Vertical Garden Ideas

Wanting to grow your own fruits and vegetables, but don't have much space? If the fruits and veggies you love grow on a vine, you are in luck, because you can implement a vertical garden and get all the delicious, nutritious veggies and fruits you want!

By using various structures such as cages, nets, trellises, or stakes, you can create a vertical garden for vegetables such as, but not limited to: peas, beans, squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Vine growing fruits include: raspberries, blackberries, and grapes. Keep in mind that many animals love to eat fruit, so you either have to be willing to share, or install netting to keep the birds and animals out.

There are many species of flowers that also love to climb. Some of these include: the Chilean Bellflower; the Clematis, and there are many varieties of this flowering vine; the Jasmine, of which there are many varieties; and the Climbing Hydrangea to name just a few. With flowering vines, you must take into account the height that they can reach. A flowering vine that can grow to 30' will not be happy on a 5' trellis!

Not only will you save valuable horizontal space, but you can craft small, yet beautiful garden spots around your home. You can also create eye appealing boundaries between your yard and your neighbor's, and create interesting focal points around your yard or even just your porch. Even trellises that you put up to hide the ugly area under your front porch can be used to make your home more beautiful.

A vertical garden is great way to keep the fruits and vegetables off the ground which helps keep them from rotting. Other advantages to a vertical garden are:

You can use your vertical garden as a privacy screen or to cover up an unsightly area.

It allows for more efficient and effective watering.

It allows for better, more efficient air circulation which reduces fungus problems.

Vegetable and fruit yields are generally higher.

Caring and gathering of your yield is made easier.

You'll need less space to grow more plants.

Keep in mind the amount of sun your vertical garden will be getting throughout the growing season. Planning your vertical garden in the winter months can be deceiving since there are no leaves on the trees to show exactly where the sun and shade will be during the growing season. Take into account the species of trees around your yard and their height to determine where the sunniest and shadiest spots will be.

You also need to take into account the type of soil the plants require and what kind of soil you have. There are various tests you can have done to let you know the acidity and/or alkalinity of your soil and what you made to do to make it a hospitable environment to the plants you want to grow.