Clunky Farm Tote Repurposed to Herb Garden Carrier

My boss is out of town, so my weekend has extended three extra days. In an effort to better manage my time I set three goals for projects I would like to accomplish over the five-day weekend. Yesterday my mom and I painted the family room which completed one of the goals. I also worked on my necklace (the monster vacuum survivor) from the previous post, but haven't quite finished it - but I still have another day although I have planned lunch with friends and believe me, that will take a good chunk out of the middle of the day as we get to talking. My third goal was to transform this old tote that has been taking up space in the garage and, as you can see, serving as a gathering spot for spiders.

First I had to remove the roofing nails my husband added when he confiscated the piece. I also sent the spiders on their way outside and cleaned the dust off.

When I was buying the paint to use in the family room there was a mis-tinted can of paint being sold for $2.00. It looked like a nice cream color so I snatched it up to use on this tote as well as other future projects. When I painted the tote I noticed some initials carved along the rim that weren't visible before. I love finding things like that!

I painted a very loose cluster of roses on one side. I didn't do much detail on them because I wanted a more casual effect. I then spotted a stack of clay pots I had been meaning to use for something and decided to see if they fit in this carrier. I didn't know before this what I was going to use the carrier for. I thought maybe I would use it for organizing tools or supplies.

The carrier was obviously meant to be a container for Herbs. I have been wanting to try my hand at growing them and now was the perfect time to get started! I made a trip to the garden center and purchased Lavender, Rosemary, Sugar Bush, Chives and Greek Oregano. I wanted to grow some Bay Leaf but didn't find any. These all need full sun so I can leave this in the sunroom and bring it in when I need it in the kitchen. For right now I have kept the plants in their original containers which also fit perfectly in the carrier.

I had never heard of Sugar Bush, but was told this is what is added to sugar free soda to sweeten it. The insert said it was good to sweeten tea and could be used as a sugar substitute when dried. I tasted the leaf and it is indeed quite sweet. Now that I have my little Herb garden I need to learn what to do with the variety I've chosen. Any suggestions or experiences with growing and/or cooking with Herbs are encouraged and greatly appreciated as I am a total beginner!

I still have a couple of spots on my family room wall that need to be touched up and a necklace that is waiting to be completed. Time is a wasting!