How to make a DIY cinder block herb garden

Herb gardens are wonderful things, but what if you want to keep invasive herbs from taking over or just want more space for vegetables? That was the dilemma facing Chandra and her husband: their 16' x 2' raised garden wasn't enough for all of the herbs and vegetables that they wanted to grow. 
"We’ve been out working lots in the yard the past few days trying to brainstorm how to maximize our garden space," Chandra wrote in Hashtag Blessed, her DIY blog, in May 2015. Chandra and her husband had seven cinder blocks on hand, and spent some time coming up with a stacked configuration they liked. "We placed it in the corner of the yard where we had some space and it would go untouched by little hands and flying soccer balls," she writes.
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After finding pots that would fit into the cinder block holes, Chandra gave careful thought to which herbs she would plant in them. Her final choices included oregano, dill, and basil.
Oregano was chosen because of its tendency to overtake their small raised garden; confined to the pot, it can't bully any of the other plants. Dill made the cut because it gets tall; in this planter, it won't be depriving other plants of sunlight. Finally, basil was chosen because putting it near the top of the planter ensures that this sun-loving herb will get everything it needs.
Moving some of the herbs to the cinder block planter allowed Chandra to plant more vegetables in their small raised garden, resulting in more carrots and tomatoes for the family! The full DIY tutorial can be found on her blog, Hashtag Blessed, including her methods for preserving herbs for winter use.
After harvesting your vegetables and herbs, you may find yourself blessed with an oversupply. Which is not a bad problem to have, especially if you have adequate shelving space in your cellar -- made from cinder blocks, of course!
Other handy garden things you can easily create with cinder blocks include a firewood storage rack and an outdoor fireplace (which is portable, too!).
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Be sure to share this article before collecting cinder blocks and making your garden space the envy of the neighborhood!