Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play and Stay This Winter

      7 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play and Stay This Winter

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      One has conquered the world of plant-based baking. Another runs a microbakery from her home. Two own businesses with their spouses. And the fifth is a James Beard finalist chef. The common thread? Absolutely delicious cakes. Read More
    • The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      For many Midwesterners, holiday feasting kicks off with a relish tray. We dare not mess with an icon—at least, not too much. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better With Age

    Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better With Age

    At Wisconsin supper clubs, the steak is served rare and the traditions are well done. Like the brandy in an Old-Fashioned, these timeless institutions only get better with age.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

    Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

    This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints! (The alternate version, with ham and cream, is excellent too.)
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    Avid DIYers Transform a 1929 Chicago Home One Project at a Time

    Avid DIYers Transform a 1929 Chicago Home One Project at a Time

    With visions of dinner parties and game nights dancing in their heads, a Chicago couple renovated their historic (and first) home, one DIY project at a time.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    How to Care for Flowering Houseplants

    How to Care for Flowering Houseplants

    Author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf shares how to make blooms last longer—and repeat.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Unique Midwest Light Displays to See This Winter

    Unique Midwest Light Displays to See This Winter

    Buses, trains and very few automobiles—check out these out-of-the-ordinary holiday lights displays.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Garden
  3. Container Gardens
  4. How To Create a Vertical Garden

How To Create a Vertical Garden

By Editorial Assistant: Brandi Dye July 11, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Picture-perfect
Vintage frames accent nature's own living artwork in these beautiful DIY projects.
Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vertical garden

Vertical garden

With supplies from a hardware store, a vintage frame, potting soil and succulents, you can make a vertical foliage display.Click or tap ahead for step-by-step instructions on how to make this display, as well as for other examples of vertical gardens.

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 1: Gather materials

Step 1: Materials

You'll need moss, vintage vent, wire, snips, coconut fiber, screws, drill, wooden box, spray paint, wire mesh, soil and succulents.

2 of 10

3 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 2: Paint the vent or frame

Step 2: Paint the vent or frame

A vintage portrait frame or heating vent, used here, both work well to frame your vertical garden. A coat of paint or polyurethane varnish helps prevent moisture damage.

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 3: Make a planting box

Step 3: Make a planting box

Create a planting box out of a durable wood, such as red cedar. Your wooden box should be about 4-5 inches deep with the same width and length as your vent or frame. Back the planting box with additional wooden planks for stability and drainage. Seal all of the wood with a polyurethane finish. Then, line the inside of the box with wire mesh.

4 of 10

5 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 4: Add fiber mat and fill

Step 4: Add fiber mat and fill

Before filling with potting soil, add a coconut fiber (or coir) liner to the planting box. The liners, which typically can be found in garden centers near the hanging baskets, help prevent soil and water loss. Then fill the planting box with a potting soil that includes a slow-release fertilizer. The lightweight nature of potting soil, versus heavier soils like loam, is essential for vertical gardens.

5 of 10

6 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 5: Attach vent or frame

Step 5: Attach the vent or frame

Using a drill or screwdriver and screws, attach the painted vent or frame to the planting box.

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 6: Plant

Step 6: Plant

Fill the miniature garden with low-water plants, like succulents. In this garden, sedum's tiny green leaves brightly contrast blue-gray Echeveria.

7 of 10

8 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Living art

Living art

This piece of living art includes silver-gray Echeveria towards the bottom of the frame with clusters of Sempervivum, sedums and creeping thyme throughout.

8 of 10

9 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Succulent displays

Succulent displays

These framed boxes serve as shelving for a selection of potted succulents. The painted frames are mounted on backless 4-inch-deep boxes. 

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Picture-perfect

Picture-perfect

This lush vertical garden joins a vintage sewing box and a vintage picture frame, supported by the wooden legs of an old piano. The sewing box overflows with potted plants and the picture frame grows succulents and accents with gardening tools.

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Editorial Assistant: Brandi Dye

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 Vertical garden
    2 of 10 Step 1: Gather materials
    3 of 10 Step 2: Paint the vent or frame
    4 of 10 Step 3: Make a planting box
    5 of 10 Step 4: Add fiber mat and fill
    6 of 10 Step 5: Attach vent or frame
    7 of 10 Step 6: Plant
    8 of 10 Living art
    9 of 10 Succulent displays
    10 of 10 Picture-perfect

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    How To Create a Vertical Garden
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.