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DIY Simple Vertical Herb Garden & Whole30 Grilled Pesto Chicken Recipe (and a $100 Ace Hardware Giveaway!)

April 24, 2015 by Cassie 66 Comments

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I am happy to be partnering with Ace Hardware on this post.*

Wow that is a long title, but I have a lot to share today!  We have had this terrible weird looking fence area that has needed a new purpose in life for a while.  I finally decided that it would make the perfect simple DIY vertical kitchen herb garden as it’s right outside our kitchen, and just steps away from where we keep our Weber grill.

DIY Vertical Herb Garden

 

This project was really so simple because we already had the perfect piece of fence right there.  All I needed were a few supplies.  I ventured to my local Ace Hardware in Thurmont (love the people there, by the way!) and picked up everything I needed.

Fiskars Self Draining Planters

S Hooks

Herbs

Scott’s All Purpose Plant & Vegetable Food

And some items I needed that I already owned….

Potting Soil

Drill bits, including a 1″ hole bit and a 1/2″ bit

Chalk

While at Ace, I spied this fabulous Weber Stainless Kabob Set which looked perfect for us and easy to use as the kabob rack goes right onto the grill.  I was excited to try it out with a healthy dinner so I brought it home with me.

Now, for the garden wall I began by deciding where I wanted to place my pots.  I purchased 9 pots, 9 herbs, and planned to make a 3×3 grid on my fence.

IMG_1026

As you can see, I used chalk to start off marking the first row.  I drilled the first row before I began with the next as I wanted to see how the pots fell.

I used a 1″ hole bit to drill 3 holes on the “X”s above.  I drilled with my 1/2” drill bit into the side near the top of 3 pots.  I threaded S hooks into the holes on the fence and then threaded the other ends through the holes in my pots and tested them out.

IMG_1028

It worked perfectly!  I laid out the next two rows of chalk marks and continued until all of the pots were on the wall.  I have to add here that Emmy selected the color pattern.  And I selected colors that worked with the rug I had just picked up for my porch.

Next, Emmy and I worked together to place our herbs into each pot, and then fill with potting soil.  The herbs had been outside for a couple days where I had accidentally neglected them and they were looking a little…. well a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

IMG_1030

 

Don’t judge me.

Scott’s plant food to the rescue!  I sprinkled just a tiny bit, following the directions on the bag, and then watered the plants.

IMG_1031

 

I am happy to report that our vertical herb garden is now thriving!  Actually, just two days after that awful near death experience, my oregano looked like this! (Cue “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child).

garden1

 

Actually, every herb on that vertical planter is not only surviving, but thriving!  It’s a great spot with just enough light and luckily we’ve had rain. 😉

DIY Vertical Herb Garden

And there is nothing I like more in the summer than eating fresh veggies and herbs and grilling!  I thought I would share a recipe I created for Whole30 and also show off our new Weber Kabob set.

We decided to grill veggies along side Whole30 Grilled Pesto Chicken.  For the veggies, we simply cut them up and placed them on the set’s skewers, and then right on the rack.

recipe2

 

The rack then went directly on the grill and we were able to easily turn and cook the veggies!  This was so much better than before when we would lose one or two of my precious grilled veggies to trying to turn the skewers.

recipe6

 

For the chicken, We grilled them right on the grill because we had used up our entire rack with veggies.  Mama likes her grilled veggies.

We skewered the raw chicken and then brushed on the Whole30 pesto I created.

recipe1

 

We like ours slightly charred, as you can see…

recipe3

 

And for those of you wanting the Whole30 recipe for pesto, here you go!  I simplified it onto a nice little image for you.

whole 30 Grilled Pesto Chicken

 

It was delicious!  I served mine over a salad with the veggies, and Chris ate his over pasta with parmesan cheese.  And I am looking forward to hanging out on our porch this summer, drink in hand, while Chris grills and I admire the herb garden.

vertical herb garden porch.

 

 

And now for the reality, so you can see where the grill is in relation to our little garden and hang out area, and also all the mess of plastic bowling pins the kids left out that I forgot to pick up…

recipe7

 

And if you are still reading this post, I have a big fat reward for you!  Ace is generously giving one lucky reader a $100 gift card!!!!!  Follow the rafflecopter prompts to enter and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I am a member of the Ace Bloggers Panel and Ace Hardware has provided with the products used within this project. I was also compensated for my time and this blog post. All opinions and positions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Ace Hardware

Sharing here: Inspiration Gallery, Craftberry Bush

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Filed Under: making our home, My House, Porch, Spring, Summer

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Comments

  1. Lisa Brown says

    April 24, 2015 at 5:32 am

    I like anything with pesto on it 🙂

    Reply
  2. Krystine www.KrystineEdwards.com/blog says

    April 24, 2015 at 8:18 am

    I have ALWAYS wanted to do this…maybe I can make it happen this year. And that chicken looks amazing, I’m ready to eat healthy again. Bring on summer and grilling out!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 25, 2015 at 10:03 pm

      yes! i love to grill and am so ready! it SNOWED here this morning. nothing that stuck, but still?!?!?!?

      Reply
  3. Jessica says

    April 24, 2015 at 8:51 am

    I love eating caprese with basil and tomatoes from the garden!

    Reply
  4. Janet W. says

    April 24, 2015 at 8:53 am

    My favorite summer herb recipe is Watermelon, Mint, and Basil Salad! It’s delicious!

    Reply
  5. Natalie says

    April 24, 2015 at 8:57 am

    I love cowboy caviar mixed with cilantro, parsley and corn and bell pepper and beans.

    Reply
  6. Julie Wood says

    April 24, 2015 at 9:20 am

    I love making my Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pasta in the Summer! So delicious!

    Reply
  7. Carmel says

    April 24, 2015 at 9:39 am

    I want to come hang out on your patio – drink in hand! Love this vertical herb garden!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 25, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      come on over!

      Reply
  8. Amy says

    April 24, 2015 at 10:22 am

    I love teriyaki chicken on the grill and I love pesto. I have not ventured to make my own yet!

    Reply
  9. Meegan says

    April 24, 2015 at 10:30 am

    I grow Mint just to make Mojitos in the Spring and Summer.

    Reply
  10. Cynthia G says

    April 24, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Pesto

    Reply
  11. Elle P. says

    April 24, 2015 at 11:05 am

    I love using fresh mint to make sauces.

    Reply
  12. Callie says

    April 24, 2015 at 11:21 am

    This looks great, Cassie! Perfect project for spring! Now you’ll be set with herbs for recipes/grilling all summer long!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 24, 2015 at 8:40 pm

      thank you, callie! 🙂

      Reply
  13. [email protected] says

    April 24, 2015 at 11:27 am

    What a lovely outdoor living space! I love the wall of colorful pots, and that recipe looks so good!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 25, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      thank you, brynne!

      Reply
  14. Danielle says

    April 24, 2015 at 11:57 am

    Everything looks so nice! I love playing around with different pesto recipes in the summer. It’s kind of weird to think about it now, but until a few years ago it never occurred to me to make pesto with anything other than basil!

    Reply
  15. Haley says

    April 24, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    Such a great idea! I think my favorite summer herb recipe is pretty much anything with Basil Pesto on it. We even love to put it on frozen pizza.

    Reply
  16. Beth D. says

    April 24, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    I make homemade pesto all year long since basil grows profusely by my morning sun, kitchen window! in the blender combine basil, pinenuts, garlic, parmesean cheese and olive oil. Love it with kale, spinache and goat cheese ravoli I buy at Sam’s club. Yum!

    Reply
  17. steve weber says

    April 24, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    We make an amazing salsa with cilantro

    Reply
  18. Mary Somerville says

    April 24, 2015 at 1:15 pm

    I think Cinnamon Basil is my favorite herb to grow- It makes a great chicken stir fry. I also love it in iced tea, and peach cobbler.

    Reply
  19. [email protected] says

    April 24, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    I love using cumin in my homemade hummus. Don’t know if you can grow it but I sure do love how it tastes! The fence looks great and you re going to love going out your door and picking fresh herbs whenever you want.

    Reply
  20. Amanda Sakovitz says

    April 24, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    I like pasta with tomatoes and basil

    Reply
  21. [email protected] says

    April 24, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    It’s my favorite to grill veggies just like that! So good. And I love your herb garden.

    Reply
  22. Julie W says

    April 24, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    I love grilled fresh peaches. Drizzle on a little basil butter or even an herbed raw sugar (I like mint sugar) and it’s insta-desert!

    Reply
    • Jewel says

      April 24, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      Mavelous patio. Everything tastes better on a grill.

      Reply
  23. Jessica @ Dear Emmeline says

    April 24, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Cute! I don’t have any specific herb recipes but Home Depot has a mint called Chocolate Mint and it smells divine!! I want to get some for some summer desserts. Maybe with some vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce!

    Reply
  24. Allison says

    April 24, 2015 at 9:13 pm

    Your herb garden is wonderful Cassie! I like the way you did it vertically and how nice to have it so close to your outdoor grill. Perfect. I make a really yummy lemon rosemary chicken.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 25, 2015 at 10:00 pm

      oh that sounds delicious!

      Reply
  25. Gretchen says

    April 24, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    ooh, the chicken looks great! and what a fun project with the herbs right outside your kitchen. I don’t have a favorite herb recipe. sometimes I just toss basil on stuff to make it look pretty; does that count? 🙂

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 25, 2015 at 10:00 pm

      that totally counts!

      Reply
  26. Linda says

    April 24, 2015 at 10:49 pm

    I like fresh basil for italian dishes.

    Reply
  27. nicole dziedzic says

    April 25, 2015 at 3:07 am

    My favorite herb summer recipe is seasoned mixed veggies on the grill.

    Reply
  28. Kelly D says

    April 25, 2015 at 8:28 am

    I like a tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella salad.

    Reply
  29. Amy Shandrowsky says

    April 25, 2015 at 9:42 am

    I love this idea! We are getting ready to move to a house that has an amazing yard and we are hoping to have an outdoor hangout area. I love the idea of adding an herb garden near our grilling area!

    Reply
  30. Linda in Pa says

    April 25, 2015 at 10:34 am

    I love grilled lemon rosemary chicken. Your recipe looks delicious. Definitely will be trying it. Thanks.

    Reply
  31. Loi Thai Tone on Tone says

    April 25, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    That is so cute! And handy……just pinch and enjoy 🙂 xo

    Reply
  32. Corinna - For My Love Of says

    April 25, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    Lovely little herb garden! I wish I could say I cooked much. Herbs always go unused in my garden. That kabob set looks like a mighty useful little tool. I may have to pick one up.

    Reply
  33. Ashleigh Hall says

    April 25, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    Basil is my all time favorite herb in the history of FOREVER! 🙂

    Reply
  34. Robin W says

    April 25, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    It’s not an exact science recipe, but I Love, LOVE to make salsa with the herbs from my yard.

    Reply
  35. Gwen says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:11 am

    I’m in love. I just bought a ton of herbs and am hoping I can keep them alive! I’ll have to get some plant food.

    And I LOVE basil pesto! I’m going to have to try out your Whole30 Recipe!

    Reply
  36. lisa says

    April 26, 2015 at 11:46 am

    I like everything you do (and wish I could hang with you on your cute patio this summer too 🙂 xo)

    Reply
  37. Jillian Too says

    April 26, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    I love a freshly picked Caprese salad of tomato, basil and mozzarella with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

    Reply
  38. Trisha D. @Black and White Obsession says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:37 am

    Oh man nothing beats the wonderful taste of pesto, looks absolutely delicious! We have the hardest time keeping our herbs alive good to know a little plant food and occasional water is all it takes to perk those guys back up!!

    Reply
  39. manda says

    April 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm

    Tandoori chicken

    Reply
  40. Kimberly M. says

    April 28, 2015 at 2:02 am

    I love Basil. I like it in different dishes with cold dishes like watermelon salad or tomato, mozzarella and basil drizzled with olive oil, vinegar and salt, pepper, and garlic or pasta dishes with tomato, basil and pasta.

    Reply
  41. Erin M. says

    April 28, 2015 at 8:09 am

    I love Asparagus pesto pasta salad! Thank you for this opportunity!

    Reply
  42. Bliss says

    April 28, 2015 at 9:18 am

    Pesto chicken is one of my absolute fav foods. And now I must confess that I’ve walked all my years on this earth and didn’t know there was such a thing as a kabob holder. I need one, my kabobs deserve it.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      April 28, 2015 at 9:08 pm

      your kabobs totally do!

      Reply
  43. Shelley | Crazy Wonderful says

    April 28, 2015 at 10:18 am

    One of my favs for summer is to juice grapefruit and mint together. Yummy! I’m so hungry now after seeing that grilled chicken. I’m putting that on my list for this week. The herb garden is a great idea. I need to do the same. I’m always running to the store for basil and cilantro, it’s stupid to not just have it growing at the house!

    Reply
  44. Susan Dingman says

    April 28, 2015 at 10:23 am

    I love to use dill for tzatziki!

    Reply
  45. Samantha says

    April 28, 2015 at 10:49 am

    Love how your herb garden turned out….it must be perfect to run outside and snip a few herbs while cooking. I started this year to really put all the herbs that I’m always running to the store for into the garden, the only one that’s hard to grow is cilantro because it’s too hot here in Florida. I love using my fresh herbs especially oregano and basil in my spaghetti sauce.

    Reply
  46. Susan Christy says

    April 28, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    Herb Quinoa Salad

    Reply
  47. [email protected] says

    April 28, 2015 at 10:00 pm

    That little herb garden is so cute! And I’m definitely going to have to try out that recipe! I’m doing Whole 30 again this month, I’ve been eating really poorly lately.

    Reply
  48. Heather Hayes Panjon says

    April 29, 2015 at 8:52 am

    One Of My Favorites Is Chives.. I Use It In Pasta Salad.

    Reply
  49. Ashley C says

    April 29, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    Does mojitos with sweet mint count? If so, I make them all summer long 🙂

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  50. David says

    April 29, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    I like garlic, on everything. We don’t grow our own, but it is a must have in our house.

    Reply
  51. Katherine says

    April 30, 2015 at 10:48 am

    I love the herb garden!!

    Reply
  52. Evie B. says

    April 30, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    I like fresh basil.

    Reply
  53. Thomas Murphy says

    April 30, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    I like to grill veggies with basil.

    Reply
  54. Dawn Monroe says

    April 30, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    I add fresh herbs to my potato salad and pasta salad. I also love fresh chives on potatoes and corn.

    Reply
  55. Birdiebee says

    April 30, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    My favorite summer herb recipe is to make homemade pesto sauce.

    Reply
  56. HS says

    May 1, 2015 at 12:00 am

    I like Lemon Thyme Biscuits
    .

    Reply
  57. Krista @ the happy housie says

    June 3, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Great outdoor project, Cassie! Love it- featuring you tomorrow. Thanks for sharing it at the Outdoor Extravaganza link up:)

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      thank you so much, krista! i appreciate it!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Hi! I'm Cassie.

Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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