Making a basil dog waterer

After my last post, I had people wanting specific instructions on how I was going to make my dog waterer. I didn’t have time to make it before my last post because of farm related busyness that made it so that while I was researching what I wanted to do, I hadn’t had time to do it yet. So, here is how I made this, now that I finally found time to make this waterer.

First, get a pot and a water dish that fits nicely inside your planting pot with room to spare around the sides. Keep in mind how big or small your dog is when choosing the height of your planting pot.

Partially block the drainage hole in your pot with rocks or pebbles to prevent dirt from escaping too badly.

Partially fill your planting pot with potting soil. Keep in mind that the bowl will have to still fit in the pot once it has been planted.

Next, add compost soil or dirt from your garden or yard. This adds a few more vitamins to the pot for your plant.

In my case, the plant I picked, as mentioned in my last post, was basil. There are three ways to plant basil. The first, obviously is from seed. Second, is transplanting. That is what I chose to do. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures from the transplanting. Make sure that your roots are covered over if you use basil. The third method is to essentially create cuttings from basil from the store. If you get some stems that are 4-6 inches long and make sure you have a fresh cut on the bottom of the stem. Stick them in water like a bouquet and keep them in a sunny window. They will root in about a week.

My sister made Baran’s sister a similar waterer, but she used Arabian Jasmine. Any herb that isn’t poisonous to dogs and can be grown in a pot can work. You’ll want to check before you start your project so that you know how deep to plant your chosen herb.

Once the waterer is finished, your dog will quickly figure out how to access the water dish, and you will have fresh herbs year round that your dog is helping you keep watered.

The finished dog waterer with potted basil.

Pixie, the rat terrier, has figured out my dog waterer and is getting a drink from between the fragrant basil plants.