Herb Trend: Vertical Planters

Reader Contribution by Taylor Miller
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<p>Economic and financial issues plaguing the globe have spawned a new wave of interest in sustainability, fostering the need for more urban gardeners. For those living in such a densely populated area, growing space is often limited, and you need to think creatively and maybe even squint your eyes a little to make it work.</p>
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<p align=”center”>The Living Wall by ELT.</p>
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<p>Such space concerns are why vertical planters are becoming increasingly popular. A year ago, I picked the top <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/top-8-best-autumn-gardening-products.aspx” target=”_blank”>Top 8 Gardening Products for Fall 2008</a>, and among them listed the <a href=”http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/” target=”_blank”>Living Wall by ELT</a>.</p>
<p>This year, another company sent me a different kind of wall-hanging potter called the <a href=”http://www.woollypocket.com/” target=”_blank”>Woolly Pocket</a>, which prides itself in adding a touch of class to any home (and it does). The long, almost windowsill-type potters are made out of a dense fabric that feels like a wool peacoat, and they come in coated and uncoated varieties, depending on if you’re planning on using it indoors or out.</p>
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<p>I requested the coated version so it would not leak, but opted to set it up outside for the summer – and maybe clean it for reuse indoors for the winter. The Pocket was easy to install and within a few months tomatoes were producing and producing well in the Pocket compared with those on the ground. This is a major advantage if you’re wanting to keep animals away from your plants, especially indoors where most common houseplants are toxic to your pets.</p>
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<i>The Woolly Pocket website gives detailed information on all of their planters with colorful photos like this one that make you see both the company and the product as unique. While the imagery with the naked people doesn’t really bother me, nearly every plant shown in this photo is toxic to animals (we’ll hope the dog wasn’t hungry), so I wouldn’t recommend using a sitting planter if you have an indoor pet.</i>
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<p>The fabric of the Pocket, unlike with the Living Wall, prevents scratching on your walls and is a better safeguard to leaking because of the inner-coating. The coating covers the inside of the planter, protecting your walls and floor from leaks that may come from overwatering. However, this is a particular concern, because those of us that tend to give our plants more water, will be more likely to kill a plant or create an environment susceptible to root rot.</p>
<p>So, if you were planning on using the Pocket indoors, I might suggest lining the bottom with 2 or 3 inches of Perlite for the best possible drainage.</p>
<p>Other than that, the <a href=”http://www.woollypocket.com/” target=”_blank”>Woolly Pocket</a>, which comes in many shapes and sizes, would make a great gift for anyone and everyone with a bright, empty wall considering starting a new garden or consolidating some of their favorite houseplants.</p>

  • Published on Sep 29, 2009
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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