Vertical gardens are all over the magazines, but even then, the forms and frames are a bit time consuming to build. We want easy. We want a garden to have at our fingertips, literally, and enjoy the freshness that we have grown and maintained ourselves. We want function. We want pretty. And, let’s face it, we just want a garden that doesn’t take up space.
While pushing my buggy around Target and killing time, I wandered down the organization isle and stopped in front of the shoe holders. My wheels started spinning and I got to thinking that the canvas shoe holder that was right in front of me would make for a perfect vertical garden holder. I threw it in my buggy, headed to Adam’s Fairacre Farms to pick out my plants, and decided herbs were going to live in this vertical garden. I chose to plant the herbs I cook with the most; basil, Italian parsley, rosemary, lemon balm (delicious in iced tea), and chives.
The shoe holder originally had 24 compartments and I cut it down to eight, deciding that was enough to start with. The leftover, I’ll save and put away for an additional garden later. I filled the bottom of each compartment with potting soil, and then I removed the plant from its plastic container and carefully put each plant in its own compartment. I filled around with a little more potting soil and used a spritzer to water the herbs. There are grommets at the top to hang the garden, and the shoe organizer I chose came with hooks, which is a plus. I decided to hang over a door, but you can also hang on a wall as well. To protect the door from moisture, I cut a large trash bag to size and used a strong tape to tape the door (or wall, if that is where you want to hang your garden).
Water your vertical garden every few days, and don’t let it dry out completely. For thorough watering, I suggest hanging the garden in your shower, using your showerhead on a delicate setting to water. Let garden drain completely before hanging back on your wall / door. It would be best to water at night and let sit in the shower overnight to drain.
Herbs do grow quickly, but if you use them often enough and keep them trimmed, you’ll be able to keep your vertical garden for a long time. This DIY vertical garden is quick and easy, and you’ll certainly get a lot of tasty bang for your buck.
Melissa says
I love how neat and clean this looks!! Thanks for the suggestion.