January 10, 2018
DIY Vertical Garden for Your Home
Interested in taking your gardening skills to the next level? Whether you’re running out of horizontal space for fresh plants or are looking to get creative with your greenery, a DIY vertical garden is one do-it-yourself project that should be on the top of your list.
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Vertical gardens are just as functional as they are effective, allowing you to use your green thumb in limited space all while assuring your plants flourish. These alternative gardens are a great way to add visual interest to any area whether indoors or out. Plus, they are easy to create.
To help you assemble your own, we’ve compiled a how-to guide featuring four simple steps. Before you roll up your sleeves to get started, take a peek at the materials you’ll need below:
Vertical Garden Supplies
Reclaimed Wood Slabs – For this tutorial, we used slabs of reclaimed shiplap to achieve a more rustic look. Feel free to select a type of wood that appeals to you, taking weight and thickness of the slabs into consideration. You’ll want something on the lighter side since you will be hanging these on the wall, but sturdy enough to hold your plants. For reference, our slabs are 31½ ” long with varying widths that together span 38”.
Metal Hangers – Find metal hangers that are properly sized to fit the lip of whichever type of pot you are using.
Screws and Screwdriver – Screws and a screwdriver will be necessary for assembling your vertical garden if you aren’t adhering your wooden slabs with alternative materials.
Plants – It wouldn’t be a vertical garden without greenery . Choose a few of your favorites plants to add to your garden. Trailing vines like pothos or philodendron make for great options. See our complete list of recommended plants for any vertical garden below.
Terracotta Planters – The outer edges of the terracotta pot, make them easy to attach to the metal hangers.
Soil – You’ll need extra soil to properly repot your plants so be sure to have some on hand.
Best Plants for a Vertical Garden
Before selecting plants, be mindful of which blooms will thrive in the elements where you’ll display your vertical garden. For instance, consider the amount of sunlight the space will get and whether it’s indoors or out. Picking plants that thrive in the elements will only further assure the success of your garden.
As we mentioned above, trailing vines that hang out of their metal pots make for a visually interesting garden. If you are hanging your planter indoors, you might also consider planting herbs in the kitchen or smaller succulents that require minimal upkeep. Also, don’t forget to consider the weight of the plants; avoid any large or heavy greenery. We recommend the following:
White Marble Pothos
Dracaena
Boston Fern
Bird’s Nest Fern
English Ivy
Geranium
Succulents
Fresh Herbs
With the proper supplies and collection of greenery, it’s time to get started creating your vertical garden. Read on for more detailed instruction.
Vertical Garden DIY
Project time: 45 mins
Step 1: Pick a spot where you’d like to hang your vertical garden, lay out and attach your wooden slabs.
Think about the type of wood you’re using and what the best way to hang the pieces will be. Some options, including shiplap, come ready to hang with adhesive material on the back, making it simple to peel and stick. If you’re just using reclaimed wood pieces, opt for a hammer and nail, a drill or some other form of adhesive material.
Pro Tip: Before you begin hanging, it’s important to visualize the look you’ll want your garden to take on. Should you stagger the wood pieces or keep them uniform? For this tutorial, we placed the slabs so that they were staggered for a more natural look.
Step 2: Attach metal hangers to the wooden slabs.
Have some fun with the layout of your planters. For this tutorial, we attached five metal hangers to the wooden slabs horizontally and off centered. You can assemble the garden so the the planters are aligned, or create a layout that’s more off-centered like this tutorial.
Once you have a layout you’re happy with, use a screwdriver or screw gun to attach the metal hangers to each of the wooden slabs.
Step 3: Repot your plants.
It’s important that you properly repot your plants so that they stay healthy and thrive in your vertical garden. Once you have the plants in place, give them the right amount of water and proper care. You can find more care information in the following articles on dracaena care and pothos care.
Step 4: Now it’s time to hang your planters.
Use the lip of your pot to properly situate the plant on your metal hanger. It’s best to angle the lip of your planter into the hanger. Don’t forget to make sure it’s secured before letting go.
Get ready to watch your vertical garden flourish!
Now that you’ve created a Pinterest-worthy living wall, it’ll be important that you continue to care for it properly. Although maintenance will depend on the specific plants you’ve selected for your garden, we’ve listed a few general guidelines below.
How to Care for Your Vertical Garden
Your vertical garden will need to be watered regularly, up to three to five times a week. The dryness of the soil will be a good indicator of watering needs. In general, the soil should be well-drained and never appear too dry.
Make sure your vertical garden is getting proper sunlight according to the plants’ needs.
As your vertical garden grows, be sure to clip off any dead leaves or foliage.
Once you’ve mastered the vertical gardening, you can check out more insider DIY’s. Try your hand at a succulent wall garden or inspire high hopes with a kokedama string garden. Not only can you take your greenery to new heights, but you can also create fresh displays for just about any space in your home.