4-Inch Potted Herb Plants for Shower Favors

Herb Basics

• To give herbs as shower gifts, buy flats of herbs at a nursery or garden center and transplant them into attractive pots, using a lightweight potting mix. To start your own, sow herb seeds in seed trays six to eight weeks before the event. Cover them with a light dusting of potting soil, and spray the trays with a mister filled with water. Cover the trays with plastic wrap and store in a warm place, such as the top of the refrigerator. Once the herbs germinate, move the tray to a sunny location and keep the soil evenly moist. Transplant the herbs to the pots when they stand 3 inches high.

Pot Ideas

• Terra cotta pots look charming on their own, but dress them up for extra pizazz. Sponge paint them with sage green, gold and rust colored paint or add ribbon around the edge. Mix a bit of moss and buttermilk in a blender and brush the pots with the solution. Cover the pots with a plastic bag and place them in a sunny location. The moss grows quickly over the pot, creating a natural, rustic feel.

Symbolism

• Herbs have been used medicinally and in cooking for thousands of years. Many of them have symbolic meaning. Rosemary, for example, signifies love and loyalty, and would be appropriate for a wedding shower. Lavender implies housewifely virtue, while mint stands for eternal refreshment. Thyme signifies bravery, courage and strength, while chamomile means wisdom and patience. Include a poem or brief note explaining the symbolism behind the herbs given as shower gifts.

Use

• Select herbs based on their use. For example, give pots of chamomile at a baby shower with a note on how to dry the herb and use it for a relaxing tea. Host a cooking shower for a new bride and provide a recipe for salsa with pots of cilantro or roasted chicken with pots of rosemary. Provide tips on how to dry lavender for potpourri with a pot of lavender.