Important Factors to Consider with Vertical Gardens
Got a small space? To help you decide what kind of structure to use for your vertical garden, consider these 15 practical design tips.

1. Don’t overlook your garden entrance
A gateway is usually the point of entry and the place where you make first impressions! With a little imagination this space can be another creative vertical garden. An attractive gate or arbor adds character, welcomes visitors and can share a little of your personality too.

2. Permanency of a vertical structure
Are you renting? Does your garden get only limited sun? Do you have mobility or access challenges? Then you may need to consider how permanent your vertical structures really need to be. Choose lightweight materials that are easily removed when they have done their job or can be moved around and easily repositioned to catch the sun during the day. Pots on castors with a tripod for climbing edibles are a clever way to grow ‘meals on wheels’ or check out another solution below:

3. Check the shade factor
Depending on where you position your plants, as they grow upwards they may block sunlight from reaching plants behind or below them. Place vertical structures such as tepees and arbors where you need to shade understorey plants otherwise if they don’t get enough sun, they may suffer. Some plants love shade or can tolerate semi-shade so take advantage of these spaces by planting vegetables like spinach or lettuce especially in the warmer months.

4. Choose your plant wisely
If you are growing a vine or creeper up a trellis to create more shade or privacy, consider what kind of plant you grow and whether you will need access for pruning as it matures. If so, how easy is it to reach the top of the trellis or structure if you need to give your living wall a haircut? Read the plant label so you choose a species that will grow to a suitable height and provide you with the screen you need without creating future work for you.

5. Make best use of vertical structures
Avoid wasting walls and fences that provide you with blank canvases for growing or displaying garden art. If you can’t drill into the front of a fence or gate, try hanging hooks with planters over the top. Likewise, artwork and signs can be attached with a little creative inspiration.
6. Height and strength of the structure
Don’t knock yourself out! Position hanging baskets or upside down planters where you won’t knock your head as you walk past and check there is adequate support for their weight. Avoid hanging them too high or they will be difficult to water and maintain. If you don’t have any other option, invest in a pulley system so you can lower and raise your planter.

7. Window boxes and hanging planters
As these are often positioned overhead, for safety reasons make sure they are securely attached! Avoid heavyweight materials and use light plastic or wire instead, or install around the perimeter of the structure where the building has been engineered to have the greatest strength. Window boxes are usually long and narrow and as with hanging baskets, tend to only hold a small amount of soil so are best used for seasonal displays or refreshed regularly.

8. Mature plant height
Consider the maximum height the plant is likely to grow when it is mature. This will have an impact on what kind of structure you choose and affect accessibility for watering, fertilising, pruning and maintenance. Consider how high you can comfortably reach!

Design out work for yourself: hang pots and planters in easy reach for maintenance tasks.
9. Heavyweights
The mature weight of plants will also have an impact on the structure you select. The strength of the structure will need to support what you grow. No point growing heavy crops on an old rickety fence – you will only hasten its demise. Heavy vegetable crops like melons and pumpkins may need extra support by tying a mini cloth hammock underneath them until they are ready for harvesting.
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10. Take care with invasive plants
Be careful growing plants with adhesive pad-type tendrils as they can quickly become invasive and will stick to just about any surface. Planted too close to building walls, they can damage paintwork, timber, mortar and other exterior materials.
11. Extra thirsty
Depending on the location of your vertical garden, plants that are not planted in the ground and are exposed to more sun and wind can need a drink more often. They may be vulnerable to wider fluctuations in temperature too. Add extra mulch to compensate, water wisely and choose your plant species carefully.
12. Structure before planting
Make sure you erect or install your vertical support structure before planting to avoid root damage once plants have started to grow.
13. Plant supports and ties
Some plants that grow out but not up on their own like indeterminate tomatoes and raspberry canes, need an extra helping hand to grow vertically. If trained to grow upwards with appropriate structures like cages, stakes and trellises with regularly spaced ties or clips, they can be extremely productive and be contained in a compact space.

14. Deck and railing planters
Make sure you select the correct size to fit the railing width, especially if you are buying online. Ensure railings are secure and stable enough to support the weight of a railing planter. Planters will add height to the railing, so consider the total height of both the planter and plants if you don’t want to exclude your view!
15. Windy weather
In high-wind areas or exposed high rise apartment and balcony gardens, consider anchoring lightweight vertical garden structures down. A-Frames and tepees can be secured by nailing stakes at the corners or drilling holes into the stakes and running string or wire to connect them to a stronger structure or heavy container.
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Check out more vertical garden solutions to grow plants in Add Space with Creative Vertical Gardens: Part 1 and Part 2 and 12 Reasons Why You Should Garden Vertically. You’ll also find even more Clever Design Ideas in the Container Gardening category.
Did you find this information helpful? Feel free to leave a comment below or share it. Keep up to date with new posts by subscribing to my newsletter (and grab your free eBook).
© Copyright Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener 2010-2013 – https://www.themicrogardener.com. All rights reserved.
[…] ideas you could consider when planning the vertical garden structure relative to your space […]
Very deep points you had mentioned in this blog, from mature plan height to high wind wether areas. Lovelly content, I am going to bookmark this page in my Feedly account for future referance.
Thank you so much for these tips! I am redoing our garden and I really wanted to make sure I did it right this third time around. I really like what you said about maintaining and acknowledging the gateway and entrance into your garden. It really is the first impression your garden will have on guests, so make it good!
Lovely variations to planting! Thank you for sharing this, its great to think outside the box when gardening, especially with a limited space 🙂
Hi Gibson,
Thankyou very much for sharing the information. I am from Cochin. I am going to try this. Looking forward for more ideas. I’ll share the ones coming on my way too.
wishing you good times
joe
Hi Anne-
Have you ever used a garden tower like this do grow outdoors? (foodygardentowers.com). I’m considering using one on the deck as a sort of vertical garden, but want to know if it’s worth the money.
-Jordan
Hi Jordan
No I haven’t used that brand but I do have a stackable vertical garden system. I can’t comment on whether it’s worth the money but it does seem a big investment. There are many commercial options out there.
If you are planning to grow edibles, I’d suggest asking for a copy of the MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) with plastic specifications to get more details on their claim of being BPA free. i.e. the kind of plastic the system is made from.
I also suggest you make your own potting mix rather than using garden soil. Best of luck with your project.
I just love this site…lol anything I need to know, or didn’t even know I needed to know is here 😉