A limited amount of outdoor space doesn’t mean you can’t nurture a garden and grow your own food. It just means you have to get creative, and vertical spaces are prime real estate. Try this quick and inexpensive vertical garden DIY using metal gutters available at most hardware stores or by scouring a local salvage yard.
1) Cut gutters to size with sheet metal cutters. The edges are very sharp so be sure to wear gloves, and always protect your eyes. Add end caps and clamp in place with pliers. Drill a few small holes along the bottom for drainage.
2) Mount to your gutter planters to the surface. Mounting to wood is easy with screws or nails. Mounting to hard surfaces, like concrete, requires special tools and materials. Here’s a helpful video if you’re dealing with a concrete surface.
3) Drip irrigation is great, but if it’s not an option (or too complicated) you can always water manually. For our drip irrigation, we drilled a hole near the top of each planter and ran the drip lines behind the fence for a clean look.
4) Plant whatever works for you—herbs, lettuces, flowers, etc! Metal gutters conduct heat so if the area gets a lot of sun try succulents.
See that tea cup embellishment in the lower right? Another DIY for another day…
Hello, this vertical garden is a great idea! I have a question, do you have any ideas on how I could mount the rain gutters to a stone wall? Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post!
Matthew, there’s a link provided in step #2 for info about fastening to brick or concrete. Good luck!