In modern society, the main problem is the lack of free space for garden cultivation and flower bed equipment. This applies to both cities and homesteads. Owners of vegetable gardens try to use them more rationally and often refuse from flower beds. But you still want to decorate the space with bright colors. The solution to this problem can be vertical landscaping. This is a great idea for both country houses and apartments. Let's talk in more detail about how to equip the vertical garden in this article.
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Vertical gardens
Before talking about decorating your site or apartment with a vertical garden, you need to tell what it is. This idea is not new. Even in ancient Babylon, gardens were planted using this technology. The idea of a modern vertical garden belongs to Patrick Blanc, a French naturalist - designer. He owns the idea of planting plants in containers attached to the walls. Of course, for this, plant species capable of leading a vertical life and practically not requiring feeding and natural illumination are selected. They do not just land on the prepared surface, but are selected according to the color and size to create a harmonious picture. Using plants of different texture and sizes, you can get an unusual, relief picture. The main thing is that it's not just decor, but living plants that add colors to the surrounding space.
Vertical gardening at home
Very effective looks vertical gardening at home. To decorate the façade with plants, it is necessary to fix on the surface of the wall a metal frame in which there is a plastic frame. It in turn is covered with a special felt with holes for planting. The thickness of the structure is a few centimeters, and the weight of a square meter is 30 kg. The whole construction is equipped with a special irrigation system through thin tubes and nutrients for growing plants without soil.
The main thing to remember is that when plants are planted, the susceptibility of plants to light must be taken into account. Shade-loving species should be planted below, and light-loving plants should be placed at the top of the composition. Very beautiful look at home, the walls of which are decorated with plants. To arrange a vertical garden on the wall of your house you can use ivy or decorative grapes. Growing up, they completely hide the wall and give the house mystery in the style of old England. You can also arrange a panel with drought-resistant plants (succulents). It will not only look stylish, but also very practical. This panel should not be made too large. It is better to arrange a live picture on the wall of a house measuring 1 by 1.5 m.
Another original idea is the arrangement of a vertical garden of strawberries. Plants must be planted in a pre-prepared structure, filled with soil. A little time will pass, the bushes will grow and they will have fragrant berries. This will not only be a bright and original decoration of the house, but also a great way to eat strawberry berries.
You can also purchase pendant pots and plant flowers such as petunias in them. They can be hung on the veranda or under the visor at the porch. It will decorate the house and give it a good mood.
Vertical landscaping in the apartment
Modern cities do not have enough green areas. Therefore, we aspire to place plants in apartments. They not only decorate the interior, but also purify the air in the room. To place pots with flowers on the windowsills is inconvenient, and if the house has children, it is also not safe. Arranging them on shelves and cabinets is also not the most convenient option. A good solution will be vertical landscaping. It does not take much space and will decorate the interior of any room. For apartment panels it is better to select plants with a good root system. Their stems should be short or curly for convenient location. It should also be noted that plants should not require constant watering. Experts recommend the following plants for living paintings in the apartment:
- climbing plants (hoya, filodendron ivy);
- decorative grapes;
- spathiphyllums.
These species are rather unpretentious and perfectly feel themselves in the room conditions. Due to the different coloring of the leaves, they will create a play of colors and bring a color accent to the design of the room. It is also necessary to provide an irrigation system and lighting. For watering, you can purchase ready-made systems that are sold in stores and placed behind a panel. There must be good access to it. For lighting it is better to choose fluorescent lights and preferably energy-saving. After all, in the cold season, the living wall should be lit about 12 hours a day.
Vertical landscaping with your own hands
Make vertical landscaping with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems. For example, in the kitchen you can arrange a beautiful and useful panel of spicy herbs or ornamental plants. To do this, you will need:
- gutters and plugs;
- brackets;
- expanded clay;
- priming.
Using brackets, we fix the gutters to the wall. The distance between them should not be too large. Then, in the resulting containers, we pour out the expanded clay and the soil on top of it. After that, you can plant seeds or already prepared plants. Watering such a garden must be carefully, avoiding overflow. To make the design less noticeable, it can be painted in the tone of the walls or decorated with a self-adhesive film.
On the plot, you can also apply vertical landscaping. This is important if there is not enough room for a full flower bed. In this case, we transfer it from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane. To do this, you will need:
- flowerpot;
- plastic mesh and wire;
- a film of black color;
- expanded clay;
- priming.
We turn the plastic grid into a cylinder and fix the edges with a wire, and its diameter should be less than the diameter of the pot. After that, install it in a pot and fix the film on the inside. In the resulting design we pour the expanded clay (for drainage) and top it off with soil. The foundation of our flowerbed is ready. Now you can take the flowers, and by making small holes in the film to land them in the ground. After a while, the flowers will grow and close all the elements of the flower bed, forming a living column.
Vertical landscaping in landscape design
Vertical landscaping is perfect for landscape design. It is able to turn even the smallest section into a beautiful park. To create vertical compositions, climbing plants, such as lianas, are most often used. They perfectly cover the surface and can stretch up to 25 m. With the help of plants, you can decorate not only the facades of buildings, but also create interesting elements. So for the zoning of the space between the rest area and the garden in the garden you can use garden screens with vines curling along them (grapes or wicker roses).
In addition, you can install a few light arches on the tracks and put bright clematis on them. Such an arch, drowning in flowers will be an excellent alternative to the usual flowerbed. And most importantly, thanks to these methods, there is a free space on the site. If there is a gazebo around the site, you can plant hops or sweet peas. Over time, they will expand and envelop the entire arbor with their whips. It is not only very beautiful, but also functional. In such a place it will be cool even on a hot day.
plants for gardening
The choice of plants for creating live compositions is very diverse. For these purposes, climbing plants are best suited. Plants suitable for vertical landscaping can be divided into three groups:
- Do not need support: ivy, girlish virgin. Suitable for large spaces.
- Plants that need support (wire, twine): various grapes, clematis. Excellent for decorating fences, arches.
- Lianas: hops, lemongrass - these plants need a stable support. They can decorate gazebos, decorative screens.
Hop It is not only a plant with a beautiful aroma, but also has decorative properties. Shishki gently green hanging down in clusters contrasts with dark green foliage. He is unpretentious, but it is necessary to limit his growth zone.
Amur grapes A beautiful plant forming a dense cap. By autumn, its leaves change color from green to purple. And in September and October, its blue black fruits ripen, hanging together with bunches of 20-25 cm long.
Clematis This is a fast growing liana with large flowers. In appearance they resemble stars. Clematis are suitable for decorating arbors, arches. They require good care and constant pruning. Therefore, beginners should be careful with them.
Ivy is a classic plant for vertical gardening. Most often they decorate the facades of houses. Perfectly curls. Very unpretentious.
flowers for vertical gardening
In addition to the design of architectural elements on the site, flowers are often used to create living walls or vertical flower beds. A number of ampel plants are suitable for these purposes. They are unpretentious and perfectly grow in small pots and containers for vertical gardening. These include:
Petunias drought-resistant species with a wide variety of colors. They have a delicate aroma. The flower is rather sprawling. In one pot you can plant up to three plants. At the same time they form a magnificent cap with many colors.
Nasturtiums perennial photophilous flowers. The plant blooms in bright orange or yellow flowers in a form reminiscent of gramophones. This plant likes watering. It is best to place them on the sunny side of the plot.
Fuchsia a very popular ornamental plant. Very unpretentious in the care and loves the light. He flowers with large flowers in a form reminiscent of a ballerina, for which he received the nickname "ballerina". This flower is great for planting in suspended flowerpots. They well decorate visors over the porch or verandas.
Begonia is very popular with the design of parks and gardens. It can be planted separately or in compositions. Begonia light-loving plant. It blooms in large colors, than it resembles roses. It is good to water the plant, they do not tolerate drought. The flowering period of begonias is from June to September.
This article describes the vertical gardening. Descriptions of decoration, both facades of buildings, and living rooms are described. Examples of landscape design and descriptions of plants most suitable for decorating space are given. Using the information of the article, you can create a unique composition on your site or in your apartment. Successful experiments.