DIY Stacked Herb Garden
Looking for an easy DIY Spring project for your backyard or patio?
Try growing your own herbs in this DIY stacked potted herb garden. Not only will it spruce up your outdoor space, but it’s also a convenient and frugal way to incorporate your own homegrown herbs into cooking!
This is a great project if you have mismatched pots lying around – the basic idea is to find three different sized pots to use as a tower and then to use two small sized pots (empty paint cans work too!) upside down for height and to stabilize the planter. Consider painting all your pots in the same color like I did for a more uniform look.
Stacked Herb Garden:
Supplies Needed:
- 5 pots of varying sizes to create a tower (plastic or terra cotta will work)
- Potting soil
- Herbs or flowers (For my planter I used basil, parsley, cilantro, and mint.)
- Plastic garden markers (I opted to use plain markers from Home Depot)
- black craft paint
- white paint pen
- Paint for painting mismatched pots (if desired)
Directions:
- Paint the pots (if desired) and let dry.
- Start with the largest pot at the bottom and place an upside down small pot on the inside.
- Add potting soil and plant first tier of herbs around the outside of pot. Continue on with the same method for the second and third tier.
- When done, you’ll have three tiers of herbs.
- Finish by dipping plain, plastic garden markers in paint and using a permanent paint pen to write the names of herbs.
My herbs lasted for almost the entire summer last year with normal watering – the basil and mint definitely lasted the longest. This year, I chose to fill my pots with $10 worth of annual flowers and I think they turned out great! This DIY Stacked Garden would also make a great Mother’s Day Gift!
This works even better if you fill each pot with potting mix instead of the inverted pot because it allows for more moisture retention and much more root development.
Be careful planting mint with other herbs, it’s very invasive & will take over, you may want to keep it by itself separately- fyi.
That is correct! Also, be careful with it even if you think it’s dead. I had a pot of mint that didn’t come back at all for 2 years…dumped the dirt in compost and surprise! Now it’s a mint patch.
I use mint to make mint tea…yummy!
I plant my mint in a old peanut butter or coffee container then plant it in with my other herbs keeps it from spreading. Plus great way to use all the plastic containers I wash and save.
Mint doesn’t take over when it’s planted in pots by itself or with other herbs as long as it’s in a pot. The trouble starts when you plant it in the ground, then it will take over.
I planted some mint in my garden, and you’re right…it totally took over. On a positive note my critter killer company told me mint keeps spiders and ants away from the house because it has a strong and bitter oil. So if you do accidentally plant it and it takes over, at least you won’t have bugs and you can sip your mojitos outside!
Do you mean just use 3 pots and fill them all with soil?
Yes. You can still stack them but there is more potting mix (never soil in a container,) for the roots to grow in which will give you larger, healthier plants! 🙂
What do you use mint for?
Mojitos!!!!
Totally!
Mint tea! Yummy!
Middle Eastern cuisine
In Indian cuisine, mint sauce is really good in summers.
Thanks for the ideas. I saw mint at Home Depot when I bought my normal rosemary, cilantro, basil, & parsley this weekend, but didn’t know how to use it. I think I’ll add mint to my herb garden and experiment a little. 🙂
Add to limeade or other refreshing drinks!
A few leaves in lemonade, or even just ice water, as well as all the other suggestions below! I also read it’s a natural mosquito repellent, so we’ll see!
Beautiful idea, thanks Lina!
Where did you Mint plant?
Buy**
My walmart sells it in a potted plant style near the lettuce!
Bonnie Plants are 5 for $10 at Home Depot this week. I found mint and spearmint there!
Okay thanks. Do you have to buy 5. Or you can buy less for 2 each
No, you don’t have to buy 5. They are $2 each till April 19 🙂
Use mint to make infused water mint, lemon wedges cucumber and ginger / chicken soup boil chicken cooked it with mint leaves add vegetables and a hint of lemon juice😋
Oh wow! This is so nice! I like the one with the different flowers too. Think I will have the kids make one for each grandma for mother’s day! Thanks for the great idea!
Someone at a local nursery told me to fill those larger pots 1/2 with packing peanuts (in the bottom) and then potting soil on the top 1/2. It allows for drainage, room for the roots to grow, recycle those packing peanuts, and cut your cost to fill those large pots!
Wow, that’s a really great tip! Thanks for sharing
Make sure they aren’t the biodegradable kind, they collapse in water
Actually you don’t need to buy mint plants. When you buy mint for use at home, use the leaves for cooking and if you just sow partially the left out stem that’s about an inch in soil, it will start growing by itself. And believe me even if u sow 4-5 stems gradually it will take over.
Mint is evasive. I did this and in a short time the whole thing was full of mint. I would suggest Rue or Fenugreek. Both herbs and can be used as medicinal.