The benefits of growing a Vertical Garden are plentiful. Getting this 12 month a year garden ready can be simplified in a few steps. Artisan Stone has featured an article outlining the main steps to getting your Vertical Garden set up. Take a look at the highlights of their article below.
Where you can grow your vertical garden
The beauty of a vertical garden is that it can be grown just about anywhere. The location will help determine growth time and plant selection, but providing you get the right plants for the right environment, your vertical garden will thrive, whether it’s on a garden wall, an indoor wall, an exterior wall, a balcony, a free-standing screen, a pool fence or rooftop. As long as you’ve got a blank space that needs beautifying, you can tend to edibles, annuals and perennials.
Choosing the right plants
The correct selection of plants plays a major role in achieving a vertical garden that thrives. A bit of homework into what’s right for your location will pay dividends. Plants you might consider are:
Growing vegetables and herbs
Not every vertical garden has to feature ornamental and ‘showy’ plants. Vertical gardens can also be practical with veggies and herbs. Given the chance, most people would admit to wanting to grow their own crisp vegetables and tasty herbs from home. It’s not so easy, however, when you have limited space. Luckily, veggies and herbs can thrive in vertical gardens just as well as the plants listed above.
To grow veggies and herbs in a vertical garden, you will need an area that sees at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. You’ll also need quality soil, so consider amending your soil with compost before you start planting. You should also have a good idea of what plant hardiness zone you live in, which will guide you towards the most suitable crops to grow. Lastly – consider what veggies and herbs you and your family like to eat.
Getting the right placement
In general, you want to try and mix plants with the same ‘habit’ and rate of growth. If you put a slow-growth plant next to a fast-growing plant, it doesn’t take a genius to know what’s going to happen.
As gravity pulls the water down, plants that don’t need much water are recommended for the top part of the garden, as this is the area that will dry out the quickest. Place the plants more suited for wetter conditions at the bottom of the system.
Establishing your garden
Ideally, you want to grow your vertical garden horizontally for a few weeks to let your plants, herbs and vegetables get established in their environment. If you are using a wooden pallet or a container with panels, lay them flat at first and plant vertically. This way, your plants still-delicate roots won’t have to compete with gravity pulling down your soil. Once plants are established, hang on the wall or your desired structure.
A window in your kitchen is an excellent place to grow an indoor herb garden, however, that’s not an option for everyone. You can still make it happen by hanging the