Vertical gardening offers a very innovative and productive solution for gardening in ultra-tight living spaces. As the name implies, vertical gardening refers to growing plants on a vertical surface. It allows plants that are traditionally grown on the ground, to experience a space on the walls as well. If you plan to start a vertical garden in your home as well, here are some tips and ideas that can be of some help while planning.
Pointers to be noted
These are some essential pointers you will need to note when setting up a vertical gardening space.
Plants in vertical gardens need sunlight as well: Depending on the plants you choose to grow, you may be required to provide them with exposure to sunlight at regular intervals throughout the day. Hence choose a space that offers the plants at least a little bit of sunlight during the day.
The taller they are, the harder they are to maintain: Some of us tend to get carried away when setting a vertical garden and end placing plants in high, hard to reach sports. You will need to ensure that the plants in the garden are reachable for proper maintenance. So don’t go higher than needed.
You need a strong support system: You can grow a vertical garden on literally anything vertical. However, the support system you choose must be strong enough to handle the weight of the plant, the pot and water in it included. For instance, setting up a vertical garden on a flimsy steel mesh is not going to work if you overburden the mesh with too many plants until it eventually buckles under the excess weight.
You need to protect the floors and walls: This holds true if you plan to grow your vertical garden indoors. Exposure to moisture can erode the floors and walls. Hence it pays to have some form of protective covering added to them before setting up the garden. For instance, you can choose to add an extra layer of water sealant coated plywood over existing floorboards, and choose a polyethylene moisture barrier in between the wall and the garden.
Ideas for a Vertical Garden
Here are some innovative planting solutions that you can incorporate in your vertical garden.
Cinder Blocks
If you have some unused cinder blocks lying around, consider transforming them into a vertical garden. This idea allows you to stack up the blocks in different designs while being able to move the entire garden from one room to another if needed.
Pegboards
If you want to start small, consider growing a vertical garden on a pegboard. A small stretch of pegboard on the wall can be used to hold jars or containers containing herbs or other small plants you wish to grow. You can choose to add more plants to the board and cover the adjoining spaces on the wall with more stretches of pegboard with time.
Steel Mesh
Appropriate for small plants, a steel mesh can serve as the perfect backdrop for your living room. You can install the steel mesh to the ceiling or wall and make use hooks to attach the planters to the mesh. Be wary not to go overboard with too many plants though.
Hangers
What better way to have a vertical garden than to have it hanging above your head? You can choose to hang the planters on beams, rods or any other suspended support. Ensure though that the hooks are strong enough to hold the weight of the planter. In this case, you will also need to make suitable arrangements to collect the water runoff from the planters after watering the plants.
Clay pot Towers
This is a great way to set up a vertical garden with minimum hassles. Simply buy containers of different sizes and place them one above the other in descending order. You can use the free space around the base of each pot to plant herbs or small plants.
Gutter Garden
Another innovative way to create a vertical garden is to reuse old gutters. Cut out the gutters to the required length, fill them up with soil and mulch, and plant the seeds in them. You can choose to hang a gutter (or a group of them) on a line suspended from a beam or the roof.
Summary
Vertical gardening is a great way to showcase your green thumb in a small living space. With a little bit of creativity, you can create a smashing vertical garden that does not fail to attract everyone’s attention.