Unique Vertical Garden Plans

Building a Vertical Garden

Don’t let the idea of vertical gardening intimidate you. Vertical gardening can be as simple as including hanging planters on your porch to more complex projects that make use of trellised growing systems.

The idea is to grow up, not out, and thus conserve space on the ground while adding focal points of interest in your gardening space.

Vertical gardening can be an ideal solution for cramped spaces like apartment porches or urban landscapes. It not only makes the most use of the little space you have available, but it also gives punches of color and natural interest to a concrete wasteland.

Below are some simple steps to creating your own unique, vertical garden. These pictures show how the project can also be hung from hooks as well, however you can take this design and simply lean it against a wall or deck railings too!

 What you will Need:

2 2×4’s measuring 48 inches in length

2 2×4’s measuring 20 inches in length

48in X 23in sized sheet of ¼ inch plywood

8 screws

15 nails

staple gun and staples

chicken wire

3 S hooks

6 screw eyes

pliers

drill & drill bits

tape measure

writing implement

 Step 1:

Take the sections of 2×4’s and lay them out so that they form a box with the shorter two pieces on the inside and nail each side into each other followed by adding two screws to each side. (I use a nail in each corner first to hold it in place while I screw in the screws.)

 Step 2:

Nail plywood to 2×4 frame.

 Step 3:

Drill holes in 2×4’s and plywood (allows water to drain more easily from inside the box) and pre-drill holes on top for 3 screw eyes (if you are going to hang it) and screw in screw eyes.

 Step 4:

Staple chicken wire to top of frame.

 Step 5:

Add soil and sedums or strawberries or whatever your heart desires and finish it off by hanging it or leaning it against your deck railing or the side of your home.

Jonathan Aflatooni is the co-owner of Blacklotus Landscaping LLC and co-owner of Amber Bear Nursery and Farm. Jon has many years of practical experience in the field, from propagating his own collection of plant life to creating and designing new landscapes. He looks forward to sharing with a wider audience some of the insights and knowledge he has gleaned along the way.