Don’t let lack of space be a reason to stop growing some of your own food at home. Recently I saw this vertical garden full of fresh herbs. It was wonderful. Think of what you could cook up with this vast array of culinary delights right outside your door. You don’t even have to have a yard to do it – it can be constructed on a balcony if you live in an apartment or in a town house courtyard. You’ll never be without fresh herbs again.Vertical gardens are rising in popularity as more people are living in apartments or moving to smaller land. These gardens are designed to minimize space and maximise output whether it’s herbs on the balcony, lettuces on a walled courtyard or even indoor plants in an office environment. They conserve water by using a reticulated water system providing the plants with irrigation through drippers. The water is collected at the base of the wall in a trough and then pumped back through to the top of the wall then irrigating the plants all the way down the wall. It can be set up as a completely free standing unit so you can take it with you if you leave your current abode.

The individual plants are potted into a wettable bag to hold the potting mix in place and then it’s stuffed horizontally into the individual plant cell on the wall. The dripper emitters are located on top of the bag to keep the potting mix moist. You can also run some liquid fertiliser through the irrigation system to keep the plants healthy and growing.

The best plants to use are small or trailing plants and herbs. Try grouping them according their water requirements, e.g herbs liking drier conditions are thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary and tarragon. You could put some herbs and leafy greens together too, e.g. many loose leaf lettuces, basil, parsley, chives and even tomatoes that suit hanging basket cultivation.