vertical gardens
hat is vertical gardening? Vertical gardening simply means exploiting the potential of the vertical plane to grow plants, (something trees do naturally) instead of just the horizontal plane, which is the traditionally ground of the garden. Think of the mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon, verdant & graced with luscious vines, and cascading foliage, espaliered fruit trees.
In practice, vertical gardening involves using fences, walls, pergolas, arches & trellises to support climbing & hanging plants. Not only are vertical garden elements attractive, they bring plants parts within easy reach.
Vertical structures (stakes, trellises) can be easily inserted into ground level & raised garden beds, as well as planter boxes, containers & window boxes.
Hanging baskets can be suspended from pergolas and house eaves at desirable heights. A pulley system can be devised to raise & lower baskets as needed.
The plants for vertical greening of your garden can be natural climbers (e.g. Pandorea), or those amenable to be trained to a trellis (e.g. Sweet Peas), or stakes (e.g. Tomatoes). Some plants are suitable for being espaliered against a wall or trellis (e.g. Camellias, Fruit trees). Plants with a trailing growth habit (e.g. Convolvulus) can be planted along the edges of raised beds or planter boxes & allowed to cascade to the ground giving a wall of living colour.
While a main advantage of vertical gardens is that plants (their fruit, flowers, scent and foliage) are brought within reach, they have many other benefits. Vertical garden elements can:
• disguise & screen unpleasant structures or views
• define garden areas
• soften stark surfaces
• provide shade
• allow vertical circulation of air, ideal for plant growth
• all the while taking up little horizontal space, important when space is a premium.
Factors to consider with vertical garden structures
• What is the final desired height of climbing and hanging plants, in terms of their
reachability?
• What type of vertical structure is most suitable for a particular plant? How sturdy &
how high does the vertical structure have to be? For example, the Wisteria climber
requires very strong vertical support system, while Akebia quinata is a light climber
which needs only a light-weight arch for support.
• In what garden structure will the plant be rooted? e.g. will a tee-pee for tomatoes be best located ground level garden , a raised bed, a planter box, or a containers?
• Are the soil, sun & shade characteristics suitable? Will you be gardening from seated or standing position, & how high can you comfortably reach?
• Consider also the sun/shade requirements of the plants & the gardeners.
Further examples of vertical garden structures
• Pergola – this is an overhead structure, supported by posts, often constructed from
timber or metal. A table & seats placed under the pergola, shaded by the pergola’s
climbers, can be an idyllic spot in the garden. Climbers can grow up (from plants
rooted at ground level or in planter boxes or containers) the pergola. Also, small
plant containers & baskets can be hung from the rafters of the pergola.
• Teepee – three or more long narrow poles (bamboo, metal, plastic, timber stakes )
are tied together about ¼ the way from the top with string, tape or wire. The poles
are then splayed apart, & the self-supporting structure inserted into a ground level
bed, a raised bed, a planter or a container.
• Trellis – is a latticework frame or structure, often made from timber or metal, to support climbing plants. A trellis can be part of a fence, an arch or be incorporated in
a raised bed or container.
• A-frames are essentially two trellises joined at the top, but splayed at the bottom, in cross-section resembling the letter ‘A’. These are often used for growing melons, beans & tomatoes.
• Towers are pyramidal structures consisting of a tall central vertical pole surrounded
by an array of tall vertical elements (e.g. metal or timber) up which climbers can
grow. Single short timber supports or stakes can be used for tomatoes to grow up.
• Arches made from trellis work or twisted wire can support climbing plants.
• Espalier – a trelliswork of various forms on which the branches of fruit or
ornamental trees are extended horizontally, in a fan shape for example, in a single
plane.
• Vertical wall gardens (sometimes called vertical planters) are an array of
‘containers’ that hold then unexposed soil surface perpendicular to the ground. The
containers are about 300mm deep, usually square or rectangular in shape. The
containers are covered in plastic, then wire mesh, & then finally stacked or inserted
into a vertical timber frame. The final structure resembles a bookcase, filled with
wire-fronted boxes, the height of which can be customised.
Plant material is inserted into each container by first punching a hole through the
plastic & wire, then positioning the root system. The plants thus grow sideways.
Vertical planters can be freestanding (both vertical faces open to the air) in which
case they must be anchored to a floor, or bolted to a wall, with only one vertical face
open.
Vertical wall gardens are quite complex to construct. The soil needs to be changed
around once a year and a drip watering system needs to be designed for the structure. However, soil moisture is retained longer than in other containers because
the soil surface is not exposed to the air.
Hanging baskets
Overhead structures such as pergolas or house eaves, allow you to hang baskets &
other containers. Hanging baskets dry out quickly, so ensure that they at a height
permitting frequent watering.
Ropes & pulleys can be used to lower hanging baskets for tending, then raise them
again out of harm’s way. With double or triple pulleys you can make a small block &
tackle system, to reduce the strength necessary to raise & lower the basket. To
minimize accidents, tie a safety knot to become wedged in the pulley, should control
be lost. Drought tolerant plants are ideal for hanging baskets. Plants that have a
trailing habit, such as can look spectacular descending from hanging baskets.
In practice, vertical gardening involves using fences, walls, pergolas, arches & trellises to support climbing & hanging plants. Not only are vertical garden elements attractive, they bring plants parts within easy reach.
Vertical structures (stakes, trellises) can be easily inserted into ground level & raised garden beds, as well as planter boxes, containers & window boxes.
Hanging baskets can be suspended from pergolas and house eaves at desirable heights. A pulley system can be devised to raise & lower baskets as needed.
The plants for vertical greening of your garden can be natural climbers (e.g. Pandorea), or those amenable to be trained to a trellis (e.g. Sweet Peas), or stakes (e.g. Tomatoes). Some plants are suitable for being espaliered against a wall or trellis (e.g. Camellias, Fruit trees). Plants with a trailing growth habit (e.g. Convolvulus) can be planted along the edges of raised beds or planter boxes & allowed to cascade to the ground giving a wall of living colour.
While a main advantage of vertical gardens is that plants (their fruit, flowers, scent and foliage) are brought within reach, they have many other benefits. Vertical garden elements can:
• disguise & screen unpleasant structures or views
• define garden areas
• soften stark surfaces
• provide shade
• allow vertical circulation of air, ideal for plant growth
• all the while taking up little horizontal space, important when space is a premium.
Factors to consider with vertical garden structures
• What is the final desired height of climbing and hanging plants, in terms of their
reachability?
• What type of vertical structure is most suitable for a particular plant? How sturdy &
how high does the vertical structure have to be? For example, the Wisteria climber
requires very strong vertical support system, while Akebia quinata is a light climber
which needs only a light-weight arch for support.
• In what garden structure will the plant be rooted? e.g. will a tee-pee for tomatoes be best located ground level garden , a raised bed, a planter box, or a containers?
• Are the soil, sun & shade characteristics suitable? Will you be gardening from seated or standing position, & how high can you comfortably reach?
• Consider also the sun/shade requirements of the plants & the gardeners.
Further examples of vertical garden structures
• Pergola – this is an overhead structure, supported by posts, often constructed from
timber or metal. A table & seats placed under the pergola, shaded by the pergola’s
climbers, can be an idyllic spot in the garden. Climbers can grow up (from plants
rooted at ground level or in planter boxes or containers) the pergola. Also, small
plant containers & baskets can be hung from the rafters of the pergola.
• Teepee – three or more long narrow poles (bamboo, metal, plastic, timber stakes )
are tied together about ¼ the way from the top with string, tape or wire. The poles
are then splayed apart, & the self-supporting structure inserted into a ground level
bed, a raised bed, a planter or a container.
• Trellis – is a latticework frame or structure, often made from timber or metal, to support climbing plants. A trellis can be part of a fence, an arch or be incorporated in
a raised bed or container.
• A-frames are essentially two trellises joined at the top, but splayed at the bottom, in cross-section resembling the letter ‘A’. These are often used for growing melons, beans & tomatoes.
• Towers are pyramidal structures consisting of a tall central vertical pole surrounded
by an array of tall vertical elements (e.g. metal or timber) up which climbers can
grow. Single short timber supports or stakes can be used for tomatoes to grow up.
• Arches made from trellis work or twisted wire can support climbing plants.
• Espalier – a trelliswork of various forms on which the branches of fruit or
ornamental trees are extended horizontally, in a fan shape for example, in a single
plane.
• Vertical wall gardens (sometimes called vertical planters) are an array of
‘containers’ that hold then unexposed soil surface perpendicular to the ground. The
containers are about 300mm deep, usually square or rectangular in shape. The
containers are covered in plastic, then wire mesh, & then finally stacked or inserted
into a vertical timber frame. The final structure resembles a bookcase, filled with
wire-fronted boxes, the height of which can be customised.
Plant material is inserted into each container by first punching a hole through the
plastic & wire, then positioning the root system. The plants thus grow sideways.
Vertical planters can be freestanding (both vertical faces open to the air) in which
case they must be anchored to a floor, or bolted to a wall, with only one vertical face
open.
Vertical wall gardens are quite complex to construct. The soil needs to be changed
around once a year and a drip watering system needs to be designed for the structure. However, soil moisture is retained longer than in other containers because
the soil surface is not exposed to the air.
Hanging baskets
Overhead structures such as pergolas or house eaves, allow you to hang baskets &
other containers. Hanging baskets dry out quickly, so ensure that they at a height
permitting frequent watering.
Ropes & pulleys can be used to lower hanging baskets for tending, then raise them
again out of harm’s way. With double or triple pulleys you can make a small block &
tackle system, to reduce the strength necessary to raise & lower the basket. To
minimize accidents, tie a safety knot to become wedged in the pulley, should control
be lost. Drought tolerant plants are ideal for hanging baskets. Plants that have a
trailing habit, such as can look spectacular descending from hanging baskets.
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