Yiddlenet shows you how to make an herb garden from recycled plastic bottles.
From the site:
Lately I’ve been drinking SoBe Lifewater 0 Calorie after my workouts. It comes in these really cool spiral shaped bottles. The bottles are really sturdy and I’ve been trying to figure out what (other than recycling) I could do with them. I thought the first thing I’d try was an herb garden.I live in a townhouse, and I don’t have a lot of yard. What I do have is really really shady, so I can’t get much to grow back there. I do love using fresh herbs, so this was a good solution for me.
Whilst I love that you are reusing plastic bottles I think it's important to point out that this isn't a final solution. You write "I’ve been trying to figure out what (other than recycling) I could do with them" - the best thing to do would be to stop buying multiple bottles and refill a reusable one from the tap. If you are serious about reusing bottles then scavenge other people's from the pavement or bins to reuse, don't contribute to the problem by creating further demand on the environment - Reuse, reduce, rethink.
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Thanks Sarah -
It's good to be cautious. I'll put a note on the instructions on yiddle.net. If you decide not to use the project for an herb garden, you could still plant marigolds or other flowers for a little desk flower garden.
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Thanks Sarah - this is a great point!
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While I have no idea about these specific plastic bottles, a lot of plastic (including that used in beverage containers) contains toxic chemicals that can be absorbed by plants through the soil. When you eat plants that have absorbed toxic materials, you are consuming these nasty substances as well. The problem is compounded by heat, which you would expect in a summer herb garden. I never, ever plant anything that will be consumed in plastic for this reason--it's just not worth the risk. For container gardening, you're far better off to use ceramic (terracotta's a good choice) or even metal (like coffee cans).
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