How to Grow a Hanging Herb Garden in a Shoe Organizer
This hanging herb garden is a simple and adorable way to get your hands in the dirt this summer!
If you’re like me and have discovered that houseplants are invincible, but don’t know where to start with outdoor gardening, this hanging herb garden is a transition between the two that’s trendy and easy.
For a beginner, outdoor gardening can often be intimidating. Last summer, I tried starting with simple window boxes and the plants shriveled up within a week’s time. But this DIY hanging herb garden is perfect for the novice gardener! To get started, you’ll need a shoe organizer, plus some soil, seeds and TLC. Then you’re on your way! (Here are the best annual flowers for containers.)
What is a hanging herb garden?
It’s exactly what it sounds like—a garden you hang up on hooks or a fence. By filling the pockets of a shoe organizer with soil and seeds, you’ve made yourself a vertical garden that you can hang up and show off to your neighbours and friends.
Using a shoe organizer means you have built-in compartments for your herbs. You don’t need to measure the distance between where you plant each group of seeds, and you don’t need to worry about how much space there is in your yard. This trend keeps gardening simple and it’s a great way to enter the world of outdoor gardening.
How to DIY a hanging herb garden
Materials You’ll Need
- Cloth shoe organizer
- Potting soil or compost
- Hooks or nails for hanging
- Herbs or plants of your choice (Learn about the medicinal herbs you can grow in your backyard.)
Directions
This method comes to us from our friends at Birds & Blooms.
Step 1: Choose a location
Decide on a location for your vertical herb garden, somewhere sunny but not too harsh. If you have a fence or space on side of a garage or shed, those could be great spots to put your hanging garden on display. Use nails or screws to attach the shoe organizer where you want to hang it.
Most shoe organizers are lightweight, but once you start packing soil in the pouches and add water and growing plants, things will get heavy quick. So, make sure that whatever method you use to hang your garden is stable. (Find more ideas for things to repurpose instead of throwing away!)
Step 2: Check the drainage on your shoe organizer
Check the drainage of the pouches before planting by pouring in some water. Root rot can happen if water doesn’t drain properly, so it’s important for your plants to have well-draining homes. If the water pools and doesn’t drain, here’s an easy fix! Just poke a few small holes in the bottom of each pouch and you’re good to go.
Step 3: Add the soil and plants or seeds
Fill the pouches with soil or compost, but leave about an inch between the top of the pouch and the soil. Add the herbs, plants or seeds and watch your vertical herb garden grow!
Next, check out these urban gardening tips that are perfect for small spaces.
