Vertical gardens range from the very elaborate (here is the how to)
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| yes, there is actually a how to... |
To the more doable (another awesome how to)
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| The pallet vertical garden |
The advantages are obvious to any balcony gardener-- maximum plant in a small space! Plus, they are more visually delightful than a plain wall, and I would add that it is really wonderful to have plants that you might not get to see up close at eye level. You can appreciate the smells and delicate features of tiny flowers which may usually be ground cover so much more.
The primary downside, in my opinion, is that watering is much more complicated. The top dries out a whole lot quicker than the bottom because the water seeps down slowly hydrating the bottom far more than the top. This is heightened by the fact that my planter is made of felt which already dries out quickly and likely the reason so many of these vertical gardens you see are with succulents. Last year, when I bought this planter, even with regular watering, I had a hard time keeping my top plants alive even as the bottom thrived.
But live and learn... this weekend, I replanted my very basic vertical garden with this wetness differential in mind.
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| Not as fancy, still vertical and great |
In order from top to bottom, we have row 1: Dipladenia and the Santa Barbara Daisy, both very drought resistant, particularly as the Santa Barbara Daisy is a California native plant. Row 2: French Thyme and Alyssum, of moderate water needs, and Row 3: a Figaro dahlia and mint, specifically mentha spicata (more on that in a later post). Here's hoping this year's mini-vertical garden thrives!
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| This is what I mean by eye-level awesomeness |
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