If you think your place needs a bit of freshness and interest, why not go with a chic vertical garden? Vertical gardens are super popular these days and for all the right reasons. They are attractive, they can boost health in your home or office and they save a lot of space! However, many of these hanging plants require a lot of care and gardening knowledge in order to thrive. But, not succulents! They are easy to care for and practically impossible to kill. So, opt for succulents and give your wall a fresh new look! Here are a few ideas that will inspire you and help you create your own vertical succulent garden.
Framed succulents
A framed living wall garden is a great way to add some interest to your walls in a chic and unique way. What you’re going to need for this interesting project is an old picture frame (pick the size that best fits your space), some mesh, plywood, soil and baby succulents ready for planting. Put mesh over the front (where the glass usually goes), staple plywood over the back of your frame and put in the soil and plants. Pro tip: Don’t just plant your succulents willy-nilly! Start with bigger ones first and complete the design with smaller nodes. After the roots take, you can hang your masterpiece or lean it on the wall over the mantel!
Here is a great tutorial explaining exactly how to make a framed succulent “picture”.
Monogram letters garden
A project that is perfect for both indoors and outdoors is a cute hanging monogram letter garden. With this, you can go as small or as big as you like and can also experiment with “fonts” and different materials. However, the basics are always the same. You need a planter in the shape of your letter, some soil, plants and some paint to make it all pretty. Making your letter planter requires plenty of patience, but with only a few tools and supplies, you can DIY your letter and get a custom design. However, if you’re not handy and don’t know how to handle tools, you can order a ready-to-plant letter planter and go to town with your succulents! This hanging garden is a great way to customize and personalize your façade, but it can also look amazing displayed in the hallway or over the mantel!
Pallet garden
If you love to reuse and repurpose things, this is the project for you! All you need for this eco-friendly wall garden is an old wood pallet you’ll use as a frame, some cactus mix or potting soil and landscape fabric for keeping it all in. Pro tip: You can often get a pallet for free at your local grocery store as long as you ask nicely! Staple your landscape fabric to the back, sides and bottom of your pallet (leave the top open for adding extra plants and watering). Put the soil in and firmly plant your succulents. Now, all you have to do is be patient for a few weeks and water your (still horizontal) garden until the plants take root. When they are ready to go up, find very firm hooks and lift up your garden. Don’t forget to get help and some firm ladders! You can even check out some scaffolding rental companies and get a small scaffold for an easy and safe pallet mounting. Trust us, you’ll need something tall and stable, because your pallet will be surprisingly heavy once filled with wet soil!
Bottle garden
Another great way to repurpose things and create an eco-friendly hanging garden is to use old wine bottles. All you need for this project is a few empty wine bottles, a rotary tool (or you can go to your local glazer), soil and plants. You’ll need to cut your bottle in half if you want an inverted planter or make a hole on the side for normal orientation. Next, simply add some soil into the bottle, plant your succulents and hang your little gardens on your wall! This project is perfect for first-time DIY-ers and small apartments that can’t really fit an entire pallet wall garden.
Succulent wreath
If you want something adorable and seasonal, you can opt for a succulent wreath. These are perfect as Christmas decoration if you live somewhere warm like Australia or California—they are full of holiday spirit and they can withstand your hot climate! So, what you’ll need for your unusual wreath is a moss wreath base (you can make one yourself or simply buy it from a flower store) and plenty of little succulents. Simply soak the moss, poke holes for the succulents, plant them and wait! You need to be patient for at least six weeks until you can hang this baby up, but it will be so worth it.
Creating a succulent wall garden is such an easy way to add nature, color and freshness to your space. So, the next time your home needs a decor touch-up, don’t neglect your walls, but treat them to a succulent surprise!
Post submitted by Derek Lotts, derek.b.lotts@gmail.com