20 Outstanding DIY Vertical Gardens (With Pictures)

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The term vertical gardening refers to the growing of plants in vertical spaces rather than on flat horizontal surfaces peculiar to traditional gardens. Most times, the plants are left hanging on specially designed containers in areas with enough sunlight.  Traditional gardening mimics vertical gardening by planting climbing plants on trellises. With a vertical garden, non-climbing plants can have a space on vertical walls.

Vertical gardening is easier to maintain, takes up less space and are generally easier to harvest.  Despite the positives, they do have some flaws:

  • They need a vertical space with access to lots of sunlight
  • If you attempt to build them too high you will encounter difficulties maintaining them.
  • You need a strong support system to maintain the weight of plants
  • The vertical wall-support must be designed to retain a large amount of moisture. It is for this reason that most gardeners use polyethylene bags at the back of the vertical walls to create some sort of vapor barrier.

Although vertical gardening does have some flaws, you shouldn’t be discouraged by it. Moreover, when you put your efforts into a vertical garden on your own, you would be surprised by the result it may have.

DIY Vertical Garden Ideas

Vertical garden does come with a lot of benefits. If you can cope with potted plants then you will have no trouble constructing vertical gardens. To help you along that line, here are 20 outstanding DIY vertical gardens (with pictures).

#1. Hanging pots on a vertical garden

Hanging pots on a wall can support a vertical garden in ways you can only imagine. If you have some artistic sense, add your own innovations and designs to ensure they appeal to human sensibilities. You can decide to use a section of the fence or hang a pallet as shown below. Either way, ensure that the fence has enough sunlight to support plant growth.

#2. DIY Cedar wall planter

The internet is full of examples of cedar wall planters. With a little DIY skill you can construct a vertical cedar wall. The one shown below is super easy to construct and won’t cost you an arm or a leg. Adjust the plans to suit your budget or vertical space.

#3. Recycled Plastic Bottle Vertical Gardens

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, using recycled plastic containers can be a great DIY vertical garden idea. All you need is a few plastic bottle containers, cut open one end and seal up the other end. Fill the containers with soil and you are ready to start planting. See directions for this DIY project here

#4. Gutter Vertical Garden

Gutter vertical gardens are an interesting idea for gardening purposes. If the outside walls of your apartment have gutters, you can put them to use by planting beautiful flowers by their sides. However, ensure that there is enough space in-between the gutters or else you run the risk of overcrowding the area. Ensure also that the gutters don’t have drainage holes at the bottom to avoid waterlogging the plants beneath.

#5. DIY Trellis

Traditional trellises are stable for most gardeners. Trellis becomes even more important if you grow vining vegetables because they help keep the garden cleaner and make it easier to spot fruits. Remember not to place it in an area that will shade the rest of the garden.

#6. Tower Vertical Gardening

Not entirely a DIY project but if you have the requisite skills, tower gardening can nudge things up a little. Some the towers can be constructed to pump mineral solution to the tips of the plants and allow them to drip down over the roots.

#7. DIY chicken Wire Planter

This DIY vertical garden planter is one of the easiest on our list. All you need is a few chicken wires and a few old pellets. The chicken wires function to hold the soil while it hands vertically on an old pallet. If you construct it properly, the chicken wire planters should give you more planting space during the growing season. Plus you can make it more colorful and attractive. See directions here

vertical gardens

#8. Galvanized hanging vertical bucket

With a few cheap galvanized buckets, strong wire support and a few pegs you can build an attractive vertical garden. It’s as easy as it sounds, all that is required is that you place the right soil in the bucket and hand them on wire support. Organize the buckets in a specific manner to bring out the beauty of this project. See Do-it-yourself directions and examples here

#9. DIY Wooden Vertical Pyramid Tower

The wooden tower design might need someone with an above-average DIY skill but if you manage to get it right they can become a centerpiece of attraction in the garden. Wooden vertical towers can hold many small plants at a time because they are usually constructed with lots of small sections.  Strawberries, succulents, seedlings are perfect for wooden vertical gardens.

#10. DIY tray herb vertical Garden

The tray herb vertical garden only needs wide trays in which herbs grow. There are specially designed wide trays built for the sole purpose of vertical planting. However, make sure the fence on which it rests is strong enough to support the weight. See how Julie Martens designs these stunning gardens here

#11. DIY Pallet Vertical Garden

Tray vertical gardens can also be replicated with a pallet vertical garden. Replace the tray with a plywood pallet and you are good to go. You will also need landscaping clothe and a staple gun to construct the vertical garden.  Attach the plywood to the pallet and wrap it all around with a landscaping clothe. Lay the setup flat on the ground and fill it with soil before transplanting or seedlings.

#12. DIY stair step vertical gardens

These vertical stairs are easy to construct if you have an average DIY skill. Add as many steps as you like or make them as few as possible. Rectangular planters can be found in almost all gardening shops all you need to do is purchase some of these and construct a supporting staircase to place them.

#13. DIY hanging gutter planter

This adorable hanging gutter planter can be ready in as little as 3 hours if all the materials are available. If you have the right gutters and boards this DIY vertical garden won’t cost you a dime to build. It’s the perfect choice for small succulent plants and flowers that don’t grow too tall.  The best part is that it can stand up in any area you deem fit. See how it was constructed here

#14. DIY wooden vertical planter

My love for this vertical planter can be traced to its resemblance with old wooden crates. The available space means it can hold a reasonable amount of plants. The nice rusty look gives it an aesthetic appearance as a good farmhouse décor item. Place it anywhere you like in the garden. See  more samples here

#15. Painted pallet planter

If you need more contemporary designs from your vertical garden, try constructing a painted pallet planter. You really don’t have to build so much; you will be doing more of designing than building. Choose colorful ceramic tiles if you don’t like the idea of painting. Go to a building and accessories shop to pick up some cheaply designed tiles for this project. Fix them to your pallet and begin the construction you want.

#16. DIY Freestanding Vertical Garden

If you are drawn towards building your own garden structure; here is a brilliant freestanding vertical garden idea for you.  All you need to do is build a small raised bed and add in some vertical angles to the mix and you are good to go. Go to superplanters.co.nz for more information about these kinds of projects.

#17. DIY PVC Elbow Joint Vertical Garden

Just when you thought you have seen it all, another brilliant vertical idea hits you. This time around, it employs the use of PVC elbow joints to create a stunning vertical appearance. More often than not, you will find used or damaged PVC elbow joints lying around the house. If you can’t find any lying around the house, walk straight to a local home improvement shop to purchase a couple of them. See tutorial

diy vertical garden

#18. Vertical PVC Tube Planter

In the light of PVC vertical gardens, comes this very easy to use PVC vertical pipe garden. You can turn a good looking PVC pipe into an amazing vertical planter by puncturing little holes in them. In less than an hour you will be done with this project.

#19. Recycled Kitchen rack vertical garden

Convert that old kitchen rack into something useful by transforming it to a vertical garden. Kitchen racks are perfect for small flowers and succulents. This project is one of the easiest ways to add more planting space to your garden and in under 15minutes it will be ready.

#20. DIY spiral Vertical Garden

Viral vertical gardens are aesthetically appealing to the eyes and can be a focal point in your yard. They are perfect for growing all kinds of short herbs because they are easy to build and assemble. Don’t be scared by the complicated look, it’s actually easier to build than it looks. Take a look at the building instructions at aliexpress

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