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Vertical Gardening
Vertical gardens are space saving, low maintenance and environmentally friendly. Worried that they may not be suited to your home? Don’t be. Read on to find out just how simple they can really be.
What is a Vertical Garden?
There are three parts to any vertical garden – the frame, a layer of PVC, and then a layer that supports the plants. Usually the frame is mounted to a wall but it can also be freestanding. The PVC makes the whole structure strong and rigid and also provides the necessary waterproofing. The growing layer supports the plants. There is no soil in the growing layer. The layer may be a special type of foam or felt.
Watering and Fertilising the Vertical Garden
Watering the vertical garden is simpler than you may think. An irrigation system is installed and water is provided from the top of each panel. It flows through the plants in a trickle down effect. The water is supplemented with the nutrients that the plant needs in order to grow. The process of watering is usually automated.
The system is designed so that water is evenly distributed to the plants, preventing dry and wet spots from occurring. The design also means that the plants cannot be over watered and that more types of plants can be grown.
Choosing a Place for the Vertical Garden
Vertical gardens need a wall or solid structure in order to be installed in the majority of cases. In a residential setting this can be an exterior wall, a fence, a balcony, and so forth. They look especially good as a garden feature, dividing wall, to disguise ugly walls, or just for decoration. You can also use a metal frame that is freestanding if you don’t have a suitable wall available.
What Plants can be used in Vertical Gardening?
There are literally hundreds of different plants that are suitable for planting in a vertical garden. These include ground covers, native plants, grasses, ferns, annuals, perennials, turf, herbs, and succulents. No matter where you choose to install a vertical garden, there will be plants that are suitable for your area and climate.
When the vertical garden is installed, the plants are pre-grown and trained to grow vertically, so that you have an instant, readymade garden to display.
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