Vertical gardening is the perfect solution for a small space where a garden must maintain a small footprint. Vertical gardening includes anything that takes growing plants and flowers and raises them up off the soil bed. Walls with natural hollows, hanging plants, trellises and graduated plant stands all contribute to a vertical garden.
Instructions
- Assess the space and plan for a vertical garden of multiple layers to keep the garden interesting to the eye.
- Decide on the backdrop first. Chain links or cross posts in fences create perfect anchors for plant hangers and trellis mounts. Use the existing divots of a wall of stucco or concrete, or create new divots to hold plugs of planting material where plants can root and grow. Consider an artificial wall specifically designed for growing vertical gardens, such as the Living Wall System by ELT Easy Green (see Resources).
- Plan a second vertical garden layer using the wall, trellis or hangers as a backdrop. Make the second layer a little bit shorter than the backdrop. Consider potted trellises and hanger poles that support plants without the aid of a backdrop wall.
- Decide on a third layer for the vertical garden that is somewhat shorter than the second layer. Use plant stands and elevated pots to keep the plants one level off the ground.
- Use the ground as the last layer for in-ground planting beds and pots of plants. Use small potted trees as accents.
- Add non-plant accents to complement the plants, to create visual interest and round out the garden. Wall ornaments, gazing balls, torches, hanging lanterns, hanging string lights and lights woven into the greenery keep the small space vertical garden from being too uniform or boring.
- Include plant accents for the finishing touch, such as chia pets or other free standing plant forms that grow quickly and can be positioned anywhere in the vertical garden.
- Vary the choice of plants so the vertical garden displays an array of greens along with mosses, grasses and various flowering plants.
source: eHow.com
