Vertical gardening is a rewarding solution for plant lovers who are limited to small areas. This limitation may be the result of apartment or condo living with only a cement pad outside the back door or a balcony in a high-rise. Instead of just spreading your plants horizontally in planters along the edge of the floor, think of adding a vertical twist by stacking. You can double or triple the number of plants in your mini-garden.
Place a smaller planter on top of a larger planter. Now you can have two sets of cascading flowers with one right above the other. Place a tall bloomer in the middle of the top planter to add a third level of viewing.
Steps
Place a set of wooden steps against a wall and stack your planters. Put your tallest flowers on top so they do not block your view of the lower steps. Include flowers whose blossoms will drape down to the step below to cover any open space.
Coat Rack
If you have a floor coat rack, you can hang plants in wire baskets all around on the hooks. Create a circle of flowers hanging above planters directly below that help anchor the legs of the coat rack.
Bag Planters
Bag planters are tall, heavy-duty plastic bags with multiple three-inch holes cut down the front to allow the insertion of plants. Each bag is 18 to 24 inches long and are designed to be hung from nails or hooks. Three of them placed one above the other can give you a floor to ceiling column of blossoms.
Trellis In a Planter
Place a trellis inside a planter. Grow flowering vines above the flowers of the planter below. If you do not have a trellis, make your own using packaging string. Tie pieces of string from the floor or railing to a nail in the ceiling.
Now that you have seen these suggestions, be creative and think of your own versions of vertical gardening. Anything that can hold soil is a possibility. Think outside the box and imagine everyday items like a plastic wagon or an umbrella stand with flowers tumbling down the sides. Your space may be limited, but your gardening options are not.
