Posted on June 28 2021
We all dream of having a huge garden and growing our own tasty fruits and veggies, but what if all you have is a one-bedroom apartment or a house without a large yard? The answer is to do more with less and make the most of your limited space with a vertical garden.
Growing up - the new growing out
Vertical gardening has really caught on in the past few years as more of us desire to become self-sufficient and grow our own tasty and nutritious food. The pleasure seeing the results of your labor and love cannot be overstated. With just the use of a trellis, netting, and maybe some specialist pots for certain crops, as well as a little gardening know-how, you too can take advantage of this growing trend in urban agriculture.
Benefits of vertical gardening
Vertical gardens are practical, functional, and creative. Even people with plenty of space are learning the benefits of taking this approach to growing fruit and vegetables over horizontal gardening methods.- Vertical gardens are space-saving - anyone with a balcony or small yard can make one.
- Vertical gardens take less soil preparation.
- Less weeding involved.
- Almost no bending and kneeling - way less back-breaking!
- Growing plants off the ground leads to fewer pests and diseases.
- Larger yields in a smaller space.
- Easy tending and harvesting - all at eye level.
- Many opportunities to be more creative.
- More plant variety in a far smaller space.
- Improved air circulation.
- A vertical garden makes a great privacy screen.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables right on your wall!
- A real talking point at parties.
With vertical gardening methods, you'll also find that many climbing plants and ground-level plants pair perfectly. By combining these in clever ways, you'll create a lush, verdant curtain of flowers, foliage, and bountiful harvests. Whether you have a patio container or a landscape trellis covering the entire side of a wall with lush vegetation, vertical gardening will provide endless possibilities to improve your green fingered skills!
Which vegetables and fruits are ideal for a vertical garden?
Not all crops are suitable to be grown vertically, but good news - there's still a huge variety which will thrive in a vertical garden. Get creative and you'll see an explosion of color when it comes to harvest time. These varieties of fruit and veggies are ideal:- Strawberries
- Melons
- Cucumbers
- Winter and summer squashes
- Pumpkins
- Tomatoes
- Runner beans
- Peas
- Grapes
- Capsicums
- Passionfruit
Some varieties of fruit and vegetables will need specialist potting and care. Check with your local garden center before you choose what to plant in your vertical garden. Be sure to preserve your delicious homegrown fruits and vegetables in vacuum seal bags so you can enjoy them all year long.
Cascading plant ideas
To really get creative and give your vertical garden that Instagram factor, consider these cascading plant varieties. They'll complement your choices of fruit and veg perfectly!- Begonia
- Creeping Jenny
- Fuchsia
- Petunias
- Verbena
- Tickseed
- Lantana
- Nasturtiums
- Sweet potato vine
By including flowers and cascading plants into your vertical garden, you'll attract the bees as well, which will in turn pollinate your vegetable and fruit plants. Choose companion plants with high nectar counts and colors such as blue, white, and yellow to attract them. Don't overlook flowering herbs, either - varieties such as thyme or oregano are favorites of our striped friends.
Vertical gardening: Aim higher!
By joining the growing urban gardening revolution, you'll be making a positive difference in your own life and even in the wider world itself. A vertical garden will look great, give you more variety of homegrown food, develop your life skills, and even help our bees and other pollinators to thrive. As always, before starting any new gardening project, seek out expert advice from your local garden center or garden supplies store.Related Posts
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Neat idea for those with limited space.
Seems like it would take a lot of water to keep the plants alive.