How to Build a Vertical Garden
Buy a garden structure from a garden store., Use vertical features you already have., Build your own vertical trellis.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy a garden structure from a garden store.
Since vertical gardens are growing in popularity, home and garden stores increasingly carry a variety of structures suitable for building a vertical garden.
Choose from among these options:
Buy simple poles you can set into the ground.
Metal poles are better if you have dense or clay soil because they can be driven through hard ground.
If your ground is loose, wooden poles will be fine.
Stick the poles every few feet along a row of plants.
As the plants grow, run a line of garden twine down one side, loop around the far pole, and tie off at the end where you started.
Tie the twine to each pole along the way to support plants.
Buy a trellis.
Trellises are often made of wood.
They are built in the shape of a box with a cross-hatched top and sides, allowing vines and plants to weave themselves through the gaps in the wood. -
Step 2: Use vertical features you already have.
There's no need to go out of your way to buy a structure if you don't want to spend the money.
You probably already have items you can use to grow a vertical garden.
Consider the following:
A tree.
That's right, you can train a plant to grow around a tree.
The best type of tree for this is one with branches that begin more than 6 feet (1.8 m) up the tree.
Bamboo poles.
Is there a stand of bamboo located near your home? Bamboo provides a sturdy base for a vertical garden, and it's often easy to get it for free.
If you don't have bamboo, another strong, tall stick of some kind will do.
Your deck.
If you have a deck that extends several feet or yards above the ground, you can train plants to grow up the sides.
A fence.
Most any fence provides suitable structure for a vertical garden
- the taller, the better! , For a completely customized vertical garden structure, build your own out of wood.
Building your own structure allows you to create a garden with the right dimensions for your yard.
Here's a step-by-step guide for building a 6-foot high garden structure:
Build a 2 foot (0.6 m) square by 11 inch (27.9 cm) high box from redwood, cedar, or pressure-treated 2 x 6s.
Screw 8-foot pressure-treated 2 x 2s at the center and one corner in back, and 6-foot 2 x 2s at the other corner and 18 inches (45.7 cm) from the back on both sides.
Pre-drill, glue and screw 1 x 2s every 6 inches (15.2 cm), starting at the top of the box.
Extend the 1 x 2s at least an inch beyond each 2 x 2 to minimize the danger of splitting.
Add platforms by screwing on 3-foot 1 x 2s, then screwing on 1 x 2s laid flat to create a miniature deck.
Add one more 6-foot long 2 x 2 in the center at the front, and screw it to the crosspieces.
Add a 1 x 4 crosspiece at the top of the two longest 2 x 2s.
If you want, you can attach a bird house to the crosspiece.
Fill the box with good soil, then plant climbing plants and train them up the lattice.
Add other plants in pots and hanging baskets. -
Step 3: Build your own vertical trellis.
Detailed Guide
Since vertical gardens are growing in popularity, home and garden stores increasingly carry a variety of structures suitable for building a vertical garden.
Choose from among these options:
Buy simple poles you can set into the ground.
Metal poles are better if you have dense or clay soil because they can be driven through hard ground.
If your ground is loose, wooden poles will be fine.
Stick the poles every few feet along a row of plants.
As the plants grow, run a line of garden twine down one side, loop around the far pole, and tie off at the end where you started.
Tie the twine to each pole along the way to support plants.
Buy a trellis.
Trellises are often made of wood.
They are built in the shape of a box with a cross-hatched top and sides, allowing vines and plants to weave themselves through the gaps in the wood.
There's no need to go out of your way to buy a structure if you don't want to spend the money.
You probably already have items you can use to grow a vertical garden.
Consider the following:
A tree.
That's right, you can train a plant to grow around a tree.
The best type of tree for this is one with branches that begin more than 6 feet (1.8 m) up the tree.
Bamboo poles.
Is there a stand of bamboo located near your home? Bamboo provides a sturdy base for a vertical garden, and it's often easy to get it for free.
If you don't have bamboo, another strong, tall stick of some kind will do.
Your deck.
If you have a deck that extends several feet or yards above the ground, you can train plants to grow up the sides.
A fence.
Most any fence provides suitable structure for a vertical garden
- the taller, the better! , For a completely customized vertical garden structure, build your own out of wood.
Building your own structure allows you to create a garden with the right dimensions for your yard.
Here's a step-by-step guide for building a 6-foot high garden structure:
Build a 2 foot (0.6 m) square by 11 inch (27.9 cm) high box from redwood, cedar, or pressure-treated 2 x 6s.
Screw 8-foot pressure-treated 2 x 2s at the center and one corner in back, and 6-foot 2 x 2s at the other corner and 18 inches (45.7 cm) from the back on both sides.
Pre-drill, glue and screw 1 x 2s every 6 inches (15.2 cm), starting at the top of the box.
Extend the 1 x 2s at least an inch beyond each 2 x 2 to minimize the danger of splitting.
Add platforms by screwing on 3-foot 1 x 2s, then screwing on 1 x 2s laid flat to create a miniature deck.
Add one more 6-foot long 2 x 2 in the center at the front, and screw it to the crosspieces.
Add a 1 x 4 crosspiece at the top of the two longest 2 x 2s.
If you want, you can attach a bird house to the crosspiece.
Fill the box with good soil, then plant climbing plants and train them up the lattice.
Add other plants in pots and hanging baskets.
About the Author
Jose Freeman
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
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