This simple vertical garden is eye-catching and would have taken very little effort to achieve. Picture: Altifarm Enverde/Unsplash
If you have a bare wall at home that just screams out for a treatment, you may want to consider turning it into a vertical garden.
Vertical gardens have become quite the trend as gardeners look at new ways to maximise their enjoyment of their outside area.
It is also an attractive solution where space is at a premium in smaller properties, even flats and complexes where there are no gardens.
Not only is a vertical garden, or “green wall” lovely to look at, it can also transform an area of your garden from being dull to a talking point among your friends.
An advantage of going up the wall is that your new garden is nicely at eye-level, so you can marvel at the textures, colours and vibrancy of your plants.
Apart from that, it also tends to make the area cooler and more inviting, especially if you use your favourite plants in them to attract insects such as butterflies and bees.
What plants you decide to grow in your vertical garden is a personal choice. Succulents can look fantastic on a wall garden, and so can ferns.
You could go for a combination of flowering plants and vegetables, or an entire wall planted with the same plant throughout, which can be quite striking and aesthetically pleasing.
For those who have limited space on the ground to grow vegetables, vertical gardening is the answer, and can provide your family with fresh, organic vegetables or herbs.
If you’re into DIY, making your own frame can be as easy or as complicated as you decide,
and there are a number of good designs that are available online to guide you through the process.
Repurposing old PVC tube garden furniture or bits of wood lying around is one way of doing it. Flower pots, whether traditional clay ones or modern plastic ones, can also be used to good effect.
Some systems include an irrigation system that makes it easier to water your plants, while others are simply raised platforms which accommodate your plants, and the watering is your treat.
One thing to bear in mind is how big your plants will grow over time, as you won’t want them to protrude into a limited patio or balcony area and spoil all your hard work.
Your local nursery can advise you on your plant selection with this in mind, as well as give you some tips to ensure a successful and flourishing new project.
What is nice about the wall garden is that there are no absolutes to scare you off, so let your imagination go wild.
Happy gardening.