How to Create an Easy Vertical Garden for Any Small Space

If you live in an apartment in the city or you have a small outdoor space in general, you might stare longingly at Instagram accounts sporting lush, flourishing gardens and raised beds bursting with plump veggies. You might think, “I wish I too could indulge my green thumb…but I don’t have a yard!”

Fear not, because the beautiful truth is that you can get as creative as you desire with your landscaping dreams…even with a small space!

Enter the world of vertical gardening. This approach allows you to utilize an empty wall or fence, so plants, flowers, herbs, and vegetables grow upwards with this support.

In this post, we give you 3 innovative ideas to get started on your DIY vertical garden- perfect for any indoor or outdoor space!

Pallets for the Budget-Friendly DIY Garden

For those on a budget, you can’t go wrong with pallets. These versatile wooden squares are ideal for a vertical garden, thanks to the numerous rungs that give climbing vines enough grip to grow.

Plus, you don’t have to stop at vines. With a few nails and a hammer, you can easily mount container plants on a pallet. This is great if you want to organize potted herbs or veggies. 

You can get as creative as you want. Paint or whitewash the pallets, add decorative stones, gravel, or fire glass to the pots, or design labels for each plant if you’re organizing herbs.

Here are some pallet designs for inspiration:

Hanging Gardens

Take inspo from the ancient hanging gardens of Babylon and create your own mini plant empire with a few simple supplies: narrow wooden planks, rope/twine, a drill, and hook screws.

You can create hanging shelves that can be mounted on a wall or hung from the ceiling indoors or outdoors. Place your container plants on the shelves, or if you want more support, cut holes directly into the planks to hold the pots like cupholders. 

Don’t forget to add smooth garden pebbles or mulch to the containers to enhance the overall aesthetic.

Here’s what we’re talking about:

Turn a Boring Fence into a Lively Green Space

For those with small backyards and fencing, you already have your vertical garden prepped and ready to go…because the fence is the base! 

Whether you have a metal fence or wooden plank fence, you can mount potted plants directly onto it for a unique design that gives your backyard plenty of pop.

This is also a great way to grow veggies and herbs, with the option to organize them accordingly with labels.

Here’s your inspo: