If you’ve never dabbled into vertical gardens before, you’re in for a treat. Their beauty isn’t purely aesthetic, since they make for great DIY projects for beginner gardeners, as well as a nice piece of decoration that doesn’t take up a lot of space.

In many ways, this is the most appealing feature: outdoor or indoor vertical gardens can be installed virtually anywhere and can be as big or as small as you need them to be, offering a ton of versatility. But what exactly can you use to start one and how do you make the most of it?

That’s what I’m about to show you! Here’s everything you need to know on how to make a vertical garden wall!

“Time plays a role in almost every decision. And some decisions define your attitude about time." – John Cale

Iron planters

Planters can be made out of any tray or vase you may have lying around. Source: House Beautiful
Planters can be made out of any tray or vase you may have lying around. Source: House Beautiful

These iron planters are perfect for planting herbs and greenery with shallow roots, even indoors. They can be custom made or improvised from old gutter railings (which I’ll discuss more later), making for a charming and perfectly sized option for your vertical herb garden.

Fence garden

Use a fence to display your garden. Source: Home BNC
Use a fence to display your garden. Source: Home BNC

If you have a wooden fence in our backyard, you can create a DIY vertical garden with very simple tools. By using small pots, you can attach them to the fence to house a selection of flowers or veggies in a way that’s easy to maintain and customize.

Hanging clay pots

Clay pots are easy to adapt. Source: The Horticult
Clay pots are easy to adapt. Source: The Horticult

This is a classic DIY method for vertical gardens, as it allows for clay pots to be placed almost anywhere – the patio, the balcony, indoors, you name it. In short, you will simply need to drill a whole on the bottom of the vase and use rods or a sturdy rope to hang them. 

If you want a more refined look like in the pictures above, follow the tutorial which uses a few more tools and requires more supplies. 

Old dresser

Repurpose an old dresser! Source: Medium
Repurpose an old dresser! Source: Medium

An old dresser can be turned into a planter quite easily, giving you a unique rustic look perfect for a backyard garden. Instead of throwing an old dresser or nightstand away, line the drawers with a weed blocker fabric, fill it with soil, and plant succulents – it’s low-maintenance, charming, and looks great!

Did you know that trees can also be grown in small containers?

Customized wooden crates

Wooden crates are easy to find! Source: Backyard Boss
Wooden crates are easy to find! Source: Backyard Boss

Wooden crates are perfect for DIY vertical vegetable gardens because they can be customized in many different ways, and the range of stuff you can plant is pretty wide. Herbs, vegetables, flowers, you name it. 

You can create a structure against a wall that’s as big as you want, and perhaps even paint the boxes for a bit of extra flair.

Pocket garden

A minimal herb garden that’s very easy to set up. Source: Instructables
A minimal herb garden that’s very easy to set up. Source: Instructables

The greatest advantage of vertical gardens is their minimal space requirement, and that is proven with this pocket herb garden. By purchasing or adapting a shoe organizer into small pockets filled with soil, you can nurture herbs for cooking while using virtually no space!

Repurposed gutter railing

Repurpose a gutter into a garden. Source: Planted Well
Repurpose a gutter into a garden. Source: Planted Well

If you replaced your gutters recently or are planning to do so, you can repurpose the old ones into vertical gardens! It’s pretty straightforward to attach them into a backyard fence or wall for planting herbs and flowers. Just make sure to drill a few holes on the bottom for drainage and you’re good to go! 

Succulent box

DIY a wooden box for your succulents. Source: Jen Woodhouse
DIY a wooden box for your succulents. Source: Jen Woodhouse

 

Because succulents are so low-maintenance and small, they’re easy to embed into a wooden box. The box itself can be DIY’d if you have the chops for it, with the idea being that you create spaces inside to add a bunch of succulents, making for a luscious and vibrant piece of decor!

Mason jar garden

A mason jar project for beginners. Source: Alykke Life
A mason jar project for beginners. Source: Alykke Life

Another great option for a herb garden that can be maintained indoors for quick access. Mason jars are extremely versatile when it comes to DIY projects and it’s no different here – they can be attached to the wall with a simple hook to plant your herbs with a bit of soil. 

Ladder

The simplest form of a vertical garden. Source: Real Homes
The simplest form of a vertical garden. Source: Real Homes

You don’t really need to adapt or DIY anything for this one: all you need is a ladder and a few pots. The ladder can be placed in a corner of the backyard or porch to hold your vases, which is perfect for an improvised but still very charming vertical garden that takes no effort at all.

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