How to Make a Mug Garden

As much as I love the muted clang of a spoon twirling inside a hefty cup of cocoa, I finally realized that I had way too many mugs. I opened my cupboard to reveal more hot beverage vessels than a single guy in a studio apartment should ever own. There was a Disco Snoopy mug, an extra-tall sunflower mug, and a Lafayette College mug. I moved those out of the way to reveal a Howard Dean mug, a Washington Mutual mug, and some kind of green and white checkered thing. And of course there was a set of solid blue mugs, a proud but drab family of four. I reached past all those and grabbed the holdout, a public radio mug I had once received in return for my generous pledge drive contribution. Count them all up and that’s how many? Eleven! Something had to be done about my mug collection, so I decided to make a mug garden.

I’d been complaining about the lack of green plants in my apartment anyway. I’d just never bothered to grow anything – nary a single herb, cactus, or hanging plant. It occurred to me that the mugs, some of which were quite ugly, would make cheap, fun pots for small kitchen plants and herbs. In just a few hours, I created a mug garden which now adorns my windowsill.

Here’s how to make a mug garden:

1. Get mugs. If you’re like me, you already have some good candidates stashed away in the cabinets. If you don’t, cheap mugs can be found at dollar stores and thrift stores. Often, these are the tackiest and most worthy of display for their kitschy conversation value (remember my Disco Snoopy mug?). I used my seven oddball mugs for the mug garden, saving the boring set for daily use. Be sure to select a number of mugs that will reasonably fit wherever you want to put them. Rinse them out thoroughly without using soap, since the residue can be harmful for the plants.

2. Drill holes in the mugs. Since pots need drainage, you’ll need to burrow through the bottom of each mug to create two or three small holes. For a regular-sized mug, I drilled two holes, both about a quarter inch in diameter. Even an inexpensive power drill will work for this. I had a friend bring over a cordless drill, and in no time, my mug garden “pots” were drainage-friendly.

3. Get potting soil. At most stores, a cheap bag of basic potting soil costs under $5. If you’re only filling a small mug garden, you won’t need very much. Loosely fill each mug, leaving a little room near the top.

4. Select seeds or obtain cuttings. The same friend who lent me the drill was gracious enough to bring along some cuttings from his spider plant (known for being a hardy, easy-care plant). I also purchased some herb seeds to round out the mug garden: dill, basil, and chives. They’ve begun to sprout, and the spider plant cuttings have taken root nicely.

5. Care for your mug garden. Especially during incipient stages, follow the instructions for seeds and move mugs if necessary to get each plant the kind of sunlight and heat it needs.

Benefits of a mug garden:

1. It’s a great way to use mugs that you may already have, especially the ones with kitsch display value.
2. The handles make the mugs easier to move than regular pots.
3. A mug with a fledgling herb makes a cheap, practical gift.
4. It’s fun to watch things grow. It’s like 5th grade all over again, without having to make a poster about photosynthesis.