Introduction: Indoor Pet Herb Garden for Dogs or Cats
I decided to make an indoor herb garden with plants specifically meant for dogs. My Husky loves to eat plants outside so I figured this was a great project to do and help promote doggy health. You can easily plant items for cats as well. You can watch the full project in the video above.
This project I used these tools and parts but the same thing can easily be accomplished with basic hand tools.
- Planer
- Air Compressor
- Pneumatic Nail Gun
- 1 1/4" Brad Nails
- Potting Soil
- Brushes
The whole project costs only $50 from Home Depot and most of that expense was on plants.
Items I purchased
- 2 - 3/4 in. x 6 in. x 6 ft. Alta Premium Treated Dog-Ear Fence Picket
- 1- 1 in x 2 in x 6 ft Select Pine
- 1 - Lemon Balm Herb
- 1 - Italian Parsley
- 1 - Purple Basil
- 1 - Peppermint
- 1 - Rosemary
- 1 - Fernleaf Dill
- 1- Silicone Sealant
- 1 - Stain of your choice (optional)
You can find more information at the links below to find plants safe for your canine (or feline) friends.
https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-grow-herb-garden-your-dog/76466
https://www.canidae.com/blog/2015/04/how-to-plant-a-dog-friendly-herb-garden/
Thanks for checking out my instructable and I hope you try making your own pet herb garden.
Step 1: Plane, Measure, and Cut
I ran my cedar pickets through the planner to create a nice smooth look. This garden is for indoor use so I will be staining it to match the decor. You could easily skip this planing step, although it does help make your pickets nice and straight.
I measured out the length of my herb garden to 24 inches and left the width the size of my cedar picket. So 6 inches. The legs measured out to 14 inches each. You can always measure out your own lengths and customize this project however you would like.
I placed these on my miter saw and cut them down to the specified lengths.
Step 2: Put It All Together and Seal the Inside
Once all your pieces are cut to length, begin nailing them together. For increase strength add a layer of glue between each piece before fastening.
For this step I used my pneumatic nail gun and put 1 1/4" brad nails into each intersecting side. Once the box was together I added the legs by nailing them into the side. There are many ways you can add your legs and make it as fancy as you would like. I kept mine simple to save on cost and since it will stay low to the ground I wasn't as worried about stability.
You could use screws, but you should pre-drill everything first. You can also use just a simple hammer and nails.
Now that the planter is complete make sure to add your silicone sealant to the inside of your box along all the edges. This will help keep the water in the box when you go to water your plants.
Step 3: (Optional) Apply Your Stain
As I said before, this part is completely optional but you can now apply your stain. Adding stain will help preserve the wood, make it look pretty, and give you nice contrasting colors to the green of your plants.
Allow the stain to dry before moving on to planting.
Step 4: Add Your Plants
If you stained your planter box and it is now dry, you can add your potting soil and plants!
Here is a list of the plants I used and some resources to learn more about dog safe herbs.
- 1 - Lemon Balm Herb
- 1 - Italian Parsley
- 1 - Purple Basil
- 1 - Peppermint 1
- 1 - Rosemary
- 1 - Fernleaf Dill
You can find more information at the links below to find plants safe for your canine (or feline) friends.
https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-grow-herb-garden-your-dog/76466
https://www.canidae.com/blog/2015/04/how-to-plant-a-dog-friendly-herb-garden/
Step 5: Let Your Dog Feast!
Once your planter is completed, let your canine or feline friend feast on the delicious plants! This is probably the most enjoyable step getting to watch them sample what they like.
Make sure to water your herbs to keep them alive and growing for your fur friends.
I hope you enjoyed this instructable and were able to make your own pet herb garden.