There's no denying vertical gardens are a big trend. They're a small scale, affordable way to incorporate the principals of green-roofs and living walls into your home. This past week I re-purposed an old wooden soda crate into a vertical garden for my bedroom.
I hope I'm not too long-winded with this how-to, but because of the materials the garden is relatively heavy. I can't emphasize safety enough.
Supplies: wooden soda crate in good structural condition, polyurethane, 21 small succulents plus cuttings from a large pencil cactus, well-draining soil mix (if you can find succulent mix, even better!), reindeer moss, plastic netting trimmed to the size of the inside perimeter of the crate (chicken wire would also work and look cute to boot!), picture hanging hardware, scraps of synthetic craft felt (to cover the handle holes), 5 or 6 tacks, staple gun, scissors, and pruners or wire cutters.
These are the materials I used, but get creative and use what you have on hand! Don't attach the picture hanging hardware and you have an ever-evolving centerpiece for the dinner table.
Look for an old soda crate with metal brackets on the corners and structurally sound boards. A few days before Project Planting, polyurethane the interior of the crate. Give it a couple of good coats to prolong the life of the wood and keep water from soaking through the back and onto your wall.
Flip the box over and attach picture hanging hardware. Add rubber bumpers to the back bottom corners so the garden hangs parallel with the wall. Remember, we're trying to defy gravity, not prove it. Go for heavy duty hardware, like if you were hanging a heavy mirror and don't skimp. With the soil and occasional watering, a vertical garden can be fairly heavy. If you have questions about how to hang it, this article has comprehensive instructions.
My crate had holes in the back so I plugged them with small scraps of craft felt. Craft felt is a synthetic material, so it won't wick the moisture from the soil onto walls. I also used felt to cover the handle holes on the inside of the box, and tacked the felt in place to keep dirt from falling out of the bottom or sides.
Time to fill the crate with a nice even layer of soil then secure the netting over the soil by stapling it in place.
Layout the plants to get an idea of what the finished product will look like. Move them around until you have an arrangement you're pleased with.
A good thing about choosing succulents for this project is they prefer very little water. . Lots of water + wood = rot. We're going for the opposite of that; this project is so pretty you'll want it to last a long time.
Let's plant! You can poke plants with small roots through the holes of the netting into the soil; same goes for cuttings. The hens and chicks I used had more significant root balls, so I took my pruners {wire snips if you're using chicken wire} and cut a slit into the netting and tucked the roots into the dirt. Finagle the netting flat again, to form a nice hold between the plant's crown and roots.
Once everything is planted, fill in bare spots with a few more cuttings and cover exposed soil by tucking reindeer moss into the netting. {Reindeer moss is readily available at craft stores.} This step holds the soil in place while the succulent roots develop.
Try it upright. Lean the garden on a wall and give it an overnight test run. Check it in the AM. If everything is still hangin' out (har har) I say you're ready for mounting your garden to the wall! Again, refer to this picture hanging article to ensure your garden doesn't come crashing down.
Pat yourself on the back for another green job well done. Now, go pour yourself a tasty beverage, sit back and enjoy the view.
Renee
Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb
wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu, you
can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.
