A DIY Vertical Garden Project

Reader Contribution by Ronald Wolf
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As cities became more crowded, most of us became “condemned” to live in an apartment which actually weakened our innate relationship with nature. That is why it was necessary to find a creative solution to create a garden space for the individuals having no access whatsoever to the actual garden of their own. It is no wonder why vertical gardens gained popularity in the last couple of years and it is safe to say that they are the hottest green-thumb trend nowadays—a perfect solution for reconnecting with nature. Creating one by yourself might be tricky so here’s what you should pay attention to.

Photo by Pixabay

Choose a Suitable Vertical Garden

The best part of the vertical garden is that there are many options and types you can choose from. You can opt for a container-style garden or pocket gardens, you can grow plants in a wooden wall planter made of wooden shipping pallets, pretty much whatever pops into your mind, or whatever recyclables you find in your garage.

The container-style vertical garden is a pretty easy option where you attach potted plants to the wall or make a unique combination of various plants displayed in a row or stacked. A pocket garden refers to tucking in plants into pockets made from canvas or felt and hanging them vertically on the wall, which makes it a pretty easy DIY, while a vertical wooden wall planter means getting your hands dirty and doing some harder work. For the vertical wooden planters made of recycled shipping pallets, you will need a wire mesh in order to prevent the soil from spilling or simply purchase a landscaping fabric and staple it to the bottom, sides, and the back of the pallet.

Find the Perfect Spot

A vertical garden can be placed just about anywhere, indoors and outdoors, no matter the size of your apartment. But you should keep in mind the position of the sun during the day and the amount of sun exposure the plants will need and get in certain spots around your home. Let the sunbeams guide you to the perfect placement for your garden. For example, if you are a cacti lover and want to have a vertical garden completely made of succulent plants you should opt for a half-exposed spot; avoid full shade or full sun. And keep in mind that you should plant your succulents in either modular containers or detachable vertical pockets so that you can bring them indoors for the winter.

Safety Comes First

It is advised that before taking on any DIY project to make sure you have the necessary tools as well as the equipment it is important to invest in quality equipment to protect yourself from the mishaps that can happen. You will need quality safety glasses, work gloves, and some good old Australian work boots to ensure that your toes are safe  before starting the project and working with various wood cutting machines for your project.

Time to Grab the Tools

There are a few easy steps you need to take to get to see your plants in the air.

First off carefully mark and cut the 1 x 6 piece of lumber into two 3-inch pieces using a circular saw. Next you need to measure and space out equally the holes for the pots. Use a hole saw drill bit that matches the size of your pots. Drilling small holes on the corners of the lumber piece through which you will insert a rope on each side. Run them down, under and up being careful to tie the knots on the 12-14 inch marks of the rope.

You can leave your hanging plant stand unpainted if you love the natural color of the wood, or paint it to match your interior.

Know Your Plants

Before you start planting your wonderful garden you should consider the types of plants you want in order to mix and match compatible plants. Most of the herbs and veggies can grow neatly next to each other but there are some plants that are not “flexible”. It is better to opt for herbaceous plants like flowers and fern for your vertical garden than the woody ones because they are more adaptable and flexible for growing vertically. Herbaceous plants have soft green stems so they will adapt and grow vertically down the walls whereas planting woody varietals (shrubs or vines) is not a good idea for the vertical garden since they have rigid, woody stems and they will grow parallel to the ground.

Make the Right Mix

Mix plants to achieve a more artwork looking vertical garden but make sure to mix plants with same “habits”. That means that you should plant either all-sun or all shade plants to avoid uneven growth. That way you will make sure that all the plants have the same rate of growth and that your vertical garden looks truly amazing.

Quality Potting Soil Is Essential

Another thing you should really pay attention to is the type of the soil. It is essential to use potting soil because vertical gardens dry out quickly and therefore need the soil that helps retain the water and holds in moisture. Not only the regular soil dries out quickly but also the gravity isn’t helping – it pulls the water down. That is why it is recommended to use quality potting soil and to think about the position of the plants—the ones that don’t need much water should be placed on top since that part dries the quickest, while the plants more suited for wetter conditions should be planted at the bottom of your vertical garden.

Rely on these rather simple tips in order to create the perfect vertical garden and find the right spot for it. Keep in mind to invest in quality equipment for your own safety before you start with your project (or any future DIY) and start making awesome garden (or gardens) for your home.

  • Published on Jun 21, 2018
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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