4

LIVING WALLS and HANGING GARDENS

VINING CROPS ARE fantastic, but they limit our options for growing vertically to only a handful of vegetables. When you start adding vertical walls, living art, and hanging gardens into the mix, your options for what you can grow vertically are almost unlimited.

Small non-vining crops, such as greens, herbs, strawberries, and edible flowers, can flourish in just about any size container and are terrific for growing in these types of vertical gardens.

Hanging gardens, especially living art and vertical walls, have become very popular ways to grow succulents and other ornamental plants—but they are also a wonderful way to grow food! These innovative vertical gardens are especially great for those who have a small growing space, or wannabe gardeners who don’t have a yard at all and are limited to gardening on a balcony, patio, porch, or deck.

You can display these projects just about anywhere, and not only will you be able to grow food in places you never considered before; it will look amazing too. Plus, being so high off the ground means that these gardens will be safe from pesky rabbits and other hungry ground-dwelling creatures.

Whether you're looking to dress up a boring blank wall or fence in your yard or you want to add some bright and unique living art to your garden, deck, or patio, this is the chapter for you! From vertical walls to edible living art and stunning hanging gardens, you will find tons of inspiration in this chapter to let your imagination run wild. These projects are meant to inspire your creativity and encourage you to experiment with unconventional methods for growing your own food in a style that's all your own. It's time to think outside the box of traditional vertical gardening and add some flair and personality to your growing space.

Whether you’re looking to dress up a boring blank wall or fence in your yard, or you don’t have a yard at all and are limited to gardening in a small space, you will find tons of inspiration in this chapter to let your imagination run wild.

UPCYCLED LIVING PICTURE FRAME

Picture frames are no longer just for displaying photos of our loved ones or favorite works of art. Living picture frames have become a very popular trend these days, and this project is a great way to upcycle old frames.

Picture frames come in tons of different shapes and sizes, and it's fun to mix and match a few of them to create a decorative element on a blank wall or fence in your yard. You can even paint the frames to add bold splashes of color to your garden as I did here.

Used picture frames are a dime a dozen at secondhand stores and garage sales and are very easy to find. Or maybe you have a bunch of old ones collecting dust in storage that you can—literally!—give new life to. Wherever you find them, be sure to choose square or rectangular picture frames that are at least 11/2 inches wide for this project. The wider the frame, the easier it will be to work with, and the better it will look in the garden.

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
Upcycled picture frame	Drill
1 × 4" board	Wire cutters
Hardware wire mesh	Tape measure
Landscaping fabric	Circular saw or handsaw
Spray paint (optional)	Fabric shears
1/4" × 1" deck screws (8)	1/16" and 3/32" drill bits
3/8" staples	Staple gun
11/2" finishing nails (4)	Hammer
Small D-ring hangers	Work gloves
30-lb hanging wire	Eye and ear protection
Soilless potting mix (see here)	Soil scoop or trowel
MY FRAME DIMENSIONS:
INSIDE	OUTSIDE
71/2" × 91/2"	101/4" × 121/4"

CUT LIST:
PART	DIMENSIONS	PIECES	MATERIAL
Short side of box	1 × 4 × 8"	2	1 × 4 board
Long side of box	1 × 4 × 111/2"	2	1 × 4 board

Note: Remove the backing and glass and any staples or nails from the picture frame before starting.

How to Build an Upcycled Living Picture Frame

STEP 1: Spray paint the premade frame (or build your own and then paint it) and allow it to dry completely while you work on the next steps.

STEP 2: Line up the wood pieces to form a box (with the shorter pieces inside of the longer pieces). Ensure the box is square, then drill 3/32" pilot holes and join the box parts with deck screws.

STEP 3: Square the wire mesh over the box, and cut it to size using wire cutters. The wire mesh should be slightly smaller than the perimeter of your box (rather than overhanging the edge) to avoid any sharp edges.

STEP 4: Before stapling the wire mesh onto the box, add a layer of landscaping fabric to hold the soil in the box. Lay the landscaping fabric over the box so it overlaps by a few inches on each side of the box. Overlapping the landscaping fabric (rather than cutting it to size first) makes it easier to staple everything together. Line up the cut wire mesh piece so it's square on top of the box, then staple the mesh and landscaping fabric onto the box.

STEP 5: Using the fabric shears or a pair of sharp scissors, trim off the extra landscaping fabric all the way around the box.

STEP 6: Flip the box over, and fill it completely with the soilless potting mix, pressing the soil down firmly into the box as you fill it. Once the box is completely filled with soil, repeat steps 4 and 5 to cover this side of the box with landscaping fabric and mesh, stapling them onto the box.

STEP 7: Line up the picture frame squarely on top of the box, and ensure it's centered. Drill 1/16" pilot holes, then attach the frame to the underlying box with finishing nails.

STEP 8: To plant your living picture frame, use wire cutters to make a small hole in the wire mesh for each plant, then use scissors to cut slits corresponding in the landscaping fabric. Use your fingers to loosen the dirt, and gently press each rootball into the soil. Add more soil into the hole if necessary to hold the plants in place. Wait a few weeks for the plants to become established before hanging your living picture frames.

Tips:

• Once the frame is attached to the box, you can use the spray paint to cover the nailheads, and also to touch up any accidental hammer dings in the frame.

• To water a living picture frame, take the frame off the wall and lay it flat to give it a good soaking. Allow the water to soak into the soil and drain completely before hanging the frame back up again.

Make as many individual frames as you wish, then plant them and arrange them on a fence or wall.

Spray Painting Tips

Spray paint is a wonderful way to add extra splashes of color throughout your garden and give upcycled living picture frames or other vertical gardening projects your own special touch. Here are a few tips for spray painting your picture frame:

When choosing spray paint for your project, be sure you buy the right paint. Some types of spray paint won't stick to plastic or metal, so check the label on the can before purchasing the paint.

Always wear eye protection when using spray paint. Latex gloves are optional but work great for keeping your hands protected from paint overspray.

Make sure the surface of your project is clean and dry before spraying it with paint. Spray paint won't stick if there's grease or oil on your project.

Plan to spray paint your project on a day when there's no wind, or spray it in a well-ventilated area that is protected from the wind.

To paint the Living Picture Frame, lay it on a flat surface and place it on top of a piece of cardboard or thick layer of newspaper to protect the area under the frame from the paint overspray.

When spraying your picture frame, be sure to hold the can at least 12 inches away from the frame, and make steady, even strokes over the entire frame. It's best to spray several thin layers of paint rather than trying to cover the picture frame with one heavy coat of paint. Holding the can too close or spraying too thick a layer will cause the paint to run or look uneven.

If your frame has raised designs on it, spray the paint from several different angles to ensure full coverage of all the nooks and crannies of the picture frame.

LARGE SELF-STANDING LIVING ART

Using an easel is a fabulous way to display the most treasured piece of artwork in your home, so why not make one for your garden and use it to display an amazing piece of edible living art! This project combines art and function to create a unique piece of living art that will grow and change over time, so your artwork will never stay the same for very long.

Place this gorgeous piece of art standing at the entrance of a path or gate as a fun way to welcome guests into the garden. Or use it to liven up a boring corner of your patio or deck, creating an interesting conversation piece that will look different every time guests come back to visit.

Be sure to choose a colorful selection of plants with contrasting shapes, heights, and sizes to make your living art really pop. The more variety you use, the more interesting your living art will be.

Oh, and if you don't like the look of the chicken wire fencing inside the frame, don't worry, it's totally optional. In fact; it wasn't even part of my original design—I decided to add it to the frame after I had already planted everything. I like how it gives my taller plants extra support, and adding it also meant I could pop in a few small vining crops to add even more height to my living art. (I tossed in a couple of pea plants and trained some chocolate mint to climb the chicken wire too!)

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
2 × 3 × 6' boards (3)	Drill
2 × 6 × 7" board (1)	1/8" drill bit for pilot holes
24" wooden planter box (1)	Table saw
Large picture frame (1) (the outer dimensions of my frame are 301/2" wide × 261/2" tall)	Miter saw
21" chain (1)	Eye and ear protection
31/2" door hinge kit (1)	Work gloves
#8 × 2" screws (7)	Tape measure
#8 × 11/4" screws (13)	Pencil
Chicken wire fencing (optional)	Staple gun (if adding optional chicken wire fencing)
Spray paint (optional)	Wire cutters (if adding optional chicken wire fencing)
Soilless potting mix (see here)	Soil scoop or trowel

CUT LIST:
PART	DIMENSIONS	PIECES	MATERIAL
Easel frame legs	2 × 3 × 6'	3	2 × 3 board
Easel frame crossboard	2 × 3 × 2'	1	2 × 3 board
Top bracket	2 × 6 × 7"	1	2 × 6 board

How to Build Large Self-Standing Living Art

STEP 1: Lay two of the 6' boards down on a flat surface. Angle them so that the tops of the two boards are touching and the bottoms are spaced 361/2" apart. Align the top bracket piece over the 6' boards (legs) so that it is level and centered at the top of the legs. Mark the bracket piece with the angle of the two legs, then cut angles in the top bracket to match the angles of the legs. Line the bracket piece up over the tops of the legs again, then predrill pilot holes through the top bracket and into the legs. Drive a 2" screw through each pilot hole to attach the top bracket to both of the legs.

STEP 2: Measure 38" from the top of each of the two 6' boards and mark the spot where the 2' crossboard will go. Ensure the crossboard sits level and is centered over the legs. Predrill a pilot hole through the 2' board into each of the 6' boards, then drive a 2" screw into each pilot hole to attach the crossboard to the legs.

STEP 3: Lay the third 6' board (the third leg) down at the top of the frame so that one end of the third leg is centered between the top boards of the frame. Lay the hinge flat, and place one half over the third leg, and the other half over the bracket on the frame. Drill pilot holes through the holes in the hinge into the 6' board, and also into the top bracket on the frame. Drive 11/4" screws through each hole to attach the hinge to the third leg, and use 2" screws to attach the hinge to the frame.

STEP 4: Drill a pilot hole in the center of the crossboard, and then drive a 11/4" screw through one end of the chain to attach it to the crossbar. Stand the easel up on all three legs, then space the third leg so that it's directly across from the center of the crossbar. Drill a pilot hole into the third leg, and then drive a 11/4" screw through the other end of the chain into the pilot hole to attach the chain to the third leg.

STEP 5: Center the planter box directly over the top of the crossboard. Drill two pilot holes through the planter box into each of the two front legs of the easel frame, then drive 11/4" screws through the pilot holes to attach the planter box onto the easel.

STEP 6: Place the picture frame on top of the planter box, and ensure it's centered on the easel. Drill four pilot holes through the frame into the legs at each point where the picture frame crosses the legs of the easel. Drive 11/4" screws through the pilot holes to attach the picture frame to the easel.

Note:

If you want to paint the picture frame, you can paint it before attaching it to the easel, or you can wait until it’s fully assembled to paint it. If you want to add the chicken wire fencing on your frame, do it before attaching the frame to the easel. To install chicken wire, lay the picture frame face down on a flat surface. Lay the chicken wire fencing over the back of the frame, and cut it to size. Then use a staple gun to attach the chicken wire fencing to the back of the frame.

Where Should You Put Your Planter?

Your easel can be placed just about anywhere in your garden. While direct sunlight is usually best for veggies, look for a spot with partial shade.

There are so many fantastic places you could display your living art, vertical walls, and hanging gardens, but you can't just thoughtlessly place them anywhere. There are a few things to consider when looking for the perfect spot.

The first thing to figure out is how much light the area will receive. Think about the plants you're growing and how much light those plants will need before hanging your vertical garden or displaying your living art.

Most small non-vining crops will grow just fine in partial shade. Lettuce, leafy greens, and some types of herbs will suffer if they are exposed to the hot afternoon sun and actually grow better in a shadier location. Plus, the soil in vertical hanging gardens will dry out much faster when it's hanging in the full sun.

Another thing to consider when choosing the best place to display your vertical garden is how much water it will get when it rains. Vertical gardens hanging under the eaves of a house or sitting directly below large trees could be protected from the rain and therefore remain dry after a rainfall, which means you'll have to water them more often.

I recommend displaying your vertical garden in a place that gets morning and/or evening sunlight but is protected from the intense afternoon sun. An open area where the garden will be watered when it rains is ideal, but a protected spot that is shaded from the blazing afternoon sun will work as well, as long as you remember to water the garden regularly.

ANTIQUE LADDER HANGING PLANTER

Antique ladders have become popular pieces of interior decor used by savvy designers to create everything from rustic bookshelves to shabby chic bathroom towel racks. Since it's such a popular trend, I wanted to use an antique ladder to create a cute and functional vertical garden. But since they are so popular, real antique ladders can be difficult to come by—so let's build our own!

This replica antique ladder planter is very easy to build, and inexpensive too. It looks adorable sitting on the front porch or leaning against an old garden shed or fence. If you're lucky enough to own an antique ladder, you can definitely use it instead of building your own.

For this project, I used simple metal buckets that I found at a local department store, and I hung them from the ladder using large S hooks. To make your ladder planter look even more authentic, you could comb local antique shops for buckets or basket planters to hang on it instead.

It won't take long for the wood to age, making the ladder look more authentic. But, if you prefer to speed up the process, you can use simple painting and distressing techniques to make the ladder look like it's been sitting in your garden for years.

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
2 × 4 × 8' board (2)	Drill
1" × 4' wooden dowels (3)	1" chisel bit
Wood glue	1/8" drill bit for pilot holes
#8 × 2" screws (10)	Miter saw
Hanging planters*	Eye and ear protection
23/4" S hooks (14) (optional, if your planters don’t have hooks built in)	Work gloves
	Tape measure
Soilless potting mix (see here)	Pencil
	Hammer or rubber mallet
	Wood clamps

CUT LIST:
PART	DIMENSIONS	PIECES	MATERIAL
Side of the ladder	2 × 4 × 6'	2	2 × 4 board
Rungs	20"	5	Wooden dowels

* The maximum width of the baskets/buckets should be 17". I used 3 large buckets (51/8" tall × 145/8" wide) and 4 small buckets (51/8" tall × 51/8" wide).

How to Build an Antique Ladder Hanging Planter

STEP 1: Lay the 6' boards on a flat surface. Stretch the tape measure along the length of the 4" surface of one board, then make a mark every 1' along the entire length of the board (five marks total). Repeat with the second 6' board.

STEP 2: At each mark on the board, use a 1" chisel bit to bore a 1"-deep hole into the center of the board. Repeat with the other board.

STEP 3: Put wood glue into each of the rung holes on both of the 6' boards.

STEP 4: Press one end of a wooden dowel into each of the holes on one of the 6' boards. Use a hammer or rubber mallet to drive the dowels all the way into each of the holes. Lay the other 6' board with the holes facing down over the top of the dowels. Line up the rung holes on the second board with the dowels, then press the ends of the dowels into the holes in the second board or tap them in with a rubber mallet.

Why Use Wood Glue?

You'll see wood glue used in a few projects throughout this book, and you might be wondering why it's used for some projects but not others. Wood glue is a very strong adhesive that works great for gluing pieces of wood together. However, wood glue alone is not strong enough to attach the wood permanently for the projects in this book. The projects that call for wood glue are ones that will be holding a lot of weight. Adding wood glue before driving in the screws or adding extra support makes the bond much stronger, so your project will last for years to come.

STEP 5: Carefully lay the ladder down flat, and then clamp the two sides together on the outside of the legs using wood clamps. Tighten the wood clamps to press the dowels all the way into each of the rung holes, ensuring a tight fit.

STEP 6: Predrill pilot holes through each leg of the ladder into the ends of each of the dowels. Then drive a screw into each of the pilot holes to reinforce the ladder rungs. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving the ladder.

STEP 7: Drill drainage holes into the bottom of each of your hanging planters, if they don't already have them. Then use the S hooks to hang the planters, ensuring each planter or set of planters is centered on the ladder rungs.

The ladder rungs function as hangers, so you can use them to support any kind of container you wish, including hanging planters of all shapes.

HANGING CONE PLANTERS

When I was a kid, making May Day baskets was one of my favorite things to do in the spring. Our May Day baskets were cute little cones that we made out of construction paper, tape, and glue. After meticulously decorating our special baskets, we added pipe cleaner handles, filled them with candy, and sneakily hung them on the doors of unsuspecting neighbors.

This project was inspired by my fond memories of May Day baskets. I love how these hanging cone planters move and spin in the wind, and the longer you make the twine, the more they will move. They are perfect for dangling under a deck or pergola, from the ceiling of a porch, or from the branches of large trees.

I chose to use burlap to line the baskets for this project because I really like the soft look the fabric creates and the way it bunches over the top of the planters, softening the hard edges of the wire mesh cones. Burlap can be found at most garden centers, as well as home improvement or fabric stores. If you don't like working with burlap, you could use coconut liners or landscaping fabric to line your cone planters instead.

Come to think of it … maybe I should create more of these adorable cone planters to hang on the doors of unsuspecting neighbors. That would be an excellent way to give away extra plants!

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
Wire mesh	Wire cutters
Burlap	Scissors
Twine	Needlenose pliers
Soilless potting mix (see here)	Tape measure
Wire ties (optional)	Work gloves
	Eye protection
	Soil scoop or trowel

CUT LIST:

12" × 12" wire mesh piece for small cone

16" × 16" wire mesh piece for large cone

32" × 16" burlap piece for small cone

44" × 22" burlap piece for large cone

How to Make Hanging Cone Planters

STEP 1: Use wire cutters to cut the wire mesh to size, leaving the wire tabs long on one end so that you can use them to secure the cone together. Cut the burlap to size, and then fold it in half the long way to create a double layer. Lay the cut piece of wire mesh on a flat surface and position the burlap over it so that the fabric overhangs the edge of the mesh at the top of the cone and is square with the bottom point of the cone.

STEP 2: Bend the mesh into a cone shape, tucking the ends of the burlap into the cone as you work. Go slowly as you create the cone shape so you don't make any kinks in the mesh.

STEP 3: Use the needlenose pliers to bend the overlapping tabs of wire mesh, and attach the sides of the cone together. Be sure to secure the cone down the entire length of the seam so it won't pop open. Use optional wire ties if necessary to secure the cone together.

STEP 4: Cut the twine to the desired length for hanging, and tie one end of the twine to each side of the cone at the top. Ensure the twine is centered so that the cone hangs level.

Planting cones can be made in many ways with many materials. These are simple wire mesh frames lined with burlap.

SIMPLE VERTICAL WALL POCKETS

Vertical wall pockets are a brilliant way to add life to a boring fence or blank wall, and they don't have to be complicated to make. When I found a set of inexpensive hanging baskets at a local discount store, the inspiration for this project was born. These simple vertical wall pockets are ideal for any small space and look darling hanging on a fence or adorning the railing of a deck or balcony.

The baskets I found were made for hanging on the insides of cabinet doors, so they already had hooks on them. But if your baskets don't have built-in hooks, you could use large S hooks to chain them together like I did, or simply hang each basket separately on a nail.

I lined my baskets with a thin layer of sheet moss, which can be found at many garden centers, as well as home improvement and craft stores. The sheet moss adds a lovely decorative touch but doesn't hold the soil in very well on its own, so I lined the inside of the sheet moss with landscaping fabric to contain the soil. Alternatively, you could skip the sheet moss and use landscaping fabric by itself, or you could line your baskets with burlap or coconut liners if you prefer.

These charming vertical wall pockets are nice for growing small edible plants such as herbs, strawberries, or salad greens. Be sure to hang them near your kitchen door to make it easy to pop outside and snip off the exact amount of herbs you need in your recipes or whip up a quick salad using fresh salad greens.

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
Decorative wire baskets (3)	Fabric shears
Sheet moss	Soil scoop or trowel
Landscaping fabric	Work gloves
S hooks (6) (optional, if your baskets don't have hooks built in)
Soilless potting mix (see here)

Watering a Hanging Vertical Garden

Rainwater alone may not be enough to keep hanging vertical gardens evenly watered. The top tiers of a living wall or stacked hanging planters can shield the lower levels from receiving any rainwater. Or, in the case of living picture frames, the rainwater can run off so quickly that it doesn't have a chance to soak in at all, leaving the soil dry even after a heavy rainfall. When watering a vertical wall or hanging planters, be sure to water each pocket and planter individually so that every tier of the garden is watered evenly.

How to Make Simple Vertical Wall Pockets

STEP 1: Start by lining the inside of one of the baskets with sheet moss.

STEP 2: Next, line the inside of the sheet moss with a small piece of landscaping fabric—this will help to keep the soil in the basket. Press the landscaping fabric into all four corners and smooth it along the inside of the basket to remove any bunching. Use the fabric shears to trim off any excess fabric that overlaps the top of the basket.

STEP 3: Fill the planter with soilless potting mix and add your plants. The number of plants you use in each basket will depend on the size of your baskets. Repeat steps 1 through 3 with the remaining two baskets before hanging your simple vertical wall pockets.

DIY Soilless Potting Mix Recipe

When growing food in vertical gardens that are hanging on a wall, fence, or other structure, choose a lightweight soilless potting mix like the one in my recipe below. The soilless mix will gain weight when saturated with water, but it will be much lighter than regular potting soil.

Supplies needed:

A measuring container*

Shovel or trowel

Large container for mixing

Water (if the ingredients you’re using are dry)

Soilless potting mix recipe:

2 parts peat moss or pre-moistened coconut coir

Garden lime**

1/2 part perlite

1/4 to 1/2 part vermiculite

* I use a 1-gallon bucket, but you can use any size measuring container you want.

** Peat moss is acidic, and most vegetables and herbs prefer a more alkaline soil. So, if you use peat moss, you should add 1 tablespoon of garden lime per gallon of peat moss to your potting mix to balance out the acidity level. On the other hand, if you’re growing plants that prefer an acidic soil (like berry plants), then don’t add any garden lime to your mix.

Instructions:

Pour all of the ingredients into a large container, and use a shovel or trowel to stir it together until well mixed. Add water as you stir if your ingredients are extremely dry. Once everything is thoroughly mixed together, your potting soil can be used right away. Be sure to store any unused potting mix in a sealed container to keep bugs out.

DIY LIVING VERTICAL WALL

The first time I laid eyes on a large-scale vertical wall garden, my heart skipped a beat, and I instantly fell in love with the idea. From that moment on, I knew I just HAD to figure out a way to build one in my garden someday.

Living walls make gorgeous additions to the garden, and they are a wonderful way to grow your own food. Creating a living wall garden opens up your growing options, allowing you to utilize an area of your yard where you otherwise couldn't grow anything. Vertical wall gardens also make harvesting easier, putting your crops right at eye-level. No bending required! Plus they keep your crops out of reach of pests that plague traditional vegetable gardens.

While dedicating an entire wall or fence to building a massive vertical wall garden would be awesome, it's not practical for most people—including me. So I wanted to come up with a scaled-down version of a vertical garden wall that anyone could build. This DIY living vertical wall can be mounted on an exterior wall or fence and is perfect for growing strawberries, herbs, or salad greens.

The pockets are made out of heavy-duty landscaping fabric, but you could use thick felt or similar fabric if it's readily available to you. Just be sure to buy the strongest fabric you can find (I used 25-year landscaping fabric). Once filled with soil and water, the pockets will get very heavy, and thin fabric won't hold the weight of the wet soil.

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
1/2" plywood, 24 × 48" (1)	Table saw
3' 25-year landscaping fabric	Paintbrush or roller (if painting the board)
3/8" staples	Staple gun
Exterior latex paint (optional)	Straight edge
100-lb. hanging wire	Tape measure
Large D-ring hangers (2)	Fabric shears
Soilless potting mix (see here)	Marker or pencil
	Wire cutters
	Drill
	Eye and ear protection
	Work gloves
	Soil scoop or trowel

CUT LIST:
PART	DIMENSIONS	PIECES	MATERIAL
Fabric pockets	3' × 21"	4	Landscaping fabric
Pocket reinforcers	2 × 4"	8	Landscaping fabric
Board	24 × 48"	1	Plywood

How to Build a Living Vertical Wall

STEP 1: Use a table saw or circular saw to cut the plywood to size, then paint the plywood and allow it to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Painting the plywood protects it.

STEP 2: Once the paint is dry, lay the board on a flat surface. Stretch a tape measure along the 48" length of the board, then make a mark every 1' along the board (three marks total). Use a straight edge to draw a line across the board at each of the three marks.

STEP 3: Starting with the bottom pocket, line the landscaping fabric up along the bottom mark on the board, overlapping it a bit to cover the line. Center the fabric on the board so that it hangs over the edge by 6" on each side. Staple all around the fabric piece to attach it to the board and hold it in place.

STEP 4: Fold in both sides of the fabric, lining the folded ends up with the sides of the board, and staple the fabric in place.

STEP 5: Fold up the fabric that's overhanging the bottom of the board up to create the pocket. Align the fold with the bottom of the board. Staple all around the inside of the pocket to attach it to the board. Fold a 2" × 4" piece of fabric in half (to create a 2" × 2" piece of fabric), and tuck it into both of the top corners of the pocket to reinforce them. Staple the inside of the top corners of the pocket over the top of the square piece of fabric to reinforce them. Repeat steps 3 through 5 to create the three remaining pockets, working from the bottom of the board up.

STEP 6: Once all of the pockets have been attached to the board, flip the board over to attach the hanging hardware before planting your DIY living vertical wall.

Caring for Vertical Living Walls

There’s no doubt that growing food in unusual hanging vertical gardens like these is a fun trend, but caring for plants hanging on a wall or fence has its challenges, and watering is the main one.

The soil in hanging gardens will dry out much faster than it does in planters and containers sitting on the ground, so these gardens will likely need to be watered more often. It’s also important to water vertical gardens thoroughly to ensure that all of the plants are being evenly watered.

If, after growing your vertical hanging garden for a season or two, you find that watering is too much work and the planters are drying out too quickly, try lining them with plastic before planting next time.

Adding a plastic liner will help to keep the soil from drying out so quickly and should make it easier to keep your gardens evenly watered. Just be sure to poke a few drainage holes in the plastic before planting.

Installing an inexpensive drip irrigation system will also help to keep your plants perfectly hydrated without any extra work from you.

SELF-STANDING PRIVACY WALL GARDEN

One of the many possible uses of vertical growing is to create a privacy screen, and that is the inspiration for this project. For gardeners who live in close proximity to their neighbors, it's nice to be able to create an outdoor space where you can read a book or enjoy your morning coffee without feeling like everyone is watching. Even though there won't be any plants growing on the back of this privacy wall, the frame looks just as good from the back as it does from the front, so rest assured it will be aesthetically pleasing to your neighbors too.

While this self-standing privacy wall was specifically designed to be used as a screen to add privacy to a deck, patio, or balcony, it could also be used to cover a boring blank wall or hide an unsightly area in the garden. Since it's not a permanent structure, you can easily move it to any area where you need a quick screen (to hide that ugly compost bin or rain barrel during a garden party, for example). Just be sure you always place the self-standing privacy wall on a flat, level surface before hanging the planters on it.

The frame for this vertical garden was made to hold hanging deck planter boxes that can be hooked over the top of a deck or balcony railing. The planter boxes I used are 20" wide, but deck or window planter boxes up to 30" wide will work as well.

As an added bonus, the frame was also designed to allow for easy installation of a drip irrigation system. Simply run the irrigation hose up the inside corner behind one of the legs and attach it flush against the wood using tubing clamps. Then run the dripper lines directly behind each of the crossbars that hold the baskets, and discreetly run the drippers into the planters. Setting your drip system on a timer will make it a snap to keep your planters perfectly watered, and nobody will ever know it's there. Boom—a self-standing AND self-watering privacy wall garden.

MATERIALS:	TOOLS:
2 × 4 × 8' boards (2)	Drill
2 × 6 × 8' board (1)	Table saw
2 × 2 × 8' boards (2)	Miter saw
1 × 2 × 8' boards (3)	Eye and ear protection
#8 × 11/4" screws (16)	Work gloves
#8 × 2" screws (16)	Tape measure
#8 × 3" screws (12)	Pencil
Hanging deck or window box planters (4)	Wood clamps
Wood glue	Soil scoop or trowel
Soilless potting mix (see here)

CUT LIST:
PART	DIMENSIONS	PIECES	MATERIAL
Side	2 × 4 × 6'	2	2 × 4 × 8' board
Top	2 × 4 × 2'	2	2 × 4 × 8’ board
Feet	2' length, angles are cut at 31/2 × 7"	4	2 × 6 × 8’ board
Side	2 × 2 × 6'	2	2 × 2 × 8’ board
Top & Bottom	2 × 2 × 1'	4	2 × 2 × 8’ board
Basket Holder/Support	1 × 2 × 28"	8	1 × 2 × 8’ board

How to Build a Self-Standing Privacy Wall Garden

STEP 1: Measure the length of each of the pieces and cut the lumber for the frame using a miter saw. Secure workpiece to miter gauge. Once all of the pieces are cut, cut 31/2" × 7" angles on the top corner of each of the four feet.

STEP 2: Lay the four 2 × 4" pieces of wood for the frame down on a flat surface. Use wood glue to attach the four pieces, and then clamp the two sides together on the outside of the frame using clamps. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Position both of the 2 × 2 × 6' boards so they sit parallel and are lined up with the outside of the frame. Predrill pilot holes and drive 2" screws through the 2 × 2 boards to attach each of them to the frame. To reinforce the corners of the frame, place one of the 2 × 2 × 1' boards at the top corner of the frame so that it's perpendicular with the 2 × 2 × 6' and sits flush with the top of the frame. Predrill pilot holes and drive 2" screws through the 2 × 2 board to attach it to the frame. Repeat with the remaining three 1' boards at each corner of the frame.

STEP 3: Measure 21/2" down from the top of the frame and position the first 1 × 2 horizontal basket support so that it sits parallel to the top of the frame. Predrill pilot holes, then drive a 11/4" screw through each hole to attach the horizontal basket support piece to the frame. Measure 4" down from the first horizontal support to attach the next 1 × 2 board to the frame, and 7" down from the second to attach the third horizontal support to the frame. Repeat step to attach each of the remaining horizontal support pieces to the frame as shown in diagram. Depending on the size of the baskets you plan to hang, you may need to adjust your crossbar placement.

STEP 4: To attach the feet, lay the frame on one side, and position one of the 2 × 6 boards perpendicular to one of the legs of the frame. The angled corners of the foot should be facing up, and the bottom of the foot should sit even with the bottom of the frame leg. Predrill four pilot holes, then drive 3" screws through the foot and into the leg of the frame. Repeat step to attach the other three feet to the frame, one foot on the outside and one on the inside of each leg.

STEP 5: Once all four feet are attached to the frame, stand the frame up and place it on a level surface before hanging the baskets.