Alas, the warmer weather is finally here and with that, family barbeques, trips to the park, or just counting clouds from your favorite blanket on your front lawn. No matter how you pass the time, you should be done hibernating and ready to take in a little bit of greenery. But, if you can’t be in the park every day, why not bring pieces of the park to you?

It may seem like a no-brainer for many of us to add some decorative planters here and there to liven up our decks and patios, but for those of us who obsess over filling the vertical space as well; here is a fun project to tackle. It’s also a great option if you don’t want to or aren’t allowed to drill holes into your stucco and siding to accommodate many of the cool vertical planter options out there. Instead, have plants climbing up your wall with a recycled ladder!

Here is what you’ll need for this project:

• A wood ladder
• Planter rings
• Copper pipe straps
• Wood screws
• Flower pots
• Plants
• Soil
• Measuring tape
• Screw gun or drill

Step One – Marking your Ladder

I have chosen to recycle a decorative ladder from my local import store that’s been sitting in a corner of my house for years like a wallflower. I thought it might get a little more love and admiration outdoors. You can use an old ladder from the garage or shed, something painted, something rustic, a swap meet or antique store find…. anything you want. Just make sure it’s wood so you can drill into it.

Once you have chosen your ladder, find and mark out the center of your rung. This is where your planter ring is going to be hung. Quick note: Make sure you make your mark on the front of your ladder so your ring ultimately faces the right direction.

Step Two – Line up the Planter Ring

Now that you have found the center, line up the ring on the front side of the ladder rung so you can get a sense of where it needs to be attached. Since your pipe straps are going to be holding the back side of your ring to the ladder itself, this is a good time to put at least one of the straps in place and mark its location. That way, when you pull the ring away, you still know where your hardware needs to be placed.

Before you get too far, I should mention here that I chose to spray paint my copper straps black so they’d match the planter ring. You can do the same, keep them as-is for some contrast, or spray everything out a wild new color for an even bigger pop.

Step Three – Attach the Strap

The first strap has been marked and is ready to attach. I like to lightly tap in the screw just to get it started. This alleviates the need to drill pilot holes and change drill bits, both of which add on time that can be better spent enjoying your finished project!

Once the screw is in place, finish drilling it in to secure the strap.

Step Four – Slide in the Ring

Now that one of your straps is in place, slide the ring inside to make sure it’s secure and mounted in the right spot. You’ll want to leave the ring in place when you add on the second strap. If you attach the second strap without the ring, there will be no way for the ring to slide into place, so don’t make this mistake.

Using the same method you used for the first strap, tap in the screw, then finish it off by drilling it into place.

Step Five – Test it Out

Both straps are in place and securing the ring. Now it’s time to see how the first pot looks. Lean your ladder up against the wall, insert your pot and see how it hangs. Make adjustments if necessary, but if you’ve correctly marked center and hung your hardware on the front of your rung and not the top, you should be in great shape!

It’s time to add the rest of your hardware to your rungs. Since my ladder was pretty narrow, I chose to do one pot on only the top three rungs. You should feel free to do as many as your ladder can accommodate in order to get the look you want.

Step Six – Bring your Ladder to Life

Everything is looking great, so start adding some green. I personally love flowers in my garden, but I already have a ton of those. What I’m seriously lacking are some herbs, so I chose to add some oregano, dill, and thyme to my ladder. Start from seedlings or use a container plant; just make sure you follow the directions. You should also pay attention to how much sun your ladder will be exposed to so you pick the right kind of plant for your ladder. I mention this because I am notorious for not reading the directions and have sacrificed many a flower to the plant gods.

Step Seven – Enjoy!

This step is the easiest…. sit back and enjoy the garden you’ve started and enjoy the fact that you won’t have to patch holes on the side of your house! Maybe this is the time where you can help me think of some other items to turn into planters. I’m always for looking cool planters and unique ways to get plants up a wall that don’t involve drilling holes or a trellis.