My friends over at The Home Depot asked me to host one of their FREE DIY workshops at the Manhattan Store at West 23rd Street on September 12th at 10:00am. The workshop teaches how to make a modern version of this really cool hanging planter:



I took that idea of hanging plants and created a copper rack for holding potted herbs that can turn a window into a productive herb garden. At the workshop, we'll be showing how to make the original hanging planter and displaying the finished copper herb garden. I'll be there to answer questions and share DIY ideas and stories. You can register for the workshop here:

Register for The Home Depot Workshop »

Workshops are being held at stores all around the country, so make sure to use your zip code to find events at your local Home Depot. The copper herb garden and I will only be at the Manhattan Home Depot on West 23rd Street.

SUPPLIES:

1/2" Copper Pipe
Available at The Home Depot
I used 1/2" copper pipes from The Home Depot. I bought it in 10 foot lengths and had them cut so it would fit in my car.

1/2" T-Fitting + 90º Elbows
Available at The Home Depot
I bought these in packs of 10 at The Home Depot.

1/2" Copper Pipe Straps
Available at The Home Depot
These copper pipe straps are meant to mount pipes to a wall. I used the 1/2" straps to secure the copper garden to the window sill.

Flowerpots
Available at The Home Depot
Any round flowerpots ranging from 4-6” in diameter will work as long as they have a lip to rest on the copper.

Steel Wool
Available at the Home Depot
I used steel wool to polish the copper torches.

Gorilla 2-Part Epoxy
Available at the Home Depot
If you don’t feel comfortable soldering, I recommend using this 2-part epoxy.

TOOLS:

RYOBI 18 Volt Cordless Drill
Available at Home Depot






Rigid Tube Cutter
Available at Home Depot
I used a rigid tube cutter to cut the copper pipes.

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Measure + Cut
I measured the inside diameter of the flowerpots. Then, using my rigid tube cutter, I cut the pieces of 1/2" copper pipe to that length.







STEP 2: Test Fit
Once I had 4 pieces, I made a test frame with 4 T-fittings. I want the frame to support the flowerpots just under their outside lip.





STEP 3: Glue the Frames Together
I used Gorilla Glue to make the horizontal plant racks for the garden. Soldering or mechanical connections like the ones I did with the bike rack are also options, but glue is quick and easy. It's helpful to have a flat surface to press the frames against to minimize warping.





STEP 4: Add Vertical Supports
I cut vertical pieces to act as spacers in-between the horizontal trays. Different plants have different heights, but they should be long enough to allow each plant to get plenty of light and space. I didn’t glue these vertical supports since I'm making the garden to fit within the window and there won't be vertical space for the supports to come out of their fittings.





STEP 5: Clean the Copper
Once the glue cured, I cleaned the basket with steel wool. I know the copper will oxidize and tarnish over time, but I wanted it to start out shiny.



STEP 6: Field Measure + Install
I cut pieces of pipe for the top and bottom supports and connected them with 90º elbows. Then I used copper pipe straps to secure the garden to the window sill.









STEP 7: Watering
What's great about this garden is that the water from the top plants drips into the plants below. I used three glass bottles to collect the drips from the bottom row of plants.













Good luck making your own copper herb garden and please email, tweet or hashtag photos to @benuyeda, ben@homemade-modern.com or #homemademodern. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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