Vertical Herb Gardens
This week I returned from a vacation in Europe. All over France, Italy and Greece, I noticed how the apartment dwellers cover their balconies with baskets, pots, and vertical herb or flower gardens. Seeing the greenery made it difficult not to imagine the amazing Provencal dishes that are prepared each day using those fresh herbs.
I’m working on turning our small suburban property into a sustainable permaculture food forest. Because our property is less than a quarter of an acre, I like to squeeze plants into every nook and cranny that I can. Growing vertical herb gardens makes sense because I can transform previously unused space on a wall or post into a beautiful and functional way to grow food. Today I want to share with you three vertical herb gardens I have placed in unused spaces around my house.
1
Vertical Herb Garden on the Deck
Our family recently transformed our deck into a place we can’t seem to spend enough time. We added fresh paint to the railings, pressure washed the composite floor, strung bistro lights, and moved my houseplants outside for the summer. My favorite upgrade was this vertical herb garden we attached to a blank spot on the brick between the kitchen window and sliding door.
I found these cute and inexpensive planters at Target, and we used masonry screws to secure them to the brick. The plants have grown exponentially since moving them to the planters, so we believe they enjoy the radiant heat from the brick.
I like to sit on the deck in the evenings and enjoy the subtle herby smell coming from the vertical herb garden. We chose nasturtium, echinacea, cilantro, peppermint, purple basil, and dill. I planted the echinacea and dill from seeds, so they’re still tiny. This garden is so close to my kitchen, and I can’t wait to grab handfuls of fresh dill to add to my canned pickles!
2
Vertical Herb Garden on the Front Porch Post
This herb garden is a lesson to never let ANY space go to waste. We have a single post on our front porch, so I didn’t want the space to continue to be unused. It’s fun to get creative when choosing where to grow vertically.
I purchased these metal planter rings online and they were easy to install, since they were going into wood. I have something similar in my living room to hold houseplants around my TV. You can see that post here. I found some inexpensive plastic pots that fit perfectly inside the rings at my local nursery. You can find the 8” rings I used here. I love how these rings tilt the pots outward for easy watering.
3
Vertical Herb Garden on the Front Porch
This herb garden is similar to the one on the front porch post, but these rings are smaller in size. We attached them with masonry screws the same way as the deck herb garden. I found inexpensive plastic pots at the nursery and the rings hold them perfectly.
This herb garden is covered so it doesn’t receive rain, but our house faces west so it gets a few hours of direct sunlight each afternoon and evening. I water these plants each morning with a watering can. The plants seem to be very happy in their new homes! You can find the 6” rings I used here.
Filling previously unused spaces with fragrant greenery has really dressed up my front porch and deck. What unused space is in your home that could use a decorative and functional vertical herb garden? What dishes do you make with fresh herbs? Please comment below with your favorite fresh herb meal ideas!
Some of the links on this blog may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support the content creation on this blog.
Hi Lucy! Such a great idea to grow herbs in vertical spaces! I love items that are pretty and functional at the same time. Those flower pot rings are amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Donna!!
I love homemade guacamole with fresh cilantro.
I love breakfast burritos with eggs from my hens, greens from the garden & fresh dill.
And I love a fresh salad with parsley & basil.