Are you dreaming about your own garden but worried it might be difficult because you live in the city? You don’t have to wait until you get to country to get started growing a garden! With urban gardening becoming more and more popular, there are plenty of ways to grow some of your own food, even if your city flat is super small. Here are some creative vertical garden ideas to grow your own food!
Gardening doesn’t have to be reserved for the countryside! In recent years, more and more city folks are starting to set up their own gardens. Considering everything that is going on in the world, lots of people are worried about the quality of fruits and veggies. But, many of us feel that organically grown vegetables are still pretty expensive and thus inaccessible. The lockdowns and supply chain disruption last year due to Covid-19 have additionally changed our relation towards the idea of having a garden. People started feeling that they could have more greens at their disposal. The best way to stay healthy is to eat healthily, and there is nothing more beneficial than freshly grown goods.
Even City Dwellers Can Grow Their Own Fresh Veggies
However, many people with a newly discovered desire for gardening may be perplexed about ways to grow their garden in small city apartments. We are happy to inform you that there is a solution to your problems! Have you ever heard about a vertical garden for vegetables?
Vertical gardens are a truly wonderful alternative for everyone living in the city or if you are dealing with limited space. Many of us have the experience of growing veggies in pots. However, we usually realize that this takes too much space – the vertical garden at home, fortunately, doesn’t.
When you are a beginner gardener, something like a vertical garden can sound confusing. There must be a myriad of questions running through your mind – where to put the plants, what kind of veggies to go for, etc. We have had a chance to talk with experts from Homemakerguide, who provided us with all the necessary information for us to answer all your questions.
What Is Vertical Garden?
So, we have already touched on how does vertical garden work, and now we are going to explain it in more detail. A vertical garden has a lot of names – living green wall, live wall, moss wall, etc. In all honesty, it is not difficult to understand vertical garden ideas just after hearing the name. This way of gardening is the opposite of a standard horizontal garden. Many vertical garden systems can be installed both indoors and outdoors.
Benefits of Growing a Vertical Garden
Some people are wondering why they became so popular and are curious about what are vertical garden plants? Well, we have already answered the first question. One of the main reasons is that it enables people living in small apartments to enjoy organic gardening. It requires less work, and you are less likely to deal with weeds in comparison with a traditional garden.
Plants to Grow in a Vertical Garden
Regarding the second question, we can tell you that there are various ornamental and edible plants that thrive in this type of garden.
Plants to Grow in a Vertical Tower System
- Herbs
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Arugula and other greens
- Strawberries
- Peppers
Plants to Grow Vertically in Pots or Small Raised Beds
- Peas
- Pole Beans
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Winter Squash, including pumpkins
- Melons
Learn how you can grow bumper crop of vegetables even in a small raised bed (+ how to build your own DIY Cedar Raised Bed!)
Watering a Vertical Garden System
Now we are going to discuss how to water vertical garden. The essential thing when it comes to watering is time. You need to be prepared to invest a lot of time into planning and arranging the process; after that, everything is pretty straightforward. You can do it manually or create a drip irrigation system. With manual watering, you can control everything for each plant, but it takes more time. In case you opt for an automated system, you need to pay attention to how much water you are using and decide on the frequency of watering.
Hanging Vertical Garden
An excellent option, especially for beginners who are just learning how to vertical garden, is to hang it. It is pretty easy because you don’t even need to use standard pots but create a pocket wall. It allows for a lot of space for the veggies to grow. Pocket walls are also super simple to clean and store after the season is finished. Besides, some of them are self-watering, so you won’t even have to worry about that. If you are not comfortable with making beds, keep in mind that there are many good vertical garden pots ideas.
Wooden Vertical Veggie Beds Ideas
Many think that this is easy with tomatoes, squashes, and so on. But what is the best vertical garden system for vegetables that don’t grow like this? Well, in this case, you can make vertical beds or, in other words, shelves. You can put all beds vertically on the wall in a manner that will allow for all plants to receive an equal amount of light. The best ones are those with some type of slats – this will enable air to circulate properly, and water will easily reach each plant. A vertical garden with lights looks even better.
Using Pipes for Vertical Garden
Believe it or not, but some people use PVC pipes to make a vertical garden. Some are a bit concerned about it because they think that this is not the best material to grow food. In many cases, they do have a point, but it is vital to know that some pipes are perfectly safe. To know which one is, you should check for recycling numbers and avoid the pipes labeled with 3, 6, and 7. If you find a type of food-safe plastic and want to use it to make a vertical garden, check this Instructables Living guide.
Vertical Garden on a Mash Fence
This is probably one of the most common vertical garden ideas. If you want to know how to grow vertical garden this way, the trick is to plant the veggies in the pots that you will attach to the fence afterward. It is ideal for vines, beans, and tomatoes. People who live in houses with a small yard like to do this because it doesn’t occupy a lot of space. Thus, they can enjoy healthy garlic and other veggies, improving the appearance of the fence at the same time.
Vertical Garden on a Remade Ladder
This concept is a bit similar to the one with wooden beds. The main difference is that the ladder occupies less space, requires less work, and it is pretty easy to water this garden. If you use an old ladder, you will see how impressed your friends will be.
Vertical Garden in Plastic Bottles
Everyone has plastic bottles. Instead of throwing them and contributing to the unnecessary garbage accumulation, we will tell you how to make vertical garden with plastic bottles. It is pretty simple, and all that you need is a bit of time and some creativity. For example, you can create a garden that looks like a wine cellar, with bottles on the wall. You can also make a net with a bunch of colorful threads and use it to attach bottles with plants to the wall.
Even if you have plenty of space to grow a garden, there are many reasons why you should still grow a vertical garden! Homesteaders of America conference speaker, Melissa K. Norris will show you how!
Having a garden in urban areas is beneficial in many regards. It improves the appearance of your apartment and neighborhood, cleans the air, and provides you with healthy vegetables and fruits. Furthermore, it is proven that gardening reduces stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression. As you can see, there are plenty of ways of growing a beautiful garden, even if your city apartment is small. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You need only some time and creativity to make your dream come true!
Have you tried about vertical gardening before? What do you think about it?
Hi what ideas could you share about securing your veggies from predators? (Squirrels) We live in the city (city limits) of Minneapolis, MN and have an over abundance of Squirrels. Thank You
Hi Charles! Ahh squirrels, aka rats in cuter outfits!!
Squirrels have many natural preditors (fox, coyotes, raptors…) so look at ways of welcoming those preditors to your neighbourhood. It may require some planning with neighbours but this isn’t a problem. It’s a culture shift. Feed them peanuts when the ground has thawed. Provide corn stocks in the fall and allow them access to some seeds throughout summer and winter. They also look for fresh water and will overturn stuff while looking.
They aren’t vindictive, just persistent in the end goal: food/water. Also keep in mind, chipmunks and birds are just as naughty! That’s where row covers, netting, chicken wire cages, cloches and electric or other fencing all come in. Enjoy the battle, it really can be entertaining.
My squirrrels provide all kinds of evergreen tips I use in winter pots and to cover crowns etc., even now! They clean up a lot of debris and use it in their condos. The sooner you accept they aren’t going anywhere and find a way to live with them, the sooner you can sit back and watch them for hours trying to get that peanut you rigged up for them to work at. Seriously, google it, hilarious!
Best of luck!!
A