Last year I grew some herbs in the backyard. Every time I crossed the 10×10 patio pad to pick fresh herbs I was annoyed they were ten feet away.
i’d been considering how I could have a garden of herbs right outside the patio door, so I could just lean out and snip off some herbs. On a table, perhaps, or hanging baskets.
Then, a friend got this fancy thing: four feet tall, composts and dispenses the compost out of a cunning little door, spins on casters. Then I saw it was $350, and I got creative.
I bought a Mr, Stacky planter on eBay, and because they mis-calculated the height I got that for free, then bought another less expensive one on Amazon. I took an old cutting board and screwed in some casters I bought, oh, 30 years ago. I found out that online PVC fittings cost one twentieth online compared to the hardware store.
So this cost about $50.
The two colors don’t match, but that’s fine. Then I did this with screws and pvc glue:
… and drilled holes …
…
… showing great strategic thinking to make it a) not glued but screwed in one spot and 2) make the top be the detachable part.
Gary said it would be top-heavy and the raccoons would climb it, so I should add some rocks …
… so then I bought way too many herbs and started packing them in ….
I ended up with multiple varieties of parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, and mint. There is one level of dianthus, which is not edible as far as I know, and some butterfly-attracting flowers.
Then I tucked it right outside the back door so that I don’t have to hike across the ten feet of patio or even bend over to get to the basil on top.
All I’m probably ever going to eat is the basil, and the sage and rosemary with pork, but it smells lovely.
I ended up with some extra mint, and some hyacinth bean and spinach that had to be distributed in other spots. I planted the spinach right by the rabbit warren. Perhaps that will satisfy him.
12 responses to “Herb Tower”
That looks spectacular! Great work! I hope it behaves itself really well for you as a Backdoor Herb Solution. 🙂
KC – it held up during the torrents of rain we had today, and no raccoons decided to scale it.
One day of triumph for it, anyway! 🙂
Just don’t leave a half-eaten apple or freezerburned sausage on top of it accidentally.
As a moderately dab hand myself with drill and repurposed bits and pieces, I am impressed. Excellent! But I worry about the mint – it will take over the entire tower. And why do you not use parsley? It’s my top herb.
KC – I keep pretty close track of anything I am eating. “Half-eaten” anything is soon “entirely eaten.”
Big Dot – I only use it in the one recipe that calls for it. (A rice and turkey salad.) I’m afraid I’m a stickler for following recipes. Gary will probably use it. The next time we have chicken I anticipate it will be Parley Sage Oregon Rosemary Chicken.
That’s a useful habit! Helps with housecleaning.
Fortunately, all those go well with chicken and well with each other, as long as they are used in moderation, which… uh, we’ll see if Gary uses them in moderation. 🙂
KC – I think we all know Gary will not use them with moderation.
I admit, I suspected that. On the plus side, fresh herbs are usually less potent than dried herbs, so if he usually uses dried herbs, you may still arrive at edible chicken – even if you have to scrape a layer of Herb Paste off it. 🙂
KC – probably as much paste as pork. It will be interesting.
I wonder if you can talk him into mixing the herbs with something more neutral to result in a pesto-like substance instead of just Herb Paste? But if not: can be scraped off, it’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t make meatloaf or something else that has things mixed in instead of spackled on.
This is brilliant! I have to try it thos year as we’re having an very unusually wet summer here in Texas. Should take root quickly. I’m excited!
KC – Nope. Nothing with a recipe or more than three ingredients. He likes meat plus heat, and random amounts of random seasonings.
Lisa – It has rained every three days here for months. Of course, Texas is just one state down. I’m a little concerned the herbs will get washed out, but as Mom said to every plant she put in her yard, “sink or swim.”