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Grow Up! Vertical gardening, a boon for the land-challenged, is on the rise.
Do you laugh bitterly upon hearing terms like “acreage” and “back 40”? Does the phrase “postage stamp” hit a little too close to home? Well, as long as you’ve got a blank wall or bare fence that needs beautifying, you can still tend edibles, annuals, even perennials. The key lies in a range of clever products that expand horticultural horizons beyond the ground at your feet. Here, we detail a few of our favorite solutions—all of which inspire high hopes for the season ahead.
¢ Pockets
HOW THEY WORK: Composed of a breathable, recycled material akin to felt, these pouches—sold individually and in rows of three or five—can last 20 years. Metal grommets make them easy to attach to a wall with screws. (From $40; woollypocket.com)
PLANT THEM WITH: The standard 15" x 24" pockets, which hold up to 20 pounds of soil apiece, accommodate most annuals, plus small edibles and perennials. In this photo (above right), carex grasses, colorful coleus, trailing petunias, and more flourish along the side of a barn.
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So how do you water these things, anyway? If the plants are within easy reach, you could always rely on your trusty hose or watering can. But for pockets and trays hung up high, install an automatic gravity irrigation system (from $27.44; dripdepot.com). Attach the system to a hose, then run the drip lines through the open channels in the backs of the pockets or trays.
Written by Rebecca Sweet
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Pot Hangers
HOW THEY WORK: These polypropylene supports clamp onto the backs of pots—and practically disappear when screwed into a wall or fence. Designed to endure high winds, each hanger can bear up to 100 pounds. ($19.95 for five; hangapot.com)
PHOTOGRAPHS BY (THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) DEBRA LEE BALDWIN; K AREN BERG; LOVEFEAST TABLE; (OPPOSITE PAGE) JESSICA HIBBARD ELENSTAR
PLANT THEM WITH: Anything you’d typically put in a pot is fine, including kitchen herbs and annuals like the pansies and bacopa below.
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Trays
HOW THEY WORK: Similar to
¢ Found Objects
HOW THEY WORK: As these
nursery flats, these rectangular, plastic trays are divided into planting cells—all slanted at a 30-degree angle, with bottom holes that promote drainage and aeration. Each tray comes with a bracket for mounting, though you’ll need to add a wood frame to achieve the “wall art” look above. (Trays, from $39.95; vertical gardeningsystems.com)
rain gutters (planted with euphorbia and creeping wire vine) demonstrate, salvaged finds can double as excellent, and unusual, vertical gardening systems. Just remember to drill holes in the bottoms of your scores, if necessary, for drainage. Other ideas for repurposed planters: burlap bags and shutters with slats wide enough for you to tuck succulents inside.
PLANT THEM WITH: Succulents
PLANT THEM WITH: Use common sense. The more soil a given item can hold, the bigger the plant—and root system—it’s able to sustain. And before planting edibles, make sure your castoff container is nontoxic.
like these, which have shallow root systems, are well-suited for trays with 2" x 2"cells. Opt for the larger 4" x 4" cells when planting small annuals, perennials, and edibles (such as lettuce).
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