You can make a vertical herb garden, a "living spice rack" that spins, using a repurposed tomato cage!
Vertical gardens are very popular these days because it allows you to free up your floor space without sacrificing space for gardening.
One of my favorite pasttimes is coming up with ideas to repurpose materials in the garden that most gardeners already have.
This is the case with my "Living Spice Rack" design.
Materials For Shirley Bovshow's Living Spice Rack
I imagined a lightweight, portable, and affordable vertical garden system to grow lots of herbs indoors, during the winter, or outdoors yearlong in mild climate areas.
1. Tomato Support Cages
I had to look no further than my metal tomato cage which was on it's way to the garden shed once tomato season was over.
The tomato cage with its gridlike design and sturdy composition is the perfect structure to hold a number of metal hanging baskets filled with herbs!
If you prefer wood, you can use an inexpensive wood vegetable support trellis like this one- cost $6
2. Casters and Plant Dollies
Casters and plant dollies, ($15 +) are the centerpiece of the living spice rack, enabling you to spin and move the rack as needed!
Buy some metal planting baskets and cocoa liner and fill them with your favorite herbs before attaching to the tomato cage with gardening tape.
The baskets should wedge into the tomato cage openings, mine are snug.
Make sure to select the right size metal planter by checking to see that it isn't too large or small for the opening.
That's it!
Watch Video: "
Watch the videos of the Living Spice Rack that I did for my "Way to Grow" show on Digs channel and take a look at the segment I did for the Home & Family Show on
the Hallmark channel recently!
Tips:
- If using indoors, make sure to place a saucer underneath the large, main planter to catch draining water.
- Water your living spice rack starting at the top so that the overflow water will drain onto the planters underneath it.
- Select a large container to hold the tomato cage. It should be wide so that the rack is not top heavy and topples.
- Spin your herb rack every few days for even sunlight exposure.
- Enjoy!
?Winter Herbs and Greens for Your Living Spice Rack
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Sage
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Arugula
- Radicchio
- Lettuce varieties
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Rosemary
My pleasure Carol! Take advantage of your verticle space so you can enjoy as many plants as possible. Don’t forget to use a dollie so you can spin and rotate your planters towards the sun.
Love this idea. I just moved from my home into an appartment. It has a patio and I thought I wouldn't be able to plant but this shows me that I can still grow in a small area. Thank you Shirley.
Great ideas. When I go to estate sales and yard sales I will start to source the materials. This should help free up space on my porch.
Hi Florence,
Thanks for watching the show and your nice comment! Don’t feel badly about the basil. It HATES cold weather so if your dies after the summer, that is normal.
Please let me know how your living spice rack turns out and if you need any advice!
Shirley
I watch you on Home & Family; love the innovative gardening ideas you bring! Particularly like this herb garden idea. Hope my looks as good as yours. For some reason, I can never get basil to live through a season! 🙁
Thanks Natalie! Send me a photo when you complete your living spice rack!
Shirley, just found your blog and I love the wooden rack. I now have something to do this winter. Thanks for the inspiration and I will be back to see what else you have going on. Have a blessed day Natalie
Hi Renata!
Thanks for visitng EdenMakers! I have to admit, this spinnng spice rack is one of my favorite designs to date. Looks like people enjoy the design as well. Let me know if you ever make one!
Shirley, I love the wooden rack great idea for space saving. Looks good too!
Hi Tina,
Thanks for your comment and observations. I agree that most people would need a grow light indoors- unless you have a great sunroom like they do at the Home & Family show where I demonstrated the Living Spice Rack.
I do have a tiny overspray of water from the baskets, but very little. What I love about the design is that the baskets on upper levels drip down to the lower level baskets!
All you have to do is make sure that the baskets are lined up.
What kind of garden do you keep?
Shirley
A great idea for space-saving and I could see this working exceptionally well on a deck or patio near a kitchen door. I have doubts about it as an indoor planter. There is typically not enough light in a room to grow herbs well without a special grow light. It also looks like you could potentially have water dribbling onto the floor from the baskets.
Thank you Christa! Appreciate your time visiting EdenMakers and for commenting.
This is such a cool vertical herb garden!!! Very cute, versatile, and handy.
Thank you Tammy. Do you have a photo of your pallet garden? You can upload it here in the comment section.
Shirley
Hi Tammy- I see you are big into crafting! How fun. Your tropical bombs look delicious.
Please drop by again sometime!
Love this…I did one in a pallet…but this is a wonderful idea!
Beautiful, I love this idea!!
Glad you like them! Thanks for always being so supportive.
What are you up to these days?
Wow Shirley,
The containers have really grown. Impressive!