Upsides to the Down Economy/ Revenge of the Peanuts

I hate to throw away those Styrofoams peanuts that come in mailed packages, but the bags full of them are threatening to take over my garage. What to do? Just read a great tip in a magazine to use them in potted plants. If you have a plant to put in a big container, it is a waste to fill it all up with soil (the plants won't know), so they recommended putting the peanuts in a plastic garbage bag and putting the bag on the bottom of the container. Fill the rest up with soil and plant your plant. I had a similar problem with my big blue pots by my front door, but since I just wanted to put sea grass in it, and the container they came in was too small to fit inside the pots, I found a plastic pot that was the right size and laid it inside. Now I can easily remove the grass to water it. Another tip they gave for herb gardens was to group herbs that need less water and fertilizer (Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano) in one area, and the ones that need more water and fertile soil (like basil, parsley and cilantro) in another area. You don't want to over water your rosemary, since you frequently see it growing into bushes in arid climates.