Easy Vertical Herb Garden using an old Ladder!

Are you looking for an affordable and creative way to spruce up your outdoor deck or patio? Building a vertical herb garden is not only fun and rewarding, but it also adds a unique charm to your outdoor space. And the best part of all is that you don’t need to be an experienced DIYer or gardener. Anyone can create their own amazing vertical herb garden with just a few supplies and a simple ladder.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make an easy (and beautiful) vertical herb garden by repurposing a ladder so you can start harvesting fresh herbs right away!

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My Herb Garden did not fair very well last year, it was in the backyard with the vegetable garden.  It could have been the containers they were in or just the location.  I decided this year I would build a Vertical Herb Garden and place it on my deck.  

I love that I can move my herb garden where I need it, based on the sun or shade.

Supplies for a Vertical Herb Garden

You do not have to spend much money to make this ladder garden planter. You can shop at thrift stores for the used ladder and metal buckets. Keep an eye out for beer buckets, I see them at Goodwill all of the time. Remember you can spray-paint the bucket to cover up that ugly beer logo.

• Old ladder – you can use a straight ladder or a step ladder
• Metal buckets or plastic (measure to make sure they will fit in between ladder rungs)
• Spray Paint
• Drill
• Screw Hooks
• Painters Tape
• Plant Markers or Labels
• Herbs of your choice

How to make a vertical herb garden

Start by drilling drain holes into the bottom of your hanging buckets.

I taped off the edges (using Frog Tape) of the buckets because I wanted the green color to be in the middle of the bucket with metal edges. The green spray paint I used matches my patio decor. The color I used was Verde Green which is no longer available. I found metallic sea mist which is a close second.

Spray painting your bucket is optional. My handles were not removable so I used frog tape to cover them while I was spraying the buckets.

I made my labels using Cameron (yes, I named my Cameo) to make the vinyl lettering for the buckets.  I used the Century School Book text and sized the letters to be 2 inched high by 5 to 6 inches long.

Not everyone has a Cricut or Cameo cutter to make vinyl labels.

Here are a few different options to make your labels.

• Handwrite your herb names and paint them with acrylic paint
• Buy vinyl sheets and make a stencil using paper and a printer(trace stencil and use an exacto knife to cut out the name)
• Place herb markers inside the buckets

Planting herbs for the vertical garden ladder

Add some sort of drainage items to the bottom of your bucket. This year I am trying packing peanuts for my drainage. I saw this tip and decided that packing peanuts are better to use than rocks. Only because the rocks will make the buskets heavier. I figured this would be a good thing to do since they were going to be hanging.

Add soil, fertilizer, herbs of choice, and water.

I was initially going to place my herb buckets on the privacy fence of our deck. I quickly changed my plans after I found the ladder in my neighbor’s trash.  The little lightbulb in my head turned on and instantly said Vertical Herb Garden.

My neighbor saw my finished project and said, “I want my ladder back.”

The buckets fit perfectly inside each ladder rung.  I guess they were meant to be on this ladder.

What can I make with an old ladder?

I love a great upcycle ladder project so I am sharing a few of my favorites from my DIY friends.

• Repurposed leaning ladder with baskets
• Repurposed ladder shelf
• Coat rack ladder

The great thing about using an upcycled ladder to make a vertical herb garden is that it doesn’t take up extra space – you can place it almost anywhere you can fit the ladder. Plus, it’s inexpensive, easy to make, and is a unique way of showing off your skills in upcycling. Ready for your own ladder plant stand? All you need are some basic supplies, a ladder, and a little bit of creativity. You’ll be surprised how nice planting different types of herbs on a vertical herb garden looks and smells – plus, you get the added benefit of having freshly-picked herbs for all your culinary needs! Are you ready to make your own vertical herb garden now? With the help of our tips, creating one out of an old ladder should be easy as pie!

Check out these other outdoor living projects

• Simple patio decorating ideas
• Flip-up deck bar
• Electric spool table