Use Insanely Affordable Buckets To Build Your Dream Herb Garden

If you love using fresh herbs in the kitchen, growing your own is a rewarding hobby. Herbs are generally fairly easy to care for, and there are lots of helpful tips for growing a thriving herb garden. Not only will it pay off in your cooking, but you can also make your own dream herb garden on a shoestring budget. If you're looking for an insanely affordable and surprisingly adorable theme for your little garden, head to Lowe's. The Lowe's Mini Buckets are half-quart-sized versions of their iconic 5-gallon ones, and they might just be the cutest utility buckets you've ever seen.

Once you get over the preciousness of these mini buckets, load up your basket with as many as you need for your herb garden. At only $1 each, they're a great investment as you can use them again and again. You'll want to head out to your local Lowe's quickly, as the price and cuteness factor may make these hard to find. If you do score some, they make the perfect little planting pots for your herbs. Just drill a few holes in the bottom for water drainage, then fill them with soil and your plants. Place them in a row on your patio or in your garden, or use the buckets in your own DIY herb garden design.

If you want to make a simple frame to hold the buckets in a row, you just need a few simple tools and some wood. First, you'll want to line up your buckets against a 2x4 to set the spacing. The buckets are about three inches wide and will need room in between, so cut off 3½ inch spacers from the board to use on either side of each bucket so they will fit perfectly inside the frame. Screw the spacers into the 2-by-4, then slide the buckets in their slots. You can attach another board to the front side so the buckets are completely contained, or leave that side open so they can slide out. Either way, you should be able to lift them up and out of the frame as needed.

Since these buckets have a handle, you can also use them to make a fun hanging garden, using the handle to hang on hooks, along dowels, or on nails. There are tons of flavorful herbs that will thrive when grown in hanging baskets or, in this case, buckets. One thing to remember, while these mini buckets are made of polypropylene — a food-safe plastic used in many storage containers — Lowe's states they are not considered food-grade. Alternatively, this mini garden idea would work well for non-food starter plants. If you love the idea of a cute herb garden indoors, you can also repurpose old mugs to make an adorable kitchen herb garden.