Container for SunBryn Wcllace

Herb & Bloom Medley Container For Sun

This airy, fragrant and mostly edible herb and bloom container is perfect for an area of your yard where you get 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. You can cook with most of these plants, adding delicious flavor to your meals. Along with the herbs, cosmos and alyssum add color to your container, making it attractive and versatile.

Plants Featured

Cosmos

Cosmos are annual plants that bloom for most of the summer and into fall. Their blooms are tall, their foliage is airy and they come in colors of orange, pink, purple, red and white. Cosmos attract butterflies and songbirds and are lovely flowers to plant in a cutting garden. Unlike some of the other plants in this container, cosmos are not edible. To encourage repeat flowering of cosmos, we suggest deadheading old and spent blooms.

Oregano

This perennial herb tastes wonderful in many different recipes, especially in tomato sauces, Greek salads, and seasoned meats. You can use this plant in a container and, if you wish, in the ground as a leafy ground cover. While pollinators love the oregano blooms, we recommend removing the buds if you see them forming to encourage the plant to continue producing its delicious foliage.  We recommend pinching them back by 2 to 4” in order to promote a bushier growth.

Thyme

Thyme is another perennial herb that is wonderful in anything from soups to grilled meats and potatoes. Thyme is particularly fragrant in the garden. It is known to be drought tolerant and attractive to pollinators. If you want to move your thyme to the garden, plant it in an area that receives good drainage and direct sunlight for at least 6 to 8 hours daily. We recommend pinching them back by 2 to 4” in order to promote a bushier growth.

Alyssum

Alyssum is an attractive annual plant that blooms from early spring to late summer in shades of pink, purple and white. It attracts pollinators and does particularly well when planted among herbs and vegetables. With its beautiful fragrance, Alyssum is a lovely addition to a cutting garden.

Basil

Basil is a delicious smelling and tasting annual herb that is a staple of the herb garden. It works well in this particular container as it is surrounded by other herbs like oregano and thyme. While pollinators love the basil blooms, we recommend removing the buds if you see them forming to encourage the plant to continue producing its delicious foliage. There are many different kinds of basil, such as sweet basil, purple basil, lemon basil and thai basil. Basil can be frozen as a pesto sauce by distributing the mixture into an ice tray and putting it in the freezer.

Sorrel

Sorrel is another annual herb that has many different varieties to choose from, such as French sorrel, English sorrel, red-veined sorrel and sheep sorrel. It is frost tolerant and should be deadheaded frequently to encourage leaf growth. The herb can be used in soups, sauces, salads and more.

For more tips, see our favorite easy to grow herbs here.

Planting Instructions

If you’re looking to replicate this container in your own home, follow our step by step potting instructions. Here is an abbreviated version. 

1. Select a container. Choose a container with drainage holes. This allows excess water to drain out of the bottom of the pot, letting the roots take in the oxygen they need to survive. When choosing a container, consider the size of the plants you’re planning to put into it. You want to allow plenty of room for root growth. The larger the pot, the more soil you can use, meaning there is more room for growth and it is easier to keep that soil moist.

2. Add Merrifield Potting Mix. We recommend using a well draining potting soil to allow adequate moisture and oxygen balance for optimal plant health. Before you pour in your soil, place a piece of landscape fabric or a coffee filter over the drainage holes in your container. This will prevent soil from leaking out of the holes. Add Merrifield Potting Mix until the container is around ⅔ full.

3. Add a slow release fertilizer. Mix a slow release plant food, such as organic Plant Tone, into the soil. This will provide a continual release of nutrients for your plants to thrive. Follow the instructions on the bag for the amount of fertilizer to add based on the size of your container. 

4. Add your plants. Before placing your plants into the soil, we suggest arranging your plants in their growers pots to see what the layout will look like when they are planted. Then, working with the tallest plant first, cosmos in this instance, remove the growers pot and loosen the roots, tucking the plant into your fertilized soil. Continue planting with the oregano, thyme, alyssum, basil and sorrel in the same way. As you’re planting, you can tuck in more potting soil as you need it. The goal is to keep the soil around 1” below the lip of the container when you are finished planting.

5. Top dress your container. Use decorative rocks or mulch in a thin layer over the surface of your soil to help retain moisture, keep critters out of the soil, and keep the soil in the pot when watering.

6. Water thoroughly. After everything is planted, water thoroughly until the soil is moist and the water comes out of the drainage holes of your container. If you’re placing the container on a wood surface like a deck or a balcony, we suggest using a saucer or plant toes or plant feet to keep the container lifted off of the ground so that excess water does collect under your pot and potentially damage your surface.

7. Fertilize throughout the growing season. We recommend reapplying Plant Tone two or three times during the growing season, pouring it directly on top of the soil. If you’re using a decorative soil cover, push it aside to place the Plant Tone directly on the soil surface. Follow the instructions on the bag for the amount to apply for continual feeding. 

Ongoing Care

Watering

The plants in this container will thrive with moist soil. You do not want the soil to completely dry out or remain soaking wet. In general, you will likely need to check the soil for water every 1 to 2 days. Use your finger to reach into the soil a few inches deep and feel if the soil is wet or dry. If the soil is beginning to dry out, water thoroughly until the soil is totally saturated and feels like a soaking wet sponge and water runs through the drainage holes of the container.