Vertical
Gardening Maximizes Beauty and Harvest
By Melinda Myers
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[February 15, 2022]
Go vertical to expand your outdoor gardening
space, create privacy and add beauty to bare walls and fences. This
centuries-old technique has been used to grow food and flowers,
adding beauty and productivity from the ground up. Even those
gardening on small city lots, balconies and decks can go vertical to
expand their gardening opportunities.
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Grow pole beans, peas, squash, melons, tomatoes,
and other vining edible plants onto supports. This saves space,
reduces the risk of disease, and makes harvesting much easier.
Enjoy the many benefits of vertical gardening even when growing in
containers. Create your own or purchase a support that securely fits
and supports the vines growing in the planter. Or purchase a
container with an integrated trellis. Further reduce maintenance by
utilizing a self-watering pot like the City Jungle Self-Watering
Tomato Planter large enough to grow and support two indeterminate
tomatoes.
Mount containers on a wall or fence or stack and secure them
vertically to increase growing space. Systems like the Vigoroot
4-Tiered Balcony Garden provide lots of planting space in just a few
square feet.
Include trellises and arbors in raised beds and elevated gardens to
further maximize growing space. Trellises train vines upward while
arches allow you to grow two layers of plants, one over the trellis
and one below.
Dress up a bare wall or fence, screen a bad view or create privacy
with a plant-covered trellis. Leave space between the wall and
trellis when gardening next to a building. This space allows airflow
between the building and plants, reducing the risk of mildew on the
wall and diseases infecting the plants.
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Grow annual vines for quick cover and perennial vines for years of
beauty. Mix the two to quickly cover the trellis with the annual
vine while waiting for the perennial to establish and reach its
mature size. Plant two vines with different bloom times on one
trellis to extend the colorful flower display. Or look for those
that bloom at the same time to double the floral impact.
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Use decorative supports to add beauty or a focal
point year-round. Select the style – rustic, formal or colorful –
that complements your garden design, furnishings, and personality.
Make sure whatever you choose is strong enough to support the plants
you grow.
Mask rain barrels, compost bins and other functional areas in the
landscape with a wall of plants. Leave space for easy access as you
fill your compost bin or harvest finished compost and rainwater.
Dress up a lamp or mailbox post with a vine covered support. Create
your own from chicken wire or purchase a curved trellis like the
Bosmere Trellis (gardeners.com) suitable for this application.
Use trellises and arbors to brighten often overlooked spaces. A
vine-covered arbor makes a nice floral welcome at the entrance to a
walkway or colorful transition between garden areas. Make sure the
opening is large enough to accommodate visitors and any equipment
needed.
No matter your style and location, vertical gardens can help you
maximize your growing space and garden’s beauty.
Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books,
including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to
Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio
program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds &
Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardener’s Supply for her
expertise to write this article. Her web site is
www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply
Company/gardeners.com] |