But Butt - Herb Garden

 Back in December last year (2022), one of our water butts developed a leak following a prolonged bout of frosty weather.

Photo 1: Frost Damage

The leaky butt has since been replaced with a slightly larger version (227 litres rather than 200 litres, Photo 2) ...

Photo 2: Replacement Butt in-situ

... but what to do with the old one? I suggested a herb garden close to the back door and therefore easily accessible to the kitchen.

The original, now defunct, waterbutt (identical to that shown in Photo 3) was installed in 2006/7 when Mary's Art Studio/Shed was built - so a decent lifespan cut short by -8 ℃ temperatures!

Photo 3: 200Litre Garden Waterbutt

I recovered the tap in case I needed it for one of the three remaining identical butts still in full working order. The barrel was cut (Scorpion electric saw) into roughly three equal sections. I had imagined the middle section would be act as a base to raise the soil-containing bottom section off the ground.

Photo 4: Two of the Three Waterbutt Sections

However, Mary pooh-poohed this idea ...

Video 1: Pooh-poohing is a serious matter

... and said she just wanted a single section containing a herb garden.

The container was placed near the back door, crocks placed in the bottom ...

Photo 5: Ready for the Soil/Compost

... and filled with a 50:50 blend of recovered coir compost and homemade garden compost. Mary has started to add a few herbs with more to follow:

Photo 6: Herb Garden starting to take shape

Unfortunately, it did mean two-thirds of the waterbutt were despatched to the local Waste & Recycling Centre rather than being re-purposed.