Apartment Balcony Gardening – It’s Easy and it’s Beautiful!

If you have always wanted an apartment balcony garden but have given up because one pot plant shoved in the corner next to the air conditioning unit just looks pathetic, you are going to love this idea.

Have you ever heard of bromeliads? No? They grow on walls! That’s right, you can use bromeliads to create a vertical garden on the wall of your balcony – a living piece of art that you can admire.

Planting up the wall creates a whole new gardening opportunity for you. A vertical garden will impress your friends and will distract from drab brickwork.

Vertical gardens are increasing in popularity and there are a number of systems on the market which all have various methods for supporting and feeding plant roots. But, if you opt for plants that don’t rely on their roots – like bromeliads – you create a lush garden quickly and easily.

What is a bromeliad?

They are tough, hardy, eye catching and almost impossible to kill! They’re also epiphytes, which means that they don’t need to grow in soil. As long as the roots are fully supported, epiphytes can live on the nutrients from water and air. In their natural wild setting, they often live on tree branches with their roots anchoring them to the bark.

How to Build a Vertical Wall Garden

Supplies

1 sheet of galvanized mesh, bolt cutters, 1 piece of plywood, hessian material, tie-wire, pliers, scissors, selection of bromeliads, galvanized chain, 2 DynaBolts, 2 Quick links

Step by step method

1. Lay sheet of galvanised mesh out on the ground, it should measure slightly bigger than you want the finished product to be.
2. Cut a square out of 2 corners of the mesh sheet with your bolt cutters.
3. Using a piece of plywood for traction, bend the mesh up on 3 sides to create a box frame.
4. Cover the outside surface of the box frame with hessian, securing it along the top and down the side edges with tie-wire.
5. Using a sharp knife or pair of scissors, cut a series of small holes through the hessian frame to poke the plants through.
6. Feed the base and roots of the bromeliads through the pre-cut holes. Insert pieces of tie-wire through the thick base of each plant and secure to the galvanised mesh. It helps to wash off all the soil from the base of the plants before putting them into the frame.
7. To create a colorful foliage effect, plant your frame with a mix of several different bromeliad varieties. Space the plants out according to the size they will grow to (check the plant label for details). As they grow, the leaves will spread and merge to over the entire surface. To cover the sides of the frame, plant baby bromeliads, known as pups, or Spanish moss.
8. To hang the plant frame on the wall, attach a length of glavanised chain to the back of the mesh, using stainless steel Quick Links.
9. Screw a pair of DynaBolts into the wall, and then carefully lift your plant frame into position. Depending on the size of the frame, you may need an extra set of hands to help with this step!
10. Spray the bromeliads with a little water. You will need to spray them every day or two for the first month until they are established. You can then spray them once a week in winter and every couple of days in summer to ensure that they stay happy.

If your local nursery doesn’t stock bromeliads, then try shopping online and having your selection delivered to your door.