They Sure Don’t Look Like Strawberries!

Few containers are finer-looking than a terra-cotta strawberry jar with healthy herbs spilling out of its pockets. This is a great way to grow low, spreading plants like creeping thyme and mint. It keeps the herbs from spreading too far, and lifts them off the ground, away from soilborne pests and diseases. There’s just one problem: Those pots dry out fast, and when you water, it’s hard to get the soil evenly wet. Here’s how to solve that dilemma:

STEP 1. Gather your supplies. You’ll need a strawberry pot that’s at least 16 inches high, a piece of 1- to 2-inch diameter PVC pipe, a cap to cover one end of the pipe, a saw, and a drill with a ½-inch diameter bit.

STEP 2. Cut the pipe to be even with the pot’s rim when it’s standing up inside. Cap one end.

STEP 3. Drill holes about 1 inch apart down both sides of the pipe.

STEP 4. With the capped end pointing downward, insert the pipe in the center of the pot so that the top is even with the rim. Then fill the container with potting mix.

STEP 5. Starting at the bottom of the jar, tuck an herb seedling into each pocket, soaking the soil as you go. Then set several more seedlings into the top of the container.

STEP 6. Every time you water, slip a funnel into the top of the pipe, and pour water into it. The holes will distribute moisture evenly throughout the pot. 

Happy Herb Harvesting!

You’ve picked the last tomato and pulled up the last of your carrots. But what about your herbs? If you’re anything like me, harvesting herbs is an ongoing process — you just clip off whatever you’re planning to cook with each day. But now that Old Jack Frost is about to make a return appearance, you need to harvest what’s left of your treasures, pronto.

Herbs deliver their best flavor and aroma when you rush them straight from the garden to the kitchen. Most of them will last for up to two weeks in your refrigerator’s crisper drawers. Just rinse them well, wrap loosely in paper towels (one type of herb per bundle), and put them into individual ziplock plastic bags.

If you want them to last longer than a few weeks, you can coarsely chop your herbs, put them in marked plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, and freeze them. Or you can dry them by spreading the stalks out on screens and leaving them in a dark room.

But this year, why not try your hand at one of my favorite homemade gifts: herbal vinegar. It packs a flavor punch you’ll never find in store-bought vinegars, and it’s as easy to make as a pot of tea. Why, in just a few hours, you can whip up a year’s worth of Christmas, birthday, and hostess gifts. For each bottle, you’ll need six to eight fresh herb sprigs and 1 quart of good-quality vinegar. Here are the simple how-tos:

STEP 1. Wash and dry the herbs, then pack them into clean quart-sized canning jars.

STEP 2. Heat the vinegar until it’s warm (don’t let it boil!), pour it over the herbs, and close the lid. Note: If you’re using jars with metal lids, cover the jar openings with plastic wrap or waxed paper before you screw the lids on. The inner wrap will keep the metal from reacting with the vinegar.

STEP 3. Put your filled jars in a dark place at normal room temperature, and let them sit for a couple of weeks.

STEP 4. Open the lid and sniff. If you detect a rich herbal aroma, it’s ready. Otherwise, close the jar and check again every week.

STEP 5. When the scent is just right, strain out the solids, pour the flavored vinegar into a pretty bottle, and tuck in a fresh herb sprig or two. Then, get ready for lots of oohs and aahs!