If working from home more often has left you with a slight obsession with house plants, a vertical garden might be just the thing you need. Living walls are beautiful features inside and outside the home and they give you more space to grow new things. They are incredibly versatile and can be used to display individual planters or lush frames. Depending on the location of your wall, you can grow a plethora of plants in your vertical garden. Here are a few top tips to help you grow a thriving living wall.
1. Grow With Purpose
When creating a living wall, you need to approach the task with intent. Growing a vertical garden with purpose will help your wall become a dynamic living space. Think about the purpose of your wall. What do you want it to look like? Will you grow leafy green plants or colorful blooms? Do you want to use the wall to grow your own fruit and vegetables? Once you have defined the purpose for your vertical garden, you will gain a better insight into where you should put your wall and how to make it thrive.
2. Location is Key
Your living wall should be in a place that receives natural light. If the chosen location for your vertical garden is somewhere inside the home, be mindful that your plants will lean towards the window, where the light shines through as they grow. It is a good idea to place your living wall across from the source of light for even growth. Outdoor vertical gardens make spectacular focal points, and it is easier to get your plants to grow even when they’re directly exposed to the sun. Using landscape gardening tools you can situate your living wall in many different places, such as against the entire facade of your property, besides the steps of your home, or as a partition in the middle of your garden.
3. Choose the Right Plants
All living walls require a certain amount of natural light. However, some plants require more light exposure than others. A dynamic wall should be filled with the appropriate plants that will flourish in your chosen location. For example, leafy, greenhouse plants, such as pothos and philodendrons, are excellent for most lighting situations inside the home. If you want an edible living wall, herbs such as basil, rosemary, and thyme often do well when grown indoors, and they will look great on a wall in your kitchen.
4. Plan, Plan, Plan
Once you have a purpose for your wall, a chosen location and you know the type of plants you want to grow, it is time to plan the layout of the wall. Basic walls simply require even rows of planters. However, you can create an aesthetically pleasing design by creating curves and shapes with your planters. Whatever layout you go for, make sure you leave enough room for your plants to grow. Once the layout is complete, you need to decide on exactly where you want to grow each plant. At this stage, you need to try to visualize the colors, shapes, and textures of your plants so that you get the desired effect once they are fully grown.
