Image: Reclaimed wood-chalkboard trug/herb planter, by the Orchard, from Not on the High Street.

Like a lot of people living in London, I don’t have a garden. In fact, I haven’t owned a garden ever since I left home 15 years ago. Ergo, completely useless green fingers. But I do have a couple of windowsills and a balcony that’s officially not mine but I may be able to use it to grow stuff on anyway.

I’ve accumulated some very cheap gardening tools (Sainsbury’s have a great range), and I’ve picked up a packet of compost that’s meant to be ideal for growing seeds and seedlings. My goal is to do this on a shoestring budget, so no fancy containers for me.

Instead, I go down the nursery school method of using tin cans as containers – and after a bit of research I’ve discovered that parsley is probably the easiest herb to grow from seed. It’s ridiculously easy - and makes a great gardening project if you’ve got kids, too.

To make your own herb pot garden, you’ll need:
• Empty aluminum cans
• Screwdriver and hammer
• Compost
• Small pebbles
• Herb seeds or seedlings

You can also decorate your cans with acrylic paint, but I quite like the urban minimalist look of plain aluminium. Although, I’m quite tempted to make little cosies from old sweaters for my tins cans.

How to make them:
1. Wash and dry aluminum cans, remove paper labels.

2. Turn cans upside down and use a hammer and screwdriver  to poke some holes in the bottom of them for drainage.

3. Layer the bottom of cans with loose pebbles, and then fill them up to two-thirds full with compost.

4. Sprinkle some seeds on top of compost, and then cover with another thin layer of compost.
5. Water and place in a sunny window … and wait for them to sprout!

I’m just starting out nice and easy with a bit of parsley, but I’ve got my eye on a couple of good seedling websites that India Knight mentions in The Thrift Book. She orders seedlings (that are best grown in containers and small spaces) from www.sarahraven.com and www.rocketgardens.co.uk - and they’re delivered straight to her door. It sounds ridiculously easy and it’s apparently very good value. In fact, the Instant Patio Container Garden (how I love the sound of that) from www.rocketgardens.co.uk costs £36.99, but it apparently yields as much as £300 in fresh organic produce. Definitely something to think about…