Bring your walls alive with our vertical gardening ideas.
These days the sky really is the limit when it comes to growing indoor plants. Wall mounted containers that allow displays to reach up rather than out are transforming our interiors. Not only do they look gorgeous, they purify the air too. If your kitchen is small (but perfectly formed, of course) and lacking a bit of extra space for container-grown herbs, it’s a great idea to make use of your walls. Whether you go for a culinary treat of salad leaves and herbs or an art-installation packed with exotic blooms, you’ll need to do a bit of research to ensure you pick the right plant for the job. Once you’ve considered the three P’s - position, plants & planters, you’ll be all set to get started…
Position:
Think sunny and light, though you can choose plants that like shade if your desired location receives less that half a day of sun during the summer months. Position plants that need the most light nearer the light source (window or artificial lighting) and work inwards using specimens that can cope with a bit more shade.
Plants:
Not all plants are suited to growing vertically in small pockets - think about types that have a shallow root system and will be able to cope with less water. Ferns and tropical plants make great bedfellows because they thrive in similar growing conditions.
For colour: gerberas - think bold bright large daisies. They come in a variety of shades, from yellow to pink and will flower right throughout summer. For scent: jasmine. a lovely climber that will cover well and provide plenty of fragrant flowers too. For luxury: orchid (phalaenopsis). Delicate blooms that will give your display an exotic appearance. For foliage: sword fern (polystichum munitum) lovely feather luscious green fronds that cope in sun and partial shade. and of course, for supper: salad leaves and herbaceous herbs!
Planters:
Go for kits which have a water reservoir integrated into the container as well as a fixing system to attach to the wall. Woolly Pockets offers plenty of choice and lots of advice about maintaining your creation. Minigarden is a more substantial modular growing system.The key thing is to mix up the types of plants to create a carpet of colour and texture that covers the planters you choose.
For more on garden rooms, turn to page 81 of June's The Simple Things (out 30 May 2014).