10 Easy DIY Vertical Garden Ideas

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Want to grow a garden but have limited space? No problem! When you grow a garden vertically, the sky truly is the limit!  There are many amazing, innovative ideas out there for vertical gardening using all types of materials.  

As long as you have sufficient light for plants to grow, you really can grow a garden in just about anything. And if you use recycled materials, you can often build your garden for free.

Here are 10 simple DIY vertical garden ideas that demonstrate just how effective, and inexpensive, vertical gardening can be.

10 vertical garden ideas

Gutters are an awesome way to grow food on a vertical surface. This setup was part of a mobile unit from Greensgrow Farm, installed on the side of a shipping container.  

The angles of the gutters allow the whole unit to be watered from the top. The water can trickle down through all the levels and into a container garden on the ground.  Image via Blaine O’Neill on Flickr

 

Grow bags can be incredibly efficient for small space gardening, so why not use the same idea to grow vertically? These herbs are thriving in bags attached to a wall.   

 

Recycling plastic bottles for gardening containers is gaining popularity big time. These bottles are plentiful and free, and they make some really cool vertical gardens that are highly effective without much effort. Who knew plastic bottles could make such a beautiful garden?

 

 

Speaking of recycling, this amazing vertical garden, which also uses plastic bottles, hangs outside a school in Singapore. The bottles are secured to CD racks using plastic cable ties.  Via Dream N Grow It 

 

 

Beautiful vertical container gardens can be made for dirt cheap with old coffee cans. This coffee can herb garden was featured at a garden show.  Image via Ewa in the Garden

 

Painted PCV pipes on a wall in Malaysia make a spectacular hydroponic garden. This is a simple, beautiful way to grow food and ornamental vegetables in an urban area where traditional garden methods may not be available.  

 

 

We’ve written about using pallets for vertical gardening before, and here’s another really neat pallet idea. These were seen by The Eclectic Ark at the Makers Faire in Vancouver. The pallets are covered in burlap and filled with dirt, then plants are placed at the top of the pallets and through slits in the burlap. The back side of the pallets were decorated to make up a sign. Very cool!

 

Here’s an awesome idea from Infarrantly Creative showing how to make this little kitchen herb garden. It’s super cute and small enough to easily fit on a patio.

 

Flower Street Urban Gardens of Phoenix, AZ creates gorgeous vertical gardens with wood containers that hang on block walls, ledges, and balconies. There are contractors in many areas that can be hired to install similar gardens, and these also serve as a great source of inspiration for DIYers.

 

 

A simple bamboo A-frame tower grows a large assortment of greens in a small space. We’ve seen similar A-frame setups using pipes, but bamboo is a natural material ideal for those who have it growing locally or can repurpose it from other projects.   

 

 

These are just a few of the many vertical garden ideas we’ve found that can be made quickly and inexpensively. With a little creativity, you can grow a gorgeous garden just about anywhere, usually with much less maintenance than growing in the ground!