Herbs in a concrete laundry tub

Herbs in a concrete laundry tub planter

I received lots of good advice regarding what to do with our three section concrete laundry tub. I followed the herb path, because it seemed to be the most practical option, since I cook with herbs regularly.

Some readers said to drill drainage holes in the tub, but there was already a drain hole in each separate section. I'm crossing my fingers that this will be sufficient. There was an old tree root blocking the holes, so that was removed with much pulling and tugging.

I then placed a wooden block under each end of the tub to keep it off the ground and to make sure it drained well. And it did when I filled the tub with water. But then I had to have a Nana nap because that tub is incredibly heavy to lift.

One commenter suggested I fill the tub part way with broken pieces of styrofoam, followed by a thick layer of wet newspaper and then my potting mix. (Thanks Shelly!) This should help with drainage too.

A few readers said I shouldn't bother painting the tub. I followed this advice gladly -  it appeals to my lazy side!

This morning I bought a selection of herbs from the Rocklea Markets: basil, coriander, mint, chilli, sage and parsley. The whole lot cost a paltry $5 and will be enough to get me started.

While at the markets, I scouted around for some screening plants for our side yard. I'm advised from reliable thrifty sources that this is the place to go for affordable established screening plants. And they were correct.

Anyhow, the new herbs have been planted, watered and now we wait to see if the recipe is good enough for them to grow.