DIY Plant Wall Shelf

Flower and vegetable gardens bring beauty and productivity to home gardens with large plots of growing and blooming plants. These gardens don't have to sit in the ground for success, though. Creative gardeners -- and those with limited space -- use containers, pots and hanging gardens for flowers and vegetables. Sunny walls can host entire vegetable patches with vertical gardening and careful plant selection. Build your own plant shelves for a living wall in the yard or garden.

Gutters
Drill
Hammer/hammer gun
Nails
Organic compost
Garden loam/potting soil
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Start your project in early to mid-spring for fair, sunny working weather and the best range of planting choices. Most summertime vegetables and annuals start well with night-time temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
  Find a wall that gets bright sun exposure and good air circulation all day. South-facing walls receive good sunshine and protection from harsh northern winds.
- 3
  Use commercial rain gutters as your planters. Drill holes in the bottoms of the gutters every 3 to 4 inches for drainage. Put the gutters against the wall with 2 to 3 feet of vertical space between each gutter, and secure them with a hammer and nails. Use a hammer gun for hard concrete walls. Place the nails every 2 to 3 inches for security.
- 4
  Mix a rich, moist and supportive planting mix of 1 part organic compost to 1 part potting soil or garden loam. Treat these plants as potted plants with more generous nutrition and water needs in their soil. Add 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 granular fertilizer to the mix for better starting nutrition.
- 5
  Plant small herbs and annuals in this situation. Alternatively, choose contained-growth vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, endives, collards and baby carrots.

How to Build a Self-standing Vegetable Planter

How to Make a Flower Bed With Stone Borders

Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens