Art in the garden: Vertical gardening

Not so long ago, hanging buckets or bags with a tomato plant growing out the bottom seemed avant-garde, as did the so-called posy pouches. Not so much anymore.

Hanging baskets and vines on trellises are still the most traditional choices for gardening vertically but some recently spotted alternate structures definitely shake up tradition.

How about a canvas shoe-storage bag, its pockets filled with potting soil and a healthy little plant tucked into each pocket? It was planted for a shady spot with impatiens, begonias and spider plants. A quick web search turned up herbs planted this way. I envisioned other shoe bags, filled with greenhouse plants like orchids or gesneriads like streptocarpella.

Another example of the unusual, seen hanging on a sunny garden shed wall: a moss covered wreath bearing a riot of succulents tucked into what was probably a chicken wire frame stuffed with sphagnum moss. Various colors of Hens and Chicks and sedum were interplanted with kalanchoe and euphorbia, creating a fabulous mini-carpet of texture and color.

In a public stairway hugging the outside of a hill, kitschy vintage teapots hang along an iron handrail. Each colorful pot sports an eye-catching foliage or trailing plant.

The possibilities are limited only by imagination and available containers and structures. Some are more substantial and lasting than others, yet almost anything can be put into service. Seen in a garden photo online: two-liter bottles, clear and various shades of green with large windows cut into the sides. Plants trail out into the daylight, hung in tree branches and along a clothesline, a very informal and fresh approach to vertical gardening.

Old bicycles, iron bedsteads and the sides of vintage baby cribs are among “the usual” unusual supports brought into use for low-growing vines.

A few common-sense rules of thumb must be followed to get the most out of vertical gardening. Good quality soil goes a long way when growing plants in tighter than usual arrangements. Pay close attention to watering needs (not too much, not too little) and fertilize as required. Some plants actually do better in lower fertility soils, so know what each plant needs and match them up properly to your environment.

Pay attention to sun patterns and match the plants to the exposure accordingly. Vertical structures should be placed on the north side of sun-loving plants, so as not to cast shade on the plants. Conversely, put the structure on the south side for shade lovers because shade plants will appreciate the shadow.

Prevailing wind can be a factor in exposed locations. Whenever possible, plants are best grown on the upwind side of their support. In stormy or windy weather, plants will then push against the supportive structure rather than be blown off their supports. Hanging baskets should be placed on arbors or other vertical structures that are strong enough to support them when fully wet and swinging in the breeze.

Match the support structure to the mature characteristics of each plant, especially in permanent plantings. Wisteria and trumpet vine can overwhelm and crush lightweight lattice trellis, given ideal growing conditions and a few years time, whereas large-flowered clematis hybrids do beautifully on those smaller structures.

The usual maintenance is required (watering, fertilizing, deadheading) but simplified in small spaces. In hot weather, containers might need watering on a daily basis.

An apartment balcony is one of the most compact gardening venues around and perfect for space-saving vertical gardens. This is an ideal spot to try vertical vegetables. Veggies and fruits that make good candidates for vertical gardening include vining types of beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, tomatoes, pumpkins and squash. A simple method is to run sturdy lines of twine from containers or planter boxes to hooks, nails or anchors attached to the wall as high as possible. Wire, though stronger, can damage tender new growth.

Choose small-fruited varieties of squash (Black Beauty, Cue Ball), melons (Minnesota Midget cantaloupe with 3- to 4-foot vines and 4-inch melons), Asian melons (Sakata Sweet, Golden Sweet, Tigger, Little Sweetie, Serenade), and pumpkins (Field Trip or Mystic Plus). If the fruits appear to be in danger of falling off prematurely because of their weight, slings can help support the fruit until ready to pick. An extra bonus of vertical gardening is rounder, cleaner fruit.

Vertical gardens: space saving, creatively inspiring, privacy-providing … What’s not to like?

Ÿ Beth Gollan is a horticulturist affiliated with The Planter’s Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040 or visit planterspalette.com.