How to use natural greenery to make stunning home décor displays
Vertical gardens are an awesome way to add some colour and variety to home as a beautiful indoor feature or to add greenery to your backyard without losing space. Not only are they easy to build and maintain but they’re a great way to go eco-friendly by growing your own herbs and vege’s. In this guide we’ll walk you through the basics of what you need before you get started. Now lets renovate your garden by sending it up the wall!
IT’S ALL ABOUT LOCATION.
First off, it’s important to decide where the garden is going to go. Certain plants thrive much better in sunlight than indoors and of course the wall space available will determine the size of your vertical garden. Make sure you think about the height of your garden too, huge living walls might be stunning to look at but won’t be for long if you can’t reach the top plants to stop them turning brown and shrivelled. We’ll get to watering later if you still want the grandiose look for your vertical plants.
WHAT FRAME IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Vertical garden frames are easy to build whether you get a kit from your local hardware store or build one yourself out of old wooden pallets, wire frames or even just empty plastic bottles. Your average store-bought frame will run you between $80 to $150 and are usually modular to allow for expansion to let your garden grow in the future. Be sure to measure your space twice before dropping cash on a frame!
SO MANY PLANTS TO CHOOSE FROM!
Once you’ve picked your spot and your frame its time to design your layout and make it beautiful! We’ve put together some suggestions below for what grows well in which environment and what will make your wall “pop”, but any nursery will have ideal growing conditions tagged on the plant when you’re shopping.
Grasses like Mondo, Daniella or Liriope Muscari work well to make full, solid greenery and create a feature wall or base for your more colourful plants.
Well-lit areas are perfect for all manner of succulents! The variety of shapes and colours they come in makes for spectacular and interesting garden,
For shady areas, ferns and rainforest plants like Xanadu provide deep dark green leafage that adds a richness to the garden. Be careful though because again these are mostly SHADE plants and the hot Aussie sun will fry them.
And for a practical green wall, fill your planters with lettuces and herbs near the kitchen!
MAKE SURE TO WATER THEM.
This may seem like basic stuff, but it’s often neglected when you’ve got a busy schedule. Most of the pre-made vertical garden kits have a trickle down system so that you only need to water the top row. Some even come with a self watering system that you can set up and start with the turn of a tap.
If you are building one D.I.Y consider where the excess water will go after watering, particularly for indoor set ups. Be sure to use water collector pots or place a bucket underneath your plants before watering.
You may find it better to just stick with manual watering. This brings down the cost and time of the set up and gives an excuse for a bit of meditation and mindfulness. Take some time out of your day and take care of your own well being while you take care of the plants.
And that’s it! Now you can create a fantastic natural piece of art right in your own home or backyard! Be sure to hit up The Box Hill Guide to find your local hardware stores and nurseries to get you started.
