I really don’t have a green thumb. Really. But I wanted some live plants for my apartment and a way to ensure they stayed alive. You know, like sunlight and water. But I lived alone on a first floor and didn’t want to leave my blinds open all the time just to grow some plants. So I started thinking of places I could put plants where I wasn’t concerned about people seeing in to my house.

The one place I thought of was the window over the kitchen sink. It was small, but if someone looked inside, all they could see was the refrigerator – not my flat screen TV. And it was so close to a water source, I could just extend the kitchen faucet to water them. This should be foolproof – sunlight and easy watering.

The only problem was there wasn’t actually a ledge or anywhere to set plant pots. So, I did what anyone would do and went to Ikea. I ended up buying one of those kitchen rail systems. It was essentially a curtain rod that affixed to the wall and had different hooks and holders you could connect to it. I bought one long rod, 2 sets of hooks, and three plant pots/holders.

I affixed the rod to the wall, across the span of the window, so that the pots would hang in the window, but not rest on the sill. I just added the hooks and plant holders and voila! Once installed, I potted different herbs into small terra cotta pots, which I painted white to blend in with the white containers. I just dropped these small pots into the containers on the rail. I did this for drainage, so the plants could drain through the terra cotta pot into the larger one if needed.

It was pretty cute while it lasted. The plants died pretty quickly, then I ended up moving and the whole thing didn’t make it in to the new house.

Now, knowing that succulents are about all I can keep alive, I would have planted succulents in them and they would have been just as cute and probably still be alive.

It was a cute idea and the project itself worked. Just the theory that it would help me keep my plants alive, that was the fail!

Cost:

FINTORP Rail, Black (31”) – $9.99

FINTORP Flatware Caddy, White – $6.99/each x 3 = $20.97

FINTORP Hooks, Black – $2.99/5 Pack x 2 = $5.98

Terra Cotta Pots – $.78/each x 4 = $2.34

Herbs, 3 types – $4.98/each x 3 = $14.94

TOTAL: $54.22