How to plant a vertical garden

Are you making the best use out of vertical space in your yard? If you have a limited area to work with, trellises, arbors, and hanging baskets can get amazing results, while also hiding unsightly obstacles that ruin the view outside your window. There are other benefits too - elevated plants are protected against some insects and soil pathogens, plus they are easy to manage without stooping over and straining your back.

Gardening in mid-air can create some unique visual effects. Crawling vines and rose bushes add eye appeal to ugly buildings. For example - a tumbledown garden shed is transformed into a relic when it's covered in Honeysuckle vines. If your landscaping is disrupted with unsightly utility boxes or run down fencing, those are easy to hide with English Ivy, Black Eyed Susan, Bougainvillea, or other beautiful climbing vines.

Unlike climbing vines, roses are unable to support their own weight without help. Trellises and arbors help roses grow up to 30 feet tall, and they can also be used to create windbreaks and shaded areas in your yard. Grapes, melons, raspberries, and passion fruit also do well on trellises. With these plants, window boxes, raised bed planters, and grow bags also get results. For truly impressive roses, don't for to use an organic rose fertilizer!

A little bit of planning can make a huge difference with your plants. Study the wind and sun patterns in your yard, and then position appropriate plants for each zone of the yard. Heavy winds and intense sunlight can really dry out plants on the border of your garden, so you may want to place hardier plants in these areas. Also, don't forget to use generous amounts of mulch or compost around the roots of your plants: this helps them absorb nutrients while also retaining moisture. As plants climb, you may want to trim them away from electrical lines and gutters, or train them with twine and garden stakes.

With a vertical garden, the only way to go is up!