Bring on spring: our bright & beautiful new herb planters

With our lovely new stoneware herb planters, you don’t have to wait for the seasons to change to experience the thrill of new leaves sprouting and colourful buds unfurling. These gorgeous planters are just the thing to brighten up a windowsill or your kitchen. Even if you have very little space, our planters let you experience the joy of gardening and the pleasure of growing your own flowers and herbs.

We’ve carefully designed our herb planters with a special drainage hole and matching saucer, which ensure that the soil maintains the perfect moisture balance. The planters are made from our superior stoneware that blocks moisture absorption so the pot won’t crack, craze or ripple. Each one is coated on the outside with our impermeable enamel – in a range of our fabulous signature colours – which resists stains and scratches, while the nearly nonstick glazed interior easily releases soil for quick cleaning. The planters are dishwasher safe, so you can give them a really good clean between plantings.

EAT YOUR GREENS

HOMEGROWN HERBS
Our pretty planters are perfect for growing culinary herbs on a sunny kitchen windowsill to add just-picked flavour to your cooking.

You can grow just about any herb; try:

basil (likes lots of light and warmth)
chives (not too much direct sunlight)
origanum
marjoram
parsley (full sun is best)
rosemary (don’t overwater – rosemary hates soggy soil)
thyme (needs lots of light)
mint (these thirsty plants like lots of water)

Snip off exactly what you need to add fresh herbs while you’re cooking, or make the most of their wonderfully fresh flavours by mixing up herb butters.

Lemon-herb butter
Mix together 125g soft butter with 2 tsp lemon zest, 2 tsp finely chopped parsley and ½ tsp finely chopped thyme.

Garlic-herb butter
Mix together 125g soft butter with ½ cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives and thyme, 1 small crushed garlic clove and a pinch of sea salt.

GROW YOUR OWN MICROGREENS
Right now, though, we think it’s the perfect time to tap into the microgreens food trend that is appearing on plates in all the finest restaurants.

What exactly are microgreens, you may be asking? Well, they’re the tiny seedlings of edible plants that we usually harvest when they’re fully grown. Think salad leaves like mustard lettuce, herbs such as coriander, basil and fennel, or veggies like radish… even broccoli. When they’ve just produced their first pair of leaves, their flavour is concentrated and they add the most delicious, intense flavour to salads or as a garnish sprinkled over your finished dish.

It is easiest to grow plantings of a single variety in one pot – you can always combine them after harvesting. Here’s how to grow microgreens indoors:

Fill your planter two-thirds with organic potting mix or organic compost. Using a cardboard disc cut to size, press the soil down to level it.
Scatter your seeds over the soil and then, using the cardboard disc, lightly press them into the soil.
Gently scatter more soil over the seeds to cover them by just 3 or 4mm.
Place the planter on top of the drainage saucer and use a watering can with a shower attachment to water the seeds in (make sure you don’t wash away the topsoil).
Place the planter on a sunny windowsill; your seeds will germinate in 4 to 7 days.
Keep the soil consistently moist but don’t overwater – pour off any extra water that gathers on your saucer.
After 10 to 14 days get ready to harvest these delicious greens. Snip them off with sharp scissors just above the soil-line.

FLORAL CHARM
For a striking table centrepiece, why don’t you pot up some bulbs in a good organic potting soil? Try amaryllis bulbs – they take about six weeks to flower if planted in spring and five weeks in summer – or your favourite flowering bulbs. Keep the soil around the bulbs constantly moist – if you let them dry out, your plant may not flower. Not only do they look simply beautiful, flowers such as narcissus and hyacinth will fill your home with their glorious fragrance.