs from your garden and bring them inside. Clean them of any debris or leaves and let them dry overnight. In the morning, take a sharp knife and cut off an end piece on an angle approximately one-inch long. Write the name of the herb on the angled piece and insert them into your garden or herb pot. Corks
The next time you enjoy your favourite bottle of wine, recycle your cork for the garden. Collect five or six wine corks and insert a long, thin wire into one end. Simply write the name of the herb with a permanent marker and place in the garden.
Broken terra cotta pots
I've seen this idea a few times in nurseries and garden shops. It's a great way to recycle old terra cotta pots.
Break up the pot into large pieces and use the shards as garden markers. Write the name of each herb on the outside of each piece with a permanent marker or waterproof paint.
Wire writing tags
If you are feeling creative, you may want to make your own herb garden markers with a soft, pliable wire. Look for the more pliable types in craft stores.
Using needle nose pliers, twist the wire into the name of the herb and leave a six-inch piece for insertion into the ground. These look really pretty in a group.
barb@lunter.ca
