Gardeners use many techniques to grow plants. Vertical gardening uses wall planters, arbors fastened to a wall or trough planters fitted with a trellis to grow plants.
Table of Contents
Planning a vertical garden starts like any other garden. Begin by identifying basic garden needs:
Next, the gardener should decide on the type of vertical container(s) that will be used. Vertical garden ideas, found in garden centers, include a planter designed to grow a tomato plant while suspended from a hook, a trough type planter kit that includes a self-watering reservoir system or a vertical hydroponic garden planter.
Gardeners will find many ways for growing veggies in small spaces. Other ideas include developing an espalier, which is a planting technique that allows a gardener to grow a fruit tree in a narrow vertical space. Or try using a section of chain-link fencing to support climbing plants.
A garden wall, built with 2 x 4’s, plastic-coated chicken wire, and black plastic, mounted on a wall or built on to a freestanding frame, is an excellent vertical garden idea. Large trough shaped planter boxes attached to a wall make an excellent vertical garden, as well. In all cases, plan how the planters will be cleaned after the growing season or disassembled for winter storage.
Plants grown outside in vertical gardens can include flowers, herbs or vegetables. Plants that climb, trail, creep or ramble are all candidates for a vertical garden. Avoid climbing plants that sucker onto a surface if the wall planter is near a brick surface.
Vegetable plants developed for small space gardening, that naturally trail or cling, work well but consider patio, grape or cherry tomato plants, too. Herbs that creep (think of thyme), or are sheared often (think chives or basil), are good choices.
Flowering plants such as impatiens, moss roses, annual lobelia, sweet alyssum or sedum are just a few examples of plant that fill in mass making the planter look like a colorful carpet. A butterfly garden, edible garden or scented garden can be made in a vertical garden just by choosing the correct plants.
Vertical gardening is like any garden style; gardeners will try many plants to see what works best for them. Gardeners should keep a record of successes and failures during each garden season and gather new ideas for next year.
For more ideas on how to garden with limited mobility, visit an enabling garden like one found at Chicago Botanic Gardens or the new Community Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio.
Most homeowners have probably spent hours looking at the different types of garden seeders. You may have even come across…
When it comes to vehicle lovers, cleaning their cars on a regular basis is essential to maintaining the paint job's…
Gas chainsaws are the perfect tool for a variety of outdoor tasks, including chopping up logs for firewood, clearing brush…
A home can be a daunting project, one that takes some time and energy to maintain. With hard work, determination,…
Today ginger is grown all over tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, in parts of Africa and South America, and…
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and growing onions is a snap in the home…