If you like the idea of having your own garden without all of the back-breaking work of tilling up the ground and weeding, look no further than vertical gardening. Creating your own planting wall is a great way to grow herbs, flowers, and vegetables. It's also the perfect way to add some natural beauty to a small outdoor space.

Purchase a ready-made vertical planting wall

The easiest way to create a planting wall is to buy one that is already made. You can buy walls that are freestanding or ones that you hang on an existing wall. Planting walls vary in price depending upon the material used in manufacturing.

Ready-made planting walls may be worth the extra cost if you aren't the do-it-yourself type. Many planting walls are already assembled and ready to fill with your plants. Look for planting walls that are durable and made to stand up to repeated watering.

Take advantage of an existing wall

You can turn any wall into a vertical garden with shelves and planters. Hang several shelves on the wall. Make sure you leave at least a foot of space between each shelf to allow plenty of room for your plants to grow.

If you are only planning on growing herbs, you can leave less space between the shelves. Attach decorative labels to the front of each small herb pot to make it easy to identify your herbs.

Be creative when hanging the shelves. To create eye appeal, stagger the shelving rather than hanging each shelf beneath the previous one. Choose flowers pots in different colors to create a good visual effect. Mix and match round pots with square pots to provide contrast.

Create a makeshift wall

No outdoor wall to use? No problem. You can create your own wall. This works well for the end of a porch. Purchase about 20 flower pots in a medium size. Make sure the pots have built-in hangers.

You will use four pots horizontally and five pots vertically to create a plant wall. You will need strong twine or garden sting to connect the pots and form your plant wall. Be sure to cut the twine in equal sizes depending on how much space you desire between your pots.

Secure the first row of four pots, equally spaced, to the top of the porch ceiling or any wooden beam. Drill a small hole in the bottom of each pot. Feed the twine or string through the hole and secure tightly with a strong knot. Tie a knot on the end of the string to connect with the hanger on the pot below.

Once your makeshift wall is assembled, you can fill the pots with soil and whatever plants you desire. Flowers are especially attractive in this type of wall. Ask your local garden center which varieties are best for your area.

Whether you opt for purchasing a ready-made vertical plant wall or designing your own, vertical gardening is smart gardening. Not only does it take the back-breaking work out of gardening, it also provides an attractive addition to your outdoor space. Talk to a garden supplier, like Shades Of Green, for more help.

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