14 DIY Vertical Garden Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
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Shea Cummings
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There are several reasons that a vertical garden would be ideal. Suppose you are trying to garden without adequate space, such as on an apartment balcony. In that case, a vertical garden will allow you to have much more gardening space versus using a standard container. Some vertical gardens are also quite stylish, so if you have a particular look you’re trying to achieve, they can make a great addition.
There are tons of different vertical garden planters that you could buy from any number of suppliers. However, if you’re a bit a handyperson and up for a DIY challenge, we’ve collected 14 vertical garden plans for you to try.
The 14 DIY Vertical Garden Plans You Can Make Today
1. Houseful of Handmade Vertical Herb Garden
| Materials |
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| Tools | Jigsaw, miter saw, square, tape measure, drill, nail gun |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
This vertical herb garden is a nifty design. Looking at the materials list, you might wonder how it’s so easy, but rest assured, it only seems complex on the surface. After taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the different fittings and adapters, you’ll be DIYing in no time!
A couple of neat things about this vertical herb garden is that, first off, it’s suitable for more than just herbs. You could just as easily grow beautiful flowers or even some vegetables. The other cool thing is that it’s almost self-watering in a way. The way it’s designed is for the water to drip down as it soaks through the dirt. So, as you’re watering the top, it will water the next levels down.
2. Garden Therapy Pallet Planter
| Materials | Pallet, landscape fabric, stain or paint (opt) |
| Tools | Prybar, stapler |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
Rustic anything is desirable these days, and this pallet planter is no exception. Awesome plans like this one prove that you don’t need fancy tools or high-end materials to make something that is not only functional but looks great as well.
The hardest part about this one will be choosing a pallet. Some pallets are treated with harmful chemicals that you won’t want to be gardening around—especially if you’re growing herbs or veggies. But once you’ve got a safe pallet chosen, the rest will be easy. This project is easily completed on a Saturday afternoon.
3. Ana White’s Ladder Garden Planter
| Materials | Cedar fence pickets, 2×6 lumber, nails, 3” screws |
| Tools | Jigsaw, drill, hammer, miter saw, square, tape measure, clamps |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
Who would have thought cedar fence materials would be suitable for more than fences? This ladder garden planter shows the versatility that these materials can have. While this DIY project is classified as easy, it does require some familiarity with potentially dangerous tools. So, make sure that you are familiar with the tools you are using to avoid any trips to the emergency department.
The great thing about this ladder planter is its suitability for many different places. You could lean it up against the fence in your main garden, or you could lean it up on your porch. Plus, flowers, herbs, vegetables—any of these will thrive in this planter.
4. Rogue Engineer’s Cedar Wall Planter
| Materials | Cedar boards, pocket hole screws, nails |
| Tools | Pocket hole jig, drill, miter saw, tape measure, nailer |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
Another easy cedar project, this wall planter from Rogue Engineer, is the epitome of simplicity. All his designs are meant to be tackled by everyday people like you and me who want to build something with our own hands.
Being a reasonably sized wall planter, this one can easily be hung indoors or outdoors. So, not only can you use to grow some flowers outside, but you could place it on a sunny wall in the kitchen and have fresh herbs at your fingertips.
5. Country Chic Cottage Vertical Garden
| Materials | Metal containers, wood ladder (or material to make one), S-hooks |
| Tools | Drill |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
This particular vertical garden will make a great addition to your porch. It’s designed to be a reasonably compact size, making it ideal for a smaller space. Depending on the size of the containers you decided to go with, determine what it’s suitable for growing. The nice thing about these plans is that they give you the option to build your own ladder. So, if you wanted to go bigger or wider to accommodate different plants, then you totally can!
6. Fresh Exchange Simple Modern Herb Garden
| Materials | Dense felt, rubber mat material, 1×1/2 lumber (custom cut) |
| Tools | Drill, hammer, stapler, industrial-grade scissors |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
While it is ideal for herbs, this is a modern herb garden that isn’t limited to herbs. Like the other designs we’ve seen so far, this one is also very simple. Even a beginner DIYer can manage this without too much trouble.
The only thing that might be troublesome is the specific sizing of the lumber. You have a few options for that. Sometimes, the building center can custom cut lumber. If they don’t and you have the tools, you can custom cut it yourself. Otherwise, you can just modify the plans according to the lumber size you have available.
7. The Handyman’s Daughter Vertical Garden Wall Planter
| Materials | Various cedar boards, pocket hole screws |
| Tools | Table saw, miter saw, pocket hole jig, drill, nailer, speed square, clamps |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
Unlike the other wall planter on this list, this particular vertical wall planter is not one you mount on the wall. Instead, it has its own wall that towers over a box which you can modify into a planting box or use as storage.
If you’re not interested in the box, the plans detail how to complete this project without the box. However, it does add a great look to the planter. Plus, it gives you the option to put it just about anywhere. If you decide to include the box, make sure you start building it first because that holds the ‘wall’ portion of your planter up.
8. Hydrangea Treehouse Tiered Strawberry Planter
| Materials | 1×6 and 2×4 boards, screws, nails |
| Tools | Drill, miter saw, clamps, nailer |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
This nifty tiered strawberry planter is ideal for growing fresh strawberries. It’s also suitable for any small growing projects, from herbs to flowers. The particular plan for this planter gives dimensions but its design leaves it open for easy customization if you want it bigger or smaller.
It doesn’t specify it in the plans, but you could take this tiered planter to the next level by staining or painting it. This will also help it last longer outside, especially if it’s not in a sheltered area.
9. Urban Green Space Vertical Strawberry Tube Planter
| Materials | PVC pipe, cork, cap, landscaping fabric, twine |
| Tools | Drill, hole saw kit, duct tape |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
This vertical tube planter is unique! Typically, one wouldn’t associate a chunk of white PVC pipe with any kind of garden—except maybe if you’re designing an irrigation system in one. With these plans, you need minimal tools or materials to turn this piping into a functional vertical garden.
Because of the obvious size limitations, this planter won’t be suitable as a garden for anything bigger than strawberries, herbs, or some smaller flowers. With a bit of ingenuity, this plan could potentially be modified as a hanging tube planter—you’ve already got the twine, so you won’t even need extra materials.
10. Hometalk Vertical Herb Garden
| Materials | 1×6 and 1×10 boards, screws, round planters |
| Tools | Drill, miter saw, jigsaw, tape measure |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
Mini herb gardens in the window are fantastic, but check out this vertical herb garden! This one is another easily customizable project. Within reason, you’ll be able to easily adjust how tall or wide you want it. This is especially handy if you have a specific area you want it to fit into.
Size-wise, it’s ideal as a herb garden, but again, flowers or some vegetables will grow well in the pots. This is another fairly customizable part of the plan because you could use bigger or smaller pots. The trickiest part about the project overall will be cutting those holes; the size you decide on won’t make much of a difference, though.
11. Helpful Homemade Vertical Planter Garden
| Materials | Stair riser(x 2), planter boxes, 2×4 treated lumber, screws, bolts, nuts, washers |
| Tools | Drill, circular saw or miter saw |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
If you’re looking for a vertical planter garden where almost all the work is done for you, and you just have to assemble it, this is the one for you. The only cuts you will have to make on this one will be to cut your pressure-treated 2x4s down to the height that your stair risers reach. Other than that, it’s simply the assembly of different components.
The only downside to this project is you are mostly confined to the sizes of things you buy unless you want to get really into it and build your own boxes to rest on the risers. This is doable; it’s just not detailed in the plans.
12. Simple Easy DIY Vertical Garden Planter
| Materials | Various lumber sizes, screws, bolts w/ nuts, nails |
| Tools | Miter saw, drill |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
At first glance, this vertical garden planter looks like it’s kind of complex. That is kind of the beauty behind a DIY project like this one—it’s not hard to do, but it looks like it was! If you want to take this one to the next level, a nice dark stain will look great.
The guide talks about wood glue being optional. It does a good job explaining why you may want to skip the glue for the planter boxes because of the obvious presence of moisture. The size of this vertical planter makes it ideal for almost anything you want to grow.
13. Manmade DIY Vertical Vegetable Garden
| Materials | Various cedar lumber, landscape fabric, staples, nails |
| Tools | Hammer, stapler, industrial scissors, miter saw or circular saw |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
If you’re looking for a reasonably-sized project, this vertical vegetable garden should get your DIY juices flowing! Not only will this be the best smelling vegetable garden around because of the cedar, but the wood is also naturally resistant to rot and mold, which is good with the unavoidable moisture in a vegetable garden.
Overall, the design looks nice, but it is pretty basic. So, you can easily customize it to have more or fewer garden planters. You could also make it go higher, but three boxes high is probably high enough unless you want to be on a ladder to do any maintenance on it.
14. Fresh Mommy Hanging Herb Garden
| Materials | Threaded road, couplers, nuts, wood planks, small containers |
| Tools | Drill, hole saw, miter saw |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
This hanging herb garden is kind of adorable. It’s such a simple design. Plus, it’s ideal for an indoor application. Before mounting it in the ceiling, it’s probably a good idea to get your landlord’s permission if you aren’t the owner. One great thing about this is that the lumber can be reclaimed from old pallets, so it’s a pretty eco-friendly DIY project.
Because of the size, you’re pretty much limited to only herbs. It would be possible to modify the project and make it bigger. Because it is a hanging planter, you don’t want it to be too big, though.
Closing Thoughts
The nice thing about all these plans is that they are easy or moderate in difficulty, but if you want to get creative and you’re comfortable, try stepping it up a notch. Customize the plans a little to suit the vision you have. One important thing to remember when deviating from a plan—draw it out! There’s nothing worse than having a great idea, making cuts, and then realizing it won’t quite work. Taking a few minutes to sketch out how you want to change the design will go a long way to saving you time and money.
Featured Image Credit: 7th Son Studio, Shutterstock
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