I’m not sure if you’re anything like me, but when December 26th rolls around, I’m busy taking down all of the holiday decor and getting the tree out of the house. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Christmas clutter, but once the holiday is over, I am just so ready to get my house back in order. It might have something to do with having a two year old grabbing ornaments off the tree, and a cat who won’t stop drinking the tree water, climbing the tree and acting like it’s made out of catnip.
What I do miss is having the “green” in my house though. I don’t usually keep a lot of plants in my home – I have an orchid I was given for Mother’s Day a few years ago, and while it hasn’t died yet, it doesn’t bloom much either. And then there are times when I keep fresh herbs around.
I love using fresh herbs in my cooking! The aromas of the herbs and the vibrant color… I would always rather use fresh herbs over dried, but keeping fresh herbs in your home all the time can be expensive if you’re buying them in the little plastic containers from the grocery store. Buying a plant and planting it in a jar is much more cost effective.
The four herbs I use the most in my cooking are parsley, cilantro, rosemary, and basil. I have rosemary planted in a barrel in my front yard because it is so hardy. And I have a soft spot for basil, even though it’s kind of a finicky plant.
All you need to plant an herb in a mason jar is a pint-sized, wide mouth jar, an herb with roots still attached (I just bought some living basil from the store), potting soil, some little river rocks at the bottom of the jar if you like the look of it, chopstick/stick to tie the plant up if it wants to hang a bit and SUNLIGHT!
Pour some dirt about 1/4 of the way up the jar, and carefully transport the herb into the soil, breaking the roots slightly. Fill the jar the rest of the way up with dirt and pour about 1 tablespoon of water over the soil. It’s important to not overwater your herbs. The soil should be moist (not drenched) in water. Place your jar in a window that gets the most light.
With personalized labels, this herb mason jar makes such a sweet, personal gift to someone who is a bit of a foodie.
I used basil as my example because I happened to need a lot of it for what I was cooking on my menu, but unless you have a nice large window that lets in a lot of sunlight, I would hold off on planting basil ’til the spring because of how finicky the herb can be. If you don’t use a lot of basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, cilantro, and mint are great alternatives.
Used In This Project:
- Rectangular Labels • I chose the “Chalkboard” style in sunburst.
SHOP OUR FOOD AND CRAFT COLLECTION >
Chels is a native Oregonian who dreams of living with all four seasons in Central Oregon. She's a wife and stay at home mom to her three vivacious kiddos whom she home schools. When she's not schooling or chasing after her munchkins, she enjoys reading, bubble baths, and finding clothing/kitchen treasure at thrift stores. But more than all of that, she finds refuge in her kitchen where she and her husband can be found cooking and baking up a storm for their family and friends. You can read more about her culinary endeavors at Catzinthekitchen.com.
Leave a Reply