We are always on the lookout for DIY projects that use recycled materials, and pallets are usually among some of the coolest projects we come across. Here is an awesome project idea from Roeshel at DIY Showoff: a free-standing vertical pallet herb garden.
Most of the vertical pallet gardens we’ve seen have to be mounted to or leaned against a wall or other support, so I love the idea of making a free-standing one. This one is also stained a beautiful dark color that matches the surrounding patio furniture. The pallet was sanded down to smooth out the rough edges and splinters before the stain was applied.
As we’ve mentioned in previous posts about pallet gardens, you’ll want to be sure to use a heat treated pallet if you’ll be growing food, as opposed to a chemically-treated pallet. Heat treated pallets are marked with a HT stamp for identification.
Roeshel used scrap wood to make the base at one side of the pallet and added a wheel to the other side to make it easier to move around. She says that the wheel makes it slightly unsteady, however, and that this concept would work better with a solid base piece on both sides.
After the pallet was stained and the base and wheel attached, landscaping fabric was attached to each level of the pallet between the boards to create the planting areas. Then the herbs were added – 12 different delicious plant varieties – and the garden was set in place on a sunny patio.
by Shannon