Do you like the look of vertical gardens and want to give it a go yourself? This handy guide will help you get growing.
Why grow a vertical garden
Vertical wall gardens are becoming more popular – possibly because outdoor spaces are now smaller and garden design is stretching the boundaries of the imagination.
Green walls can liven up a bare or ugly wall and add a touch of nature to an uninspiring wall or fence. ‘Living’ green walls are naturally space-saving and wonderfully eye-catching. After all, we all like the effect of moving water – and foliage moving gently in the breeze can be just as restful.
How to build your own vertical garden
Option 1: Trough against a fence or wall
There are different ways to build vertical gardens. The simplest is to place a trough against a fence or wall and secure a timber or metal/wire frame to the wall. Then add climbing plants like glory vine, Ficus pumila or Boston ivy, clipped flat. Whatever you choose will grow up and across the wall, creating a carpet-like effect.
You could also consider a vine such as passionfruit. As long as it gets a reasonable amount of sun, it will spread across a wall or fence (with some initial training) and also produce delicious fruit for you to enjoy!
Other fruit and nut trees can be espaliered (a term for training plants against a flat surface) by encouraging them to grow horizontally, making a productive green wall. An added benefit is that the fruit can be easily picked and is less likely to be susceptible to slug and snails, rot and insects. And because more air and sunlight reaches the plant, there’s also less risk of mildew and fungal issues.
Other great vertical garden plants that naturally grow upwards include Chinese Star Jasmine and Pandorea varieties. The advantage of a large trough is that there’s a sufficient volume of soil, and it’s relatively easy to water.
Option 2: Trough near the top of a fence or wall
Another style of vertical garden is where you secure a lightweight trough near the top of the fence or wall and have the plants (like ivy, String of Pearls, or Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’) trail downwards to the ground. This creates a lush look reminiscent of cascading water.
But as you can probably imagine, watering the trough can be tricky. So it’s best to install an automatic watering system to take care of it for you.
Option 3: Pots across a mesh wall
Another option is securing pots at even spacing across a mesh wall and then planting with hardy plants such as succulents, geraniums or (if it’s in the shade) ferns. You could use one or two varieties, or a kaleidoscope of colours.
If a plant is looking a little ‘faded’, you can easily replace it to keep the green wall looking fresh.
Option 4: Buy a vertical garden kit
You can also buy a kit or module from some garden centres, which can be easily mounted on a wall or fence. These are usually made from black plastic that your growing plants will quickly cover – and often they come with a built-in watering system.
How to water your vertical garden
Whichever method you choose, the biggest challenge is keeping your plants well watered.
Small pots tend to dry out in heat and wind and so you’ll likely need to water them every day. But you can keep your plants (and yourself!) happy with an automatic watering system that waters them once or even twice daily. Just make sure that any water that drips from the bottom of the container has somewhere to go – like onto a pebble covered strip at the base of the wall.
Get more vertical garden ideas.
Pope’s DIY tip
The Pope 70cm Deluxe Wand makes it easy to water plants at the top of your vertical garden.
Vertical wall gardens are becoming more popular – possibly because outdoor spaces are now smaller and garden design is stretching the boundaries of the imagination.
Green walls can liven up a bare or ugly wall and add a touch of nature to an uninspiring wall or fence. ‘Living’ green walls are naturally space-saving and wonderfully eye-catching. After all, we all like the effect of moving water – and foliage moving gently in the breeze can be just as restful.
Option 1: Trough against a fence or wall
There are different ways to build vertical gardens. The simplest is to place a trough against a fence or wall and secure a timber or metal/wire frame to the wall. Then add climbing plants like glory vine, Ficus pumila or Boston ivy, clipped flat. Whatever you choose will grow up and across the wall, creating a carpet-like effect.
You could also consider a vine such as passionfruit. As long as it gets a reasonable amount of sun, it will spread across a wall or fence (with some initial training) and also produce delicious fruit for you to enjoy!
Other fruit and nut trees can be espaliered (a term for training plants against a flat surface) by encouraging them to grow horizontally, making a productive green wall. An added benefit is that the fruit can be easily picked and is less likely to be susceptible to slug and snails, rot and insects. And because more air and sunlight reaches the plant, there’s also less risk of mildew and fungal issues.
Other great vertical garden plants that naturally grow upwards include Chinese Star Jasmine and Pandorea varieties. The advantage of a large trough is that there’s a sufficient volume of soil, and it’s relatively easy to water.
Option 2: Trough near the top of a fence or wall
Another style of vertical garden is where you secure a lightweight trough near the top of the fence or wall and have the plants (like ivy, String of Pearls, or Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’) trail downwards to the ground. This creates a lush look reminiscent of cascading water.
But as you can probably imagine, watering the trough can be tricky. So it’s best to install an automatic watering system to take care of it for you.
Option 3: Pots across a mesh wall
Another option is securing pots at even spacing across a mesh wall and then planting with hardy plants such as succulents, geraniums or (if it’s in the shade) ferns. You could use one or two varieties, or a kaleidoscope of colours.
If a plant is looking a little ‘faded’, you can easily replace it to keep the green wall looking fresh.
Option 4: Buy a vertical garden kit
You can also buy a kit or module from some garden centres, which can be easily mounted on a wall or fence. These are usually made from black plastic that your growing plants will quickly cover – and often they come with a built-in watering system.
How to water your vertical garden
Whichever method you choose, the biggest challenge is keeping your plants well watered.
Small pots tend to dry out in heat and wind and so you’ll likely need to water them every day. But you can keep your plants (and yourself!) happy with an automatic watering system that waters them once or even twice daily. Just make sure that any water that drips from the bottom of the container has somewhere to go – like onto a pebble covered strip at the base of the wall.
Get more vertical garden ideas.
Pope’s DIY tip
The Pope 70cm Deluxe Wand makes it easy to water plants at the top of your vertical garden.
Whichever method you choose, the biggest challenge is keeping your plants well watered.
Small pots tend to dry out in heat and wind and so you’ll likely need to water them every day. But you can keep your plants (and yourself!) happy with an automatic watering system that waters them once or even twice daily. Just make sure that any water that drips from the bottom of the container has somewhere to go – like onto a pebble covered strip at the base of the wall.
Get more vertical garden ideas.
Pope’s DIY tip
The Pope 70cm Deluxe Wand makes it easy to water plants at the top of your vertical garden.
