No yard? Think container herb gardens, which can be kept on a balcony or lanai.

"It's really easy," said Cheryl Wong, a sales associate with the Home Depot garden department. "Main thing is they don't over-water it."

While there are many ways to grow a container herb garden, Wong, an herb gardener of four years, offered her own simple version that takes about an hour to put together and lasts three to six months.

Materials:

• Super Soil: A bag of one cubic foot ($4.47).

• Horticultural Sponge Rok: A bag of 10 dry quarts ($2.88). "It helps to aerate the soil and it holds a little moisture," Wong said.

• Mexican six-pocket, 18-inch strawberry terra cotta pot ($8.98): 10- or 12-inch plastic pots may also be used, but Wong opted for the six-pocket strawberry planter for a more decorative look.

• Herbs (78 cents to $2.47): Grow herbs that require the same amount of water and sun together, Wong said. For example, basil, chives and thyme grow well together, as do rosemary, sage and oregano. In this particular garden, Wong used cat grass oats, chives, arugula, green onions, Chinese parsley and dill — each of which came in 4-inch containers for 78 cents.

• Plastic shopping bag

"With a terra cotta pot, a good practice is to get it all wet or soaked before you even do the planting," Wong said. This prevents the porous pot from absorbing moisture from the roots during the potting process.

Mix one part Sponge Rok with three to four parts Super Soil and water down the mixture. Fill the bottom of the pot with the soil mixture.

To get the herbs through the pockets of the strawberry pot without damaging the leaves and roots, Wong developed her own "plastic bag" technique. Cut a hole out of the bottom corner of a plastic shopping bag. Take the herbs out of the container and put them into the plastic bag with the roots near the hole on the bottom of the bag.

Gently gather together the top of the plastic bag with the herb leaves and pull it through one of the bottom pockets of the planter, leaving the roots inside the pot. Take the bag off and only the leaves of the herbs will poke through the hole. Stick the identification tag that comes with the plant next to the herb.

Backfill with the moist soil mixture. Continue this process with the rest of the five pockets. Wong topped the planter off with a cherry tomato plant. Water the finished garden.

"Usually I keep the herb pot out of the sun for about a day just so they all can get used to their new home, and then put them in the sun after that because they'll need it," Wong said.

Water the garden every other day or every two days, Wong said.

Reach Zenaida Serrano Espanol at zespanol@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.

Francisco Clemente

Some of Hawai'i's finest woodwork will be showcased at Hawai'i's Woodshow 2003, today through Sept. 21 at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center's Orchid Court. The 11th annual show, also known as Na La'au O Hawai'i, is a juried event featuring furniture, sculptures, musical instruments and other items made of Hawai'i-grown wood.

The Woodshow, organized by the Hawai'i Forest Industry Association, offers the public the chance to meet woodcrafters, watch demonstrations and view more than 100 gallery-quality entries, many of which will be available for purchase.

The event is free and will be open noon-9 p.m. daily except Sundays, when hours will be noon-6 p.m. Information: 478-2594.

Hot rodders, Vdubbers rally for foodbank

This weekend, cars and food drives go together:

• Windward Mall's Hot Cruise Nights is themed Cruise with a Cause and encourages all attending to bring a bag of rice or canned goods to donate to the Hawaii Foodbank. There will be entertainment, giveaways and car show awards in categories such as Best Hot Rod, Most Beautiful Original and Dragster. Hours are 5:30-10 p.m. today. Admission is free.

• The Volkswagen Club of Hawai'i is showing off its custom and vintage vehicles (including one from 1949), also as a fund-raiser for the Hawaii Foodbank, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow at Ala Moana Beach Park, near McCoy Pavilion. Other attractions include live music, games, a big bouncer for the keiki, free food and door prizes. Admission is free, but bring canned goods and rice (or cash) to donate to the foodbank.

This is the second year of the benefit; the club hopes to make it an annual event.

Enter HPR's 'Great Songs' contest to score 15 CDs

Art song fans, listen up: It's the 15th anniversary of host Gary Hickling's "Great Songs" program on Hawai'i Public Radio, and there's a contest to celebrate. Hickling and HPR president Michael Titterton will play 15 songs and ask 15 questions on the show at 7 p.m. tomorrow; a prize of 15 CDs from Hickling's collection will be awarded the next week to the listener who answers all or the most questions correctly (there'll be a drawing if there's a tie).

Listen in at 88.1 FM in Honolulu, 90.7 FM in Wailuku and 91.1 FM in Hilo. Send your answers by e-mail to greatsongs@hawaiipublicradio.org or by snail mail to Great Songs, c/o HPR, 738 Kaheka St., Honolulu, HI 96814-3726 (please print answers).

Get a good view for today's parade

Everybody loves a parade, and today's is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The annual Aloha Festivals Floral Parade, featuring pa'u riders, floats, marching bands, and visitors and kama'aina lining the streets for a good view gets under way at 9:30 a.m. from the 'ewa end of Ala Moana Beach Park. It ends at Kapi'olani Park, where an awards ceremony will take place.

The Aloha Festivals theme this year is E Mau Ana Ka Hula I Ke Kanaka (Hula Lives Through Its People). Of course, the parade is free, but do your part to support the festivals by purchasing a $5 ribbon.

To market, to market ... at KCC

Can it get better than this?: A shopping opportunity with the emphasis on food, food, food! The Saturday Farmers' Market at Kapi'olani Community College kicks off today with more than 20 farmers and food vendors offering their yummies to consumers. All products are grown or made in Hawai'i.

Among today's offerings: fruit and vegetables, organically grown beef, herbs, eggs, Kaua'i shrimp, bread and pastries, pastas, Island-made mochi crunch, jams and jellies, the list goes on.

Also, executive chef Elmer Guzman (of Sam Choy's Diamond Head Restaurant) offers a breakfast plate featuring a variety of loco moco concoctions.

Hours are 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Admission is free.

Free tours of Kona garden

Flora fans on the Big Island will be offered a rare treat today at the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona. The Bishop Museum facility is giving free 11/2-hour tours, from 10 a.m., of its collection of native plants.

Pacific Islands Festival today