DIY vertical herb garden
on January 10, 2017
Fresh herbs are a modern kitchen necessity, but they can be expensive to purchase in the grocery store. So what’s a budding gourmet to do? Try planting your own herb garden on a sunny wall or fence! This DIY vertical herb garden can be made with just a little sewing know-how and a repurposed burlap bag, plus it's suitable for small spaces. Just follow our easy step-by-step instructions to make your own vertical garden—simply sew and sow!
Inspired? Create and share with #MyHallmark.
Materials
- 1 large burlap bag (about 24 by 36 in.)
- Ruler
- Black marker
- Sewing machine and strong sewing thread
- Scissors
- Grommet kit including 2, ½-in. grommets (available at most home-improvement and craft stores)
- 2 large nails or screws
- Hammer or screwdriver
- Trowel
- Gardening gloves
- Potting soil
- 9 herb plants in about 4-in. pots
Directions
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If the top opening of the burlap bag is ragged or uneven, trim it, turn under the raw edge and finish it with a seam.
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Now, measure the size of your burlap bag with the ruler. Divide measurements into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Mark lines on the bag with your ruler and black marker based on your measurements. Tip: Our bag was 36 inches long and 24 inches wide, so we marked our horizontal lines at 12 inches and 24 inches down and our vertical lines at 8 inches and 16 inches across.
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Sew along all your marked lines with a small stitch through both layers of burlap. Then sew again along the first stitched line with a second row of stitches to reinforce the seams.
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Make slits through the top layer of burlap for each of the “pockets” about 1 inch below each of the horizontal seams. Be careful not to cut through the vertical seams.
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Attach ½-inch grommets to the 2 top corners of the bag using your grommet kit for hanging.
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Take the bag outside and hang it up on your fence or wall with large nails or screws to secure it.
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Fill all the pockets about half full with moistened potting soil. Transplant each herb to a pocket and cover their roots with a few more handfuls of potting soil. Water again slowly.
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Now go inside, wash your hands, and start picking out some new recipes to try with your awesome herb garden.
Tip: If you can’t find old coffee bags to use like we did, you can find them online or at your neighborhood nursery or home-improvement store.
