If you haven’t got a lot of horizontal space outside your house or you’ve got an unsightly wall you want to do something with, a vertical garden could be exactly what you need.
To start, choose a wall that you want to create your vertical garden on. Obvious contenders are walls that are no longer looking their best and could do with a makeover.
What you plant in your vertical garden will depend on how much sunlight your chosen wall gets. On the other hand, if you have a particular species in mind, choose a wall that will afford them optimum growing conditions.
With your plants chosen it’s time to build a frame for your vertical garden. This will be its main base and support everything you want to grow in it.
The structure itself is (usually) a three-layer sandwich comprising a frame, plastic sheeting and fabric. The plastic sheeting is to prevent water from leaking, while the fabric acts as a foundation for the plants to live and grow from.
For the material, most people opt for felt as it allows roots to grow through and effectively retains water.
An irrigation system is then needed to keep your vertical garden suitably watered. This usually takes the form of a plastic pipe across the top which drips water down throughout the whole structure. Said irrigation system is one of the most important aspects, so if you’re not sure how to achieve what’s needed, consult an irrigation specialist.
Your vertical garden will also need fertilising, and most people choose to do this by way of a fertiliser injector which drips fertiliser into your irrigation system.
With your structure in place it’s time to add your chosen plants. Make a horizontal cut in your fabric and insert the roots of the plant. It’s a good idea to remove as much soil as possible from the plant’s roots before you start.
It’s now just a case of stapling the fabric to the plastic around the bottom of the plant’s root ball in a semi-circle to create a secure envelope in which your plant can grow. Repeat this process for each of your chosen plants.
And that’s about it. Once you are happy with the arrangement of your plants you can hang the whole structure on the wall.
Vertical gardens are great DIY projects, but we would recommend seeking the help of a professional if you want to do ones that are larger or more complicated.
Comments are closed.