You don’t need a large property to enjoy the fresh flavors and aromas of an herb garden. With a bit of creativity, you can grow a thriving herb garden right in your small backyard. From vertical gardens to DIY planters, each option offers a way to add greenery, flavor, and charm to your outdoor area, no matter how compact it may be.
Edible landscaping is more than adding some herb gardens to one’s property. Creative layouts and material usage can incorporate year-round harvests in an aesthetically pleasing way. Herb gardens create a lush space filled with vibrant colors, diverse textures, enticing scents, and a range of flavors. Continue below to get some inspiring outdoor herb garden ideas that are perfect for small spaces!
Tell Us: Which one of these herb gardens inspires you most and why? Share your thoughts in the Comments below!
1. Create A Garden Trellis.
The backyard of a ranch in Santa Ynez, California, showcases this herb garden, shaded under a pergola. The A-frame mesh trellis helps to protect the plants from insect damage. Additional benefits include maximizing space, improving air circulation around the plants, and making your plant harvesting easier. (via Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture)
2. Use Stock Tanks.
These galvanized troughs (stock tanks) are available at feed stores or online and make great raised gardens. The water troughs have holes in the bottom for drainage, and irrigation runs up through the holes. The containers are filled with a bed of rock, then a layer of soil — a good, organic potting soil specially formulated for edibles — and surrounded by wood chips. The metal helps warm the soil, which is beneficial for many USDA Zones. The stock tanks are better than a raised wood garden, no bending, no rabbits getting in, and they look great. The patio and pathways are precast concrete pavers from Mutual Materials. The fence is made of clear cedar with a stain/finish to protect the wood. The large tree is a Scots Pine. (via Banyon Tree Design Studio)
3. Raised Herb Beds.
These DIY wood raised beds frame a backyard gravel patio, featuring rocking chairs sourced from IKEA. The raised beds allow for good drainage and are easier on the back. Birdhouses and plants line this outdoor space. (via The Cousins)
4. Ammo Can Vertical Herb Garden.
This clever vertical hanging herb garden, designed by Ryan Benoit Design, features a redwood frame, chain, and surplus military ammunition canisters, along with LED illumination. This is the perfect herb garden solution if you have limited space, as it can be suspended off your porch, balcony wall, or garden shed. (via The Horticult)
5. Floating Wall Planters.
A functional herb garden created with floating planters, framed with a gorgeous lime plant in a blue planter, and a lime green accent table. The planters are perfect for small outdoor spaces such as patios, balconies and compact courtyards, offering both style and practicality for growing fresh herbs in limited square footage. Add string lights for ambiance. (via Brooklinteriors)
6. Tiered Iron Planter.
Maximize vertical space with a tiered iron planter. Not only is it attractive, but it also keeps your herb garden compact and organized. Stack terracotta pots onto the shelves to provide herbs with room to grow and proper drainage. Add herb stakes with the names of each of the herbs to remind you of what each plant is. (via Garden Goddess By The Sea)
7. Rolling Herb Garden Cart.
Upcycle an old utility rack that can be used as a mobile herb garden. Move it around your yard to catch the best sun throughout the day. You can also move your herb garden into your garage, storage shed, potting shed, greenhouse, or even into your home when there is a threat of frost. This one is lined with Coco liners, as they aesthetically complement the color of the rack. You could also use landscaping fabric or burlap to line the baskets. These can be found at any garden center or home improvement store. (via Garden Therapy)
8. Galvanized Trough Planter.
In the edible garden, galvanized corrosion-resistant troughs make attractive and durable raised beds for a variety of herbs, including basil, dill, and nasturtium. Nasturtium offers beautiful color with edible flowers and leaves that have a spicy taste akin to arugula. (via Brian Patrick Flynn for HGTV)
9. DIY Hanging File Herb Garden.
This DIY vertical herb garden upcycles a hanging file organizer (found at HomeGoods) into an attractive and simple way to grow fresh herbs. This idea is perfect if you are tight on space, as you can transform this ordinary office accessory into a creative, space-saving herb garden that hangs on your wall. Get the complete how-to tutorial at the provided link. (via Inspired by Charm)
10. Herb Garden Sign.
This delicious, fenced-in herb garden will provide you with fresh flavors, soothing scents, and a little patch of calm. Add a sign to your garden to personalize it. You can find custom signs online, such as on Etsy. (via @jenny_grows_veggies / Instagram)
11. Leaning Ladder Planter Shelf.
Repurpose an old wooden ladder (or DIY one from scrap wood) into a unique tiered herb garden by placing pots on each rung. It’s ideal for patios or corners of your yard. You don’t have to mount the ladder to anything, just simply lean it up against a wall. It can help to bring life to a boring concrete block privacy wall, fence, or siding. To recreate this look, you will need metal buckets and large S hooks to hang them from the rungs of the ladder. You can try your local antique shops for both the planters and the vintage ladder. Similar distressed leaning ladders can also be found at places such as Kirkland’s. (via Garden Therapy)
12. Raised Herb Beds.
These old wooden bins are filled with herbs. These raised beds make it easier to care for the herbs and harvest them. Additionally, some plants like mint are invasive and can quickly take over your garden. Planting in a container helps control the spread. These raised beds are ideal for small spaces, as they grow vertically instead of spreading out. (via Harper House)
13. Vertical Pallet Herb Garden.
Repurpose an old wooden pallet by adding planter boxes or fabric pouches. Stand it vertically against a wall or secure it to the railing of your balcony or deck to create a lush herb display. The painted plywood labels are a DIY project that are screwed into each box. (via Courtney Ritchey / Pinterest)
14. Spiral Herb Garden.
If you love herbs but have limited space, try building an herb spiral—plant arid plants at the top and moisture-loving plants at the bottom. If you have spare bricks lying around your garden, you can create this attractive yet practical herb spiral. Most herbs like growing in free-draining soil, so by stacking a pile of spare bricks in a spiral shape, you can create excellent growing conditions and enable easy picking of your favorite herbs. (via Pinterest)
15. Raised Brick Herb Garden.
Build a small raised bed using brick to define your garden space, adding structure, visual interest, and a timeless feel to your herb garden. Add herb labels to help organize all of the various herbs that you have planted. (via @missladders / Instagram)
16. Cinder Block Plant Stand.
DIY this creative cinder block and wood bench to display your container herb garden. Cinder blocks are inexpensive and simple to work with, making this DIY project quick, easy, and budget-friendly. Get the easy backyard DIY project at the provided link. (via Fab Everyday)
17. Raised Tub Herb Garden.
This raised tub herb garden can be placed anywhere in your garden or on your patio as a unique focal point. The tub was sourced from Williams Sonoma. (via @stonecottage2250 / Instagram)
18. Pallet Herb Garden.
If you have a teeny garden, try using a recycled or old pallet as a space-saving, budget-friendly herb garden. Great for growing parsley, thyme, and oregano in sunny spots. Lean a wooden pallet upright against a wall or fence and hang pots off the open slats. You can label the herbs with a label maker or a Sharpie permanent marker, and easily switch out the herbs to pick the ones you like. (via @_peachy_clean_ / Instagram)
19. Garden Pot Tower.
If you have limited space, use a large garden pot and stack other pots on top, creating a vertical space to grow. Use a central garden stake for stability. Hammer it into the ground and drill holes in all of the pots for drainage or for where you want to slide them through the stake. Fill each pot with a different herb for a compact vertical solution. (via @silver.maple.cottage / Instagram)
20. Terracotta Hanging Pots.
This creative DIY project features a vertical planter made with cedar fencing and painted terracotta pots. It’s an idyllic way to grow your herb garden while creating a stunning focal point for your front porch decor. Get the complete DIY how-to tutorial at the provided link. (via The Craft Patch)
21. Herb Garden Dresser.
Transform an antique dresser into an herb garden. This is a great way to upcycle and will add a unique element to your garden, patio, or balcony. Be sure to add a liner to the interior of the drawers to protect the interior of the wood drawers. (via @kozmic.creates / Instagram)
22. Create A Pretty Herb Corner.
This herb garden features 17 different herbs (8 of which are flavored mints). The 8″ terracotta pots are perfect for this small space, mounted on top of plant stands at various heights for visual interest. The pots dry out pretty fast, so they are set on an irrigation system from @amazingcarpathen to get watered automatically. Fertilizer is used twice a week with an all-purpose fertilizer. If you notice any nutrient deficiency, apply more often.
23. Upcycled Paint Can Planters.
Paint and hang tin cans on fences or trellises for a fun, affordable way to grow herbs vertically. The quart-size paint cans are hung from dock cleat hangers. You can find all of the materials you need for this project from your local home improvement store. For this DIY paint can herb garden, get the tutorial at the provided link. (via Simple Stylings)
24. DIY Pallet Herb Garden.
Lean an upcycled palette against a wall and secure terracotta pots on rungs for a rustic and efficient herb-growing setup. Label your herbs for organization and functionality. (via Shannon Hough / Pinterest)
1 comment