Growing Up—Things to Consider When Planning a Vertical Garden

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A vertical garden is exactly what it sounds like—an area of plants, such as flowers, herbs or vegetables—grown upwards rather than across a piece of land, either against a wall or in a free-standing structure. The advantage over a traditional garden is that a vertical garden allows a lot of plants to grow in a small space. However, there are a few rules you will need to apply in order to get the most from your vertical garden.

Sun

You will need to position your garden where it can receive plenty of sunlight. If you are growing plants up against a wall, you may be tempted to use them to hide an ugly or unappealing wall, but this will not work unless they will receive enough light to grow. Of course, if you are planting a free-standing pyramid or tower garden, you can place it in whichever part of your yard seems most promising.

Structure

If you are planting against a wall, you will probably not have to worry about whether or not it can support the weight of the vertical garden. However, a fence which seems perfectly sturdy may not prove to be so once you have attached containers and compost and added water. Your garden will only stay vertical if its supporting structure can do the same.

Moisture

Think about how your supporting wall will cope with the water from the garden. It may be permanently moist, so if you are worried about damp, install some waterproof plastic sheeting between the garden and the wall. Also, think about how you will be watering the plants. A hosepipe may be fine, but if the topmost plants are higher than you can reach, you will have a problem. Bear in mind also that if the water can trickle downwards, the lower plants will receive much more water than the higher ones.

Plants

If it can be grown in a container, it can be grown vertically. But consider carefully which plants will suit the amount of sunlight and water you can give. Lighter plants with smaller roots are probably best to begin with; many herbs and salad vegetables do very well vertically, as do fruits such as strawberries.

If you want a garden but have little space to grow it in, vertical gardening is the ideal solution. Just take care when planning it, and the only limit will be your imagination. 

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23 July 2018

Creating A Garden With Black Fingers

I have always wanted a pretty flower garden of my own. My grandmother has a glorious garden filled with vibrant coloured flowers that smell so good. Unfortunately, I have black fingers, and it seemed that growing a flower garden of my own was always going to be beyond my reach. This year I am making it my resolution to create a garden just like my grandmothers. Follow my blog journey as I figure out the best way to get flowers to flourish and bloom despite my lack of gardening talent. I have the perfect spot picked out in the back garden, so it is going to be an exciting adventure for sure!