If you have an ugly view of a brick wall just outside of your kitchen window or just lack the space to landscape in full, then a vertical garden could be the answer to your conundrum. A vertical garden can make even the tiniest of outdoor spaces into a flourishing oasis that will be a selling point of your property rather than a drawback. The good news is that almost any wall can be made into a vertical garden because they don’t create too much weight. Read on to learn how to get started and make the most of the space you have.
Where to position a vertical garden wall
The position of your wall will determine the plants you can choose, so consider which conditions your preferred plants will flourish in. If you think you might want to move your vertical garden, it should be built on a frame of waterproof 3/4-inch PVC pipe.
Build a vertical garden frame
Construct your 3/4-inch PVC pipe into a frame using elbows and four-way joints. Cover in plastic sheeting to keep water off the wall and add two layers of water retaining fabric in which to plant. Stretch your two layers of material taut across the frame and secure with galvanised screws and stainless-steel staples.
Vertical garden irrigation and fertilisation
You need to keep the wall wet without overwatering the plants, so some experimentation is needed. Source a propagation timer that can be set to seconds, not minutes, and set 10-15 second water feeds 3-6 times a day. Hook up a fertiliser injector with an irrigation valve to send liquid fertiliser into the system to keep your plants well-fed. You can solve the issue of run-off by installing a flower bed underneath.
Planting a vertical garden
Before planting, remove excess soil from the plant’s root ball to prevent root rot. Make horizontal cuts across the top layer of your fabric in which to insert your plants. Once in place, secure the felt to the plastic backing with a few stainless-steel staples around the root ball to make your pocket.
Of course, if time isn’t on your side then you could always purchase planting bags from Amazon and attach them directly to the wall. Then you can skip right to the fun part!