My DIY projects lately have been structured and in workshop settings. The good thing about attending workshops for the projects I'm interested in making is that I 1) learn skills from experts who know what they're doing and 2) get exposure to tools I've never worked with before. Both are so valuable in expanding my ideas and allowing me to realize what I'm capable of making with my own two hands.

​At this month's Do It Herself workshop at Home Depot​ we made a Vertical Succulent Garden. You can find step-by-step details here!

​This was a simple project, but I still learned a lot. My brother-in-law's girlfriend, LeeAnn, came along to this workshop and we had fun putting this project together as a team!

​I encourage you to watch Home Depot's official tutorial, but I'll give you a rundown of how simple this project was to make:

1. Screw together the frame.
2. Staple in chicken wire.
3. Staple in weed barrier.

      4. Pack with dirt (and I mean PACK it).
​      5. Close back with nails and piece of wood.

       6. Add screw eyes to the top of the frame.

​       7. Add rope or chain to hang.
       8. When ready to plant succulents or flowers, cut small 
​            hole in weed barrier and insert plants.​

​As you can see. Pretty easy. We were able to finish this project in around an hour. LeeAnn got to take it home with her and before we left she bought the hardware she'll need to hang it (it's HEAVY) and some flowers to plant in it. It was the perfect project to kick-off spring!

As I planned our garden for this year, I wanted to figure herbs into the equation. I don't cook a lot with herbs right now, but want to start. I have also seen some neat ideas where dried herbs can be used in candles, something I'd like to try as well.

When I saw a Do It Herself workshop for a Vertical Herb Garden at Home Depot I signed up right away! I wanted to grow three of the primary herbs I'd like to use more of near the house. This project was my solution!

I've provided some photos from the workshop I attended below, but you can find the full tutorial here: How to Build a Vertical Herb Garden.

A few tips I'd recommend for this project that we learned while working through the steps outlined by Home Depot in the video linked above:

1. Pre-drill holes for the steps that require screws. It will make your life much easier!
2. Measure the shelf brackets you place at the bottom for stability. If they are different dimensions than what Home Depot recommends, you'll have to adjust where you place the three horizontal boards along the vertical boards.
3. If your shelf bracket requires three screws vs. two, you'll need 10 screws instead of the recommended eight - three per bracket and two to secure the feet to the back.
4. The stainless steel clamps that held the pots were very difficult to screw in. We used a painters tool to widen a slot on the clamp, twisted the screw in and then drilled it into the wood. It is also helpful if you can have one person holding the clamp while one person drills.

A few items I'd recommend you take to these workshops so you can move along faster and safer:

1. Work gloves
2. Pencil
3. Tape measurer
4. Safety glasses

At this workshop, all three attendees were able to build their own herb garden.

The wood was pre-cut for us. Home Depot supplied the tools and supplies we needed, including a screwdriver, nail gun and power drill.

The hardest part about this project was getting the clamps drilled into the wood to hold the flower pots. See my recommendation above for what we ended up doing.

Here's the finished product in its new home! It's still a little too chilly to plant anything here in Iowa, so for now I've filled the pots with artificial floral décor.