What do you do when you run out of horizontal space for houseplants? Go up! A vertical garden made of wall-mounted plants is easier to put together than you might think, and we have a step-by-step tutorial to show you how to make your own.
It seems like every other week a new study comes out showing ways that plants are good for human health. But if your plants are a danger to the health of your furry friends, another advantage to a vertical garden is that it can keep plants safely away from cats or dogs who fancy a nibble. If you’re ready to take your plants vertical, here’s how to grow up.
Materials
- A plant in a 4″-diameter pot
- Sheet moss
- Wood board – Rot-resistant woods like cedar or redwood will be the longest-lasting.
- Fishing line
- Screws- Since these will get wet, you’ll want to use exterior coated screws to prevent rust.
- Screwdriver
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Plastic produce netting – Multiple avocados, citrus, garlic, and ginger sometimes come in this type of netting. If you can’t find any, you can skip it.
- Garden wire
- Wire cutters
Step
If necessary, cut your board to the size you want. I used my chop saw to cut my cedar 1×8 into a square.
Add hanging hardware to the back of the board. There are many ways to do this, but I chose this method because it won’t rust, and is invisible from the front. Put a screw into the top of the board, then twist a loop of garden wire around it. I chose to place my hanger on a corner so that my square board would hang diagonally.
Step
Place the plant pot in the middle of the board, and roughly trace around it with a pencil.
Step
Add screws about 1/2″ outside the circle you just traced. Put them in so that they’re angled to the outside of the board.
Step
Place the produce netting in the center of the board so that it catches on the screw heads, making a pocket for the plant.
Add the plant, removing excess soil, then tuck the netting around it, catching it on the screw heads.
Step
Add sheet moss, then tie the end of the fishing line to a screw head. Criss-cross the fishing line over the moss and wrap it around the tops of the screws with each cross. Once the plant is secure, tie off the fishing line to the head of a screw. Tuck additional moss around the plant to hide the screw heads or fishing line. Trim any excess fishing line ends.
Caring for your Wall-Mounted Plant
Most plants you would be mounting need bright, indirect light. Your wall-mounted plants will need to be watered when the soil is dry, probably about once a week. Remove the mount from the wall and soak it in a bucket or sink full of water for at least 10 minutes. Let it drip dry before replacing it on the wall. Add diluted liquid fertilizer to the soaking water occasionally, especially during the spring and summer growing seasons.
Want more vertical garden ideas? Check out this hanging fabric planter!
