I absolutely love living on a wooded lot. Every day our backyard looks like a Disney movie with deer, rabbits, groundhogs, wild turkeys, and even the occasional skunk. The downside to all of this activity is that having a garden is virtually impossible—at least if I want to be the one eating the fruits of my labor.
While I do have deck rail planter boxes for my herbs, I really wanted to grow lettuce and spinach. If you have never had a salad with just-picked greens—let me tell you—it’s a life- altering experience!
Since putting these delectable plants on the ground would be nothing more than building a buffet for wildlife, I decided to build a vertical garden on the side of my house. I chose the west side of the house that receives afternoon sun and is located right next to the door that leads to our pantry. It is a raised deck, and out of the reach of wildlife. I attached slatwall panels designed for garage storage to the siding, being sure to attach it to studs for the necessary support. I built planter boxes out of cedar and drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. All that was left was to add some heavy-duty slatwall hooks to hold the planters.
The cedar boxes are not attached to the slatwall, which makes for easy rotation and harvesting. The location outside the pantry makes them super accessible for meal prep.
How cute are these little spinach sprouts? I can almost taste the fresh salad now!
