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READ MOREIn the modern housing market, space is becoming harder and harder to come by. With this, your everyday casual agriculturalist may lose out on the opportunity to have a garden of their own.
A point of pride for most, the use of homegrown ingredients in your cooking can create a very rewarding feeling.
Luckily, those that are cramped for space can enjoy all the perks of having a place to use that green thumb thanks to a vertical garden.
Sometimes your vertical garden can just be for decorating and brightening up your space. It can make for a great alternative, changing a blank and dull wall to a vibrant green wall.
But what does it take to have the best possible vertical garden? To grow the greenest greens, tastiest herbs and flowers fit for a botanical garden?
When it comes to vertical gardens there a generally a few options that can be used; a wall of your home, a fence or a rig that you build that can stand by itself.
It is best to check with a professional whether drilling holes in your wall for a vertical garden is a good idea.
If you don’t like the idea of building your own rig (or don’t think you have the ability) then readymade frames and plant hangars are available from Bunnings.
Getting your vertical garden the right amount of sunlight is a key to its success.
Therefore, its positioning will be important.
Often, as plants grow up in a walled garden they can block the sunlight from getting to the plants on the lower levels. It is a good idea to grow plants that are shade tolerant on the lower levels because of this.
It is also important to find out what plants like full or partial sunlight. Doing your research about what will be best suited to your potential vertical garden is important.
The Australian summer sun can be brutal to your plants, particularly in the afternoon. Consider this when choosing the positioning of your vertical garden.
It is also possible to have an indoor vertical garden. However, when inside they can often suffer from not getting enough sunlight. There can also be an issue around excessive moisture getting trapped indoors.
One of the most important steps to maintaining your vertical garden is watering it on a regular basis (like with all gardens).
While there are multiple methods to the watering process, some you could consider are:
If you feel strongly about water conservation (as well as your vertical garden) then the use of a water tank provides an environmental touch to your green thumb. These are not really suited to apartment life though.
While not as difficult as choosing a pet, selecting the right plants is important. Different plants require various amounts of effort to look after and having plants that will suit your lifestyle can mean they thrive.
If you are a beginner in the gardening scene, it can be best to start with low maintenance plants before moving on to something more challenging. Beginners plants like lemongrass or chives are a good place to start.
From an aesthetic point of view, succulents and cacti are currently very popular. Low maintenance and often quite colourful, they are fantastic launching point for any aspiring gardeners.
If your gardening is motivated by your kitchen needs, the essential herbs you may need are:
There are any number of herb variations that you can grow to truly personalise your vertical garden though.
Herbs such as these tend to thrive in a partial sunlight environment. If your vertical garden will get constant sunlight, lavender or strawberries are plants that enjoy those conditions.
Chillies are also a relatively low maintenance plant that can really add some spice to your cooking.
Hanging planters and baskets are a good start to making your garden vertical.
When hanging or fixing pots to as structure, it is important to use pots that are a suitable weight. Pots that are too heavy can put strain on your vertical garden structure that can affect its stability.
When buying your pots or planters always account for the weight that soil will add.
As with any plant, what is in your vertical garden needs to be looked after. The basic steps to remember, to ensure your garden stays healthy, are:
Maintenance of your vertical garden can be difficult at times, particularly with the busy lifestyles that most lead. However, by conducting regular maintenance and keeping your garden healthy you can benefit from the produce or the sense of pride that comes with successfully growing and nurturing a garden.
For all your vertical gardening needs, Bunnings Warehouse provides an excellent selection of what you need. From pots to soil and fertilizer, your planting needs are covered.
It is also a great place for buying the materials to build your own vertical garden rig if that is what you are planning.
Bunnings also provides a tutorial on how to build a vertical garden that is very helpful.
If there is a local hardware store or you have a trusted plant nursery near you that you go to that is fine too.
It is important to remember that this is your vertical garden and should be personalised exactly how you want it.
Grow what you want. Make it your own. Nurture and grow your vertical garden into something that you can be proud of.
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