Vertical Gardens for Small Spaces
Ideas to Create an Enabling Garden for Easy Access
Gardeners use many techniques to grow plants. Vertical gardening uses wall planters, arbors fastened to a wall or trough planters fitted with a trellis to grow plants.
Vertical Garden Basics
Planning a vertical garden starts like any other garden. Begin by identifying basic garden needs:
- Locate the site.
- Determine the light exposure.
- Determine water access and watering tools needed.
Next, the gardener should decide on the type of vertical container(s) that will be used. Vertical garden ideas, found in garden centers, include a planter designed to grow a tomato plant while suspended from a hook, a trough type planter kit that includes a self-watering reservoir system or a vertical hydroponic garden planter.
Other ideas include developing an espalier, which is a planting technique that allows a gardener to grow a fruit tree in a narrow vertical space. Or try using a section of chain-link fencing to support climbing plants.
Vertical Wall Planters
A garden wall, built with 2 x 4’s, plastic-coated chicken wire, and black plastic, mounted on a wall or built on to a freestanding frame, is an excellent vertical garden idea. Large trough shaped planter boxes attached to a wall make an excellent vertical garden, as well. In all cases, plan how the planters will be cleaned after the growing season or disassembled for winter storage.
Planting A Vertical Garden
Plants grown outside in vertical gardens can include flowers, herbs or vegetables. Plants that climb, trail, creep or ramble are all candidates for a vertical garden. Avoid climbing plants that sucker onto a surface if the wall planter is near a brick surface.
Vegetable plants developed for small space gardening, that naturally trail or cling, work well but consider patio, grape or cherry tomato plants, too. Herbs that creep (think of thyme), or are sheared often (think chives or basil), are good choices.
Flowering plants such as impatiens, moss roses, annual lobelia, sweet alyssum or sedum are just a few examples of plant that fill in mass making the planter look like a colorful carpet. A butterfly garden, edible garden or scented garden can be made in a vertical garden just by choosing the correct plants.
Vertical gardening is like any garden style; gardeners will try many plants to see what works best for them. Gardeners should keep a record of successes and failures during each garden season and gather new ideas for next year.
Visiting An Enabling Garden
Gardeners choose some techniques for easy access in small spaces. For more ideas on how to garden with limited mobility, visit an enabling garden like one found at Chicago Botanic Gardens
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