As my ladder says, "Hello!" Remember when I switched out my ladder-headboard and promised something fun for it down the road? Well, something fun is here! When spring hit, I got bit by the growing bug. When our grocery store started stocking ridiculously cute potted herbs, I started hoarding them. Without much outdoor space and with little or no counter space to devote to growing anything other than piles of dishes, I started thinking about ways to go vertical. I needed to keep my herbs near full light, and I don't have much wall space to go with by our window, especially when the oven door opens out under it. So one day, I took a look at my newly liberated ladder-headboard, and decided it was perfect for the job. I leaned it in the far corner of our kitchen and started thinking about ways to turn it into a lush culinary paradise.

This little ladder has rungs the same depth as a cabinet door, so I got one of those over-the-door shelves made for cabinets and was stoked that it fit so perfectly.

I'm growing some spinach in a small yellow porcelain box, and some parsley in a clay cup. The rest of the herbs are in Target $1 Spot buckets that I collect like I have a problem, and hung on 'S' hooks. The larger bucket on the bottom is also a Target $1 Spot find (though it set me back $3), and it's filled with lettuces. A local grocer was selling these lettuce mixes, and I was just enchanted with the idea of growing our own. I am not sure it can be done inside, but I'm going to try. At least until it gets warm enough that I can hang a planter outside the window?

How pretty are those lettuces? I see I forgot to remove the tags from those long 'S' hooks, but it still looks nice. 'S' hooks from the garden section and the over-the-cabinet-door hanger are the only purchases I made, by the way, setting me back about $15. Oh, and the herbs, which are less than $2 at our food co-op, and the lettuces which were something like $4 each. So all in, I was out about $45. If you were also throwing in some cheap tin pails, you'd be looking at another $10-$15, and the cost of ladders varies really widely. You could always make your own using this tutorial!

So yeah, that's my herb garden. It might seem weird to cram stuff in a small kitchen like this, but I like how it all looks and feels. More homey. And I loooove having the herbs right there. We use a lot of basil and cilantro in particular, and it's great to turn from the cutting board and snip snip snip some fresh leaves. It also smells phenomenal. We haven't actually partaken of the lettuce yet, but I'm stoked to try it. For the window, the grass is looking a little scruffy. Maybe I'll replace it when I hang a window box. Maybe some tomatoes? Cukes? I don't know -- I'm only just now not killing everything green. What are you planting? Do you grow fresh herbs? Any fun ways you sneak them into your kitchen?What are your faves? Thanks for reading!