Vertical bed on the wall. The best options for vertical beds and flower beds in the country house and garden

Today I suggest you make one of the wonders of the world - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in miniature. This comic, but very intriguing name for hanging beds will certainly interest those summer residents who save every millimeter of free space and try to use it with maximum benefit. So, let's get started quickly, because I feel that many people are already itching with impatience.

Necessary materials for hanging beds
- PVC drainage gutter 3 m long (cut into three equal parts)
- PVC drain plugs in the amount of 6 pcs.
- Steel cable 3 mm - 2 pcs.
- Steel arc - 6 pcs. according to the size of the holes in the clamps
- Galvanized hook - 2 pcs.
- Material that allows moisture to pass through, but at the same time retains the soil (geotextile, fine mesh, etc.)

Tool for the job ahead
- Screwdriver and drill with drills and bits
- Ordinary hand saw
- Roulette
- Corner
- Level
- Marker

The process of making beds

1. Determine the center of the gutter and use a marker to draw a line. If this is not done, then later the beds will not hang evenly.

2. On the sides of the gutters, it is necessary to mark and drill holes into which the cable will be inserted. In order for the gutters to be firmly attached, the holes must be made with a 3-point or slightly larger drill.

3. Between the side holes for the cable, drill drainage holes with the same drill in the center.

Assembling hanging beds

1. Determine permanent residence for the beds. The ideal place for them is where there will be a lot of sun. If you have a gazebo, then feel free to hang the beds on its sunny side.

3. Now we lay material at the bottom of the beds that allows moisture to pass through.

4. We hang the gutters on cables, which in turn are secured to hooks.

The shortage of space is forcing owners of suburban plots to switch from free-flowing horizontal gardening to more compact vertical gardening. Calculate the advantages and disadvantages of the new method of farming, find out what vertical beds are and materials for decorating them with your own hands. Learn to make containers for vegetables and strawberries from bags, old tires, plastic pipes and construction mesh. Choose a style for your new vegetable garden and enjoy an early, healthy harvest.

Pros and cons of vertical beds

The idea of ​​arranging a vegetable garden or greenhouse in a vertical direction is associated primarily with the need to save usable space. Magazines about home gardening tease new crops that can be planted on the plot: loofah pumpkin, Romanesco cabbage, strawberry spinach.

An original bookcase made from thick bamboo stumps

Breeders tirelessly promote more resistant and productive varieties of the usual radishes, onions, and cucumbers to the north. And if you want to try to grow all this and put it into culinary business, a vertical garden becomes an urgent necessity.

Not a single berry is lost

What benefits will a gardener get from the vertical planting method?

Unusual beds, located in tiers above each other, increase the area of ​​the site by 2-5 times and have a number of valuable qualities:

1. Ease of maintenance. Working with a bent back and lowered head is harmful for the elderly, as well as for people suffering from myopia, radiculitis, hernia, hypertension, and for pregnant housewives. A convenient vertical bed is built at waist level, so caring for it in terms of its impact on health differs little from ordinary kitchen chores.
2. Mobility. Economical beds can be designed in such a way that they can be moved to another location. In case of frost, hail, strong wind and you can simply put them under the roof for the winter.
3. Purity. Plants in vertical plantings do not come into contact with the ground, so they can avoid damage by certain pathogens (tobacco mosaic virus, gray mold spores), and pests (slugs). The same factor reduces the frequency and intensity of chemical treatments of crops.
4. Rapid soil warming. Its small volume, and even raised above the ground, allows you to begin cultivating crops in open ground sometimes a month earlier. The degree of heating can be adjusted by painting the containers white or dark.

Fantastic landscape of a modern garden

In addition to providing utilitarian benefits, a vertical garden can also serve aesthetic purposes. Beautiful pyramid beds, plantings in bags or hanging nets – what’s not the highlight of trendy landscape design?

What problems of unusual plantings should you think about in advance?

Some advantages of a vertical garden turn into disadvantages when viewed from a different angle. Thus, a small volume of soil not only warms up quickly in the spring, but freezes just as quickly in the winter, which precludes this method of cultivating perennials in the temperate zone and above. The list of crops that grow freely in such beds is quite large, but consists mainly of annuals with a compact root system and small fruits:

• greens (dill, onions, basil, salads);
• beans and other legumes;
• cucumbers and tomatoes;
• strawberries

Design reminiscent of a Mexican cult pyramid

The latter crop, as well as other perennials (tarragon, sorrel, lingonberries), are cultivated on vertical ridges, if it is possible to move the racks to a frost-free room during the cold season or dismantle and cover them.

Isolation from the main soil layer forces the plantings to be fed more often. At the design stage, the question of how to water vertical beds will definitely come up: from above - through special holes or using drip irrigation. Earth in small containers dries out quickly, and therefore it is recommended to mix it with vermiculite or hydrogel, which quickly absorb and gradually release moisture.

Varieties of vertical beds

The technical solution of vertical beds for a specific site depends on the crops that are planned to be planted on them, the allocated area, climate zone, material capabilities and imagination of the owner.

Typically, these beds are made from long flower boxes and large pots. Wide possibilities are provided by the use of used tires and PET bottles, remnants of gabion mesh, scraps of pipes and boards. The only condition for the use of such materials is the aesthetics with which they fit into the existing ensemble of country houses.

The main thing is to provide access to the plants of the upper tier

Multi-tiered beds as a type of vertical garden

The simplest solution for saving space and making it easier to care for plantings is to arrange the beds in tiers. You can lay them with your own hands at any point personal plot, including near the house, since the unusual appearance makes tiered beds similar to flower beds. They look great on the sides of stairs, decorate dull shed walls and fences, and unexpectedly “play” along the turns of garden paths.

Multi-level structures allow you to take into account differences in plant needs. For example, the simplest two-tier bed provides the crops on the upper floor (peppers, tomatoes or cucumbers) with warmer soil and plenty of sun, while the inhabitants of the lower floor (beets, carrots, cabbage) will receive more moisture and light shading.

The materials for constructing tiered beds are boxes, boards, slate, border strips, and bricks. A designer three-tier bed can be made from an old chest of drawers by pulling out its drawers to different depths. If it is possible to provide strong support, plants can be planted in scraps of PVC pipes. The least labor-intensive option is to place five-liter plastic bottles filled with fertile soil on shelves.

Multi-tiered beds for growing strawberries and wild strawberries are especially popular. The fruits in them do not touch the soil, are not contaminated and are not infected with gray rot. The ground underneath does not need to be mulched. This method is ideal for closed ground and southern regions, where plants do without shelter in winter.

Pyramid garden beds

A type of multi-tiered vegetable gardens are pyramid beds. They do not require additional support, allow for 6-7 floors with free access to each, save maximum landing space, and represent an independent and at the same time very effective element of landscape design.

The easiest way to build a pyramidal bed for strawberries and other crops is with your own hands from several worn-out tires of different diameters. If possible, it is better to select imported winter tires: they are more flexible to process. The larger the bottom tire is, the higher the entire structure can become.

Inferior to rubber in durability, but superior to it in terms of maintaining an acceptable soil temperature, boards are the best material for arranging pyramid beds for strawberries in the southern regions. In the absence of lingering dampness and after preventative impregnation with an antiseptic, the tree will last for ten years.

The amplitude of strawberry mustaches allows you to create spectacular cascading beds reminiscent of green waterfalls. Foliage and young rosettes seem to flow from step to step, creating a very attractive garden-flower bed.

If you have a sufficient number of flower pots of the same type, you can make a narrow decorative bed in a cascade. To do this, 4-5 pots are strung on a steel reinforcing rod, after which soil is poured into them.

Neat hanging beds

The main advantage of suspended structures is the ability to place them at any convenient height and remove them for the winter. An elementary solution is to plant vegetables in the same pots that are usually used for petunia and pelargonium. They are available in the form of pots and boxes and have their own fastenings. If you have the materials and the skills to work with them, you can make completely unique hanging beds with your own hands.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Depending on the quality of the support (a wall of a house or garage, a fence, a special rack), containers of different volumes and weights can be hung. These can be drinking water bottles, jute and polymer bags, tires. The details of plastic drainage systems and thick sewer pipes look aesthetically pleasing.

And no one will say that this is also a vegetable garden

Small bright bags with two or three strawberry bushes can be hung in the garden anywhere: on trees, on the crossbar of a swing, on porch posts. At the end of the fruiting season, the same bags are suitable for placing hanging plants. Watch a video on how to use ready-made hanging bags in the garden.

Video: Bed for strawberries “Berry Season”

Making vertical beds with your own hands

With the existing variety of ready-made hanging and multi-tiered structures for arranging a vegetable garden, making vertical beds with your own hands is much more profitable. This allows you to compare the dimensions of the products and the corners of the site intended for them, as well as to dispose of unclaimed but still usable scraps of materials.

Some of these materials, such as tires or PET bottles, are not even used in garden tool factories. To make exclusive garden decorations out of them, you need very little time and skill.

Vegetable garden on the wall made of plastic beer crates

Mobile bed made from a bag and a barrel

To save maximum space, vertical garden beds can be quickly made from a ready-made bag, either natural (jute, kenaf) or polyethylene. In this case, the main thing is to estimate the final weight of the product along with the soil and plants. A heavy potato sack will have to be placed on the ground, giving it a stable position. Lighter ones can be hung on fences or specially placed supports, for which each container must be equipped with a loop.

Both productive and decorative

If you need to get a set of bags of a certain size, you can make them yourself using the following technology:

• cut out a rectangle twice as long as the expected size of the bag; the recommended width of the part is 30 cm (including seam allowances - 34 cm), then the resulting bag will have a diameter of 20 cm;
• sew the side seams, then turn them inside out and sew them again - you get a strong double seam; if the bag is polyethylene, fasten the edges of the parts with a special soldering iron or iron through paper;
• fold and hem the top edge twice (for woven materials);
• sew a strong loop;
• fill the bag with nutrient soil;
• Make cuts along the length of the bag to accommodate the seedlings.

Strawberry vertical beds can be made larger, not 20, but 40 cm in diameter. Their height is limited only by how convenient it will be to reach the top edge of the bag with your hand.

Soft bags have disadvantages: polyethylene will last a maximum of two seasons, the burlap will gradually begin to decay from dampness. Therefore, vertical beds for cucumbers that require constant high level humidity, it is better to make it from a more durable material, for example, a metal or plastic barrel.

Long-lasting tire pyramid

Car enthusiasts periodically face the problem of disposing of “bald” tires. If you collect tires of different diameters, you can quickly assemble tiered beds from them, which will replace half of the garden. The operating procedure is as follows:

1. Rinse the tires with strong water pressure from a hose, dry them in the breeze and cut off the upper sidewall of each one. This can be done with a knife or jigsaw, remembering to wet the blade with a solution of laundry soap.
2. If desired, the tires can be painted in one color or with an ornament: the entire outer side, the inner side - a third of the depth. Any oil, acrylic and enamel paint can be applied to degreased rubber.
3. Place the largest tire in the designated place. Line the bottom with geofabric to prevent weeds and mole crickets. Pour 5-7 cm of crushed stone drainage, above that - fertile soil.
4. Place the second one in the center of the first tire and repeat all operations except for placing the geofabric. Round beds for cucumbers and other vegetables are ready.

A little more, and the nondescript surface will be covered with greenery

If you can’t find tires of different sizes, you can build a pyramid of identical ones, but then you’ll have to cut a sufficient number of holes on the side for planting plants.

Gray tires, especially worn ones, are not very decorative, so it is good to use them to make a cascading vertical bed for strawberries, the tendrils of which will quickly hide rubber that is alien to the garden.

Decorated with a pattern and berries

Miracle garden made of plastic pipes

Making beds from PVC pipes is more labor-intensive than from tires or bags, but they have several advantages:

• durability, especially if these are pipes for laying external sewerage;
• aesthetics;
• possibility of summing up drip irrigation.

Vegetable rack made of white PVC pipes - elegant and practical

Structurally, vertical plastic beds are divided into two types. The first involves installing a base on which pipes are laid horizontally in several levels. This installation can be easily rotated, protecting it from the scorching sun or, conversely, adding light to the leaves. At the end of the growing season, it can be easily disassembled and stored.

Collapsible vegetarium made from brown sewer pipes

The second type includes vertical beds made of plastic pipes for strawberries. They are made as follows:

1. Prepare the required number of pipes of two sizes: external ones must have a diameter of at least 11 cm, internal ones - for drip irrigation - about 2 cm. Internal pipes can be made not only of PVC, but also of rubber or polyethylene (hoses).
2. In thick pipes, at a distance of 15 cm from each other, drill large holes of such a size that plants and soil do not fall out of them. In thin pipes it is necessary to make as many narrow holes as possible. To prepare them, a small drill (for rubber pipes) or even a shoe awl (for PVC pipes) is suitable.
3. Close the lower ends of thin pipes with plugs made of moisture-resistant material. Wrap the pipes along their entire length with any agrofibre that allows water to pass through - this will prevent it from getting into the soil.
4. Dig the main pipes into the ground to a depth of about half a meter and fill their lower part with gravel drainage. Insert thin pipes into the main ones in the center and fill the space between their walls with earth and compact them.
5. Top the structure with a container of water, for example, a plastic two-liter bottle. First cut off the bottom so that it is convenient to add water without removing the bottle from the pipe.

Invisible beds made of metal mesh

If you have leftover chain link, you can DIY compact, well-heated and fairly mobile containers for growing vegetables in your garden. The mesh is rolled into a roll, the recommended diameter of which is 80-90 cm. The edges are secured with knitting wire, and the structure is secured to the ground with metal pins.

Finished vertical beds made of mesh are lined along the edges with straw, which will prevent the soil from falling out. The central part is covered with fertile soil, in which, for example, potato tubers are planted. Original cucumber beds can be obtained by placing a tire on the bottom of the container: the roots will be warm under the protection of rubber, and the vines will rise along the mesh.

Hybrid of gabion and potato field

Gardeners offer various examples of vertical beds made from plaster, construction, and gabion meshes. All of them are quite durable, especially the plastic ones. It is advisable to coat metal products with an anti-corrosion compound.

Each tomato bush has a separate “apartment”

Hanging gardens made from plastic bottles

Plants with a compact root system can fit quite comfortably in two-liter PET bottles. A hanging bed made from a plastic bottle is prepared as follows:

• wash, remove the label;
• cut in half;
• The upper part, with the neck, is turned over, filled with earth and inserted into the lower one.

Bottle pot for vertical placement

The resulting vertical beds for greenery are suspended on a support using wire. It’s even easier to place the whole bottle horizontally, make a cutout in the upper part for the plant, and drill drainage holes at the bottom.

Bottle vertical beds can be arranged with your own hands even in an apartment, for example, on a warm, sunny loggia. To do this, they need to be selected according to tone, partially covered with colored drainage sand and fixed to the wall as inconspicuously as possible.

Vertical vegetable growing is gaining popularity not only among owners of tiny six hundred square meters. Owners of large plots also try to remove the vegetable garden from sight, put it in an unusual shape, or simply reduce the area of ​​potato and strawberry plots without damaging the harvest.

The vacated area can be sown with a lawn, a children's playground or an elegant barbecue area. Spending no more than half an hour a day caring for vertical plantings, the summer resident understands that his estate is an area of ​​truly pleasant relaxation.

When there is not enough land on a plot of land, but you want your own vegetables and herbs, housewives use the third dimension - height. Its parameters are not limited, and you can create even five-story structures for growing garden crops. It was because of the shortage of land that a smart person once invented vertical beds. True, at first they were designed exclusively for flowers and were used by townspeople on balconies and loggias. But the idea was quickly picked up by savvy summer residents, realizing that vegetables could also grow in such structures. In addition, the unusual appearance of the beds adds piquancy to the landscape and attracts the attention of neighbors and people passing by. Let's try to figure out what ways you can quickly and easily create a vertical bed, and what crops get along in such conditions.

Creating vertical beds with your own hands is not difficult, but you must understand what conditions await plants in such structures.

Positive points:

• For housewives, vertical structures are a great way to relieve stress on your hands and back, because weeds will not grow in containers (they simply won’t have enough space there).
• Due to the lack of contact with the soil, plants will be less likely to suffer from fungal infections, which means that fewer chemical treatments will be needed.
• During periods of frost or hurricanes, many vertical beds can be temporarily moved to an outbuilding, thereby preserving the future harvest.
• Using containers, you can decorate an unsightly fence or barn wall, thereby improving the aesthetics of the area.
• Saving space: if you move part of the garden to vertical beds, you will have room for arranging a recreation area or flower beds.

Disadvantages of a vertical garden:

• In containers, the root system of plants is limited in nutrition, since it contains a small volume of soil. Therefore, fertilizing with this method of cultivation is carried out more often.
• The soil dries out faster, so water the plants often, and if you are only at the dacha on weekends, then create a drip irrigation system. It is recommended to dilute the soil with hydrogel, which retains moisture longer than soil.
• Perennial crops with this method of cultivation can freeze in harsh winters. Therefore, they create mobile structures to hide the garden bed in the outbuilding for the winter.

When caring for a vertical bed, housewives do not need to pull out weeds and fight pests, because due to the lack of contact with the soil, there are much fewer of them

The darker the material of the containers for vertical beds, the faster it dries out in the sun, which means frequent watering is required.

Options for creating vertical beds for different crops

During the existence of the idea of ​​vertical beds, summer residents have invented a lot of interesting designs, many of which require the simplest consumables.

Method #1 – growing in containers

The most accessible method for summer residents is fixing containers on a support. They are bought ready-made in stores or made from boards. Or you can even collect empty plastic bottles to create vertical beds and make containers from them. If bottles are used, then close the neck with a cork, and cut out an oval hole about 5 cm in length on top, nail the containers in an artistic manner to a wall or fence, fill them with soil and plant the seedlings.

All options with containers do not provide for drip irrigation, so adding hydrogel to the soil is a prerequisite for a comfortable life for plants.

An old chest of drawers can become an excellent container if its drawers are pulled out to different levels, and the white color reduces the heating of the wood

Method #2 - vertically placed pipes

When creating vertical beds for growing strawberries, they most often build a structure from barrels or plastic pipes that will last for several seasons. Let's look at how such a “hostel” for strawberries is created.

When creating a vertical bed for strawberries, it is important to consider drip irrigation, because during the ripening period the berries require a lot of moisture

Work progress:

1. To create one vertical structure you will need two plastic pipes of the same length and different diameters. One is thin, for creating drip irrigation, the second is the thickest you can find.
2. Using a drill, we drill many holes in a thin pipe through which water will flow into the ground. Leave the lower part (about 10 cm) intact.
3. In a thick pipe we mark future holes for seedlings in a checkerboard pattern. Usually they are arranged in three rows: a central one and two side ones (the back wall will be attached to the support). There is no need to make holes at the bottom (10 cm).
4. We drill holes using a drill with an attachment and a chisel. The diameter of each is about 5 cm (taking into account the thickness of the pipe).
5. We place a plug on the wide pipe from below and attach the workpiece to a support (fence, wall, mesh, etc.).
6. To protect it from soil, we wrap it in burlap or non-woven material and wrap it with twine.
7. We wrap the lower end of the pipe with tape or rubber so that water does not escape from the structure.
8. We insert the thin pipe into the thick one, hold it so that the inner one is exactly in the center, and fill the inner space up to the first holes with gravel or expanded clay.
9. Mix ready-made or home-made soil with hydrogel and crushed polystyrene foam. Styrofoam balls will prevent the soil from compacting and will provide free air access.
10. We plant prepared seedlings, the roots of which should preferably be dipped in clay and manure mash to better retain moisture.
11. Fill the inner pipe with water.

In the conditions of the northern regions, you can make similar beds in the form of free-standing posts, connecting three or four pipes into one frame. Then for the winter you can put the bed in the shed so as not to freeze the roots.

Having installed such a vertical bed from plastic pipes secured by a house, you can always move the structure to another place or hide it for the winter

Method #3 – pocket garden

A very profitable idea is to create a pocket vegetable garden, i.e. a vertical bed that resembles a piece of fabric with many pockets. This technology was invented by agronomists and demonstrated at one of the exhibitions. The material for creating pockets is thin foil insulation. Due to its shiny surface, it reflects the sun's rays and does not overheat the soil, and on cold days the polystyrene layer will additionally retain heat, warming the roots. Such vertical beds are suitable for cucumbers, beans, herbs and strawberries.

Technology for creating a “pocket garden”:

1. We buy double-length insulation. That is, if you want to create a bed 2 meters high, then you need to take 4 meters of material.
2. Fold the insulation in half and sew a horizontal line at a distance of 5-7 cm from the top. This drawstring will be needed to hang the bed.
3. Next, we stitch all the edges and bottom of the insulation, creating something like a bag. There is no need to stitch the top 5-7 cm along the edges.
4. We draw the surface into rectangles from which we will create pockets. It is advisable to make no more than 3 pockets per meter of insulation so that more soil can be placed in them.
5. We sew all the markings.
6. In each resulting rectangle, we cut a hole at the top, leaving 3-4 cm from the seam. It is advisable to cut not in a straight line, but in a semicircle, so that you get a kind of valve on top. When watering, water will flow through it into the pocket.
7. When all the pockets have been cut, hang the bed on a support. To do this, insert a plastic tube with twine inside into the upper drawstring.
8. From the outside we tie the twine into a knot, making a loop. We hang the entire structure from the support.
9. We fill each pocket with nutritious soil mixed with hydrogel.
10. We spill the soil with water and plant seeds or seedlings.

The mobility of the fabric bed allows you to place it on any support, even at the entrance to your own dacha, fixing it to the doors using several hooks

The pockets in the insulated bed should not be too small, otherwise the plants will lack nutrition and dry out quickly

Not only cucumbers and strawberries grow well in foil pockets, but also indoor flowers, which can be taken outside in summer

If you water vertical beds on time, you can achieve not only a good harvest, but also lush vegetation that will decorate your site.

Even in small garden plots you can grow a considerable harvest. For these purposes, build vertical beds with your own hands from any materials at hand - wooden boxes, plastic pipes, flower pots, cinder blocks, plastic barrels, etc. If you wish, you can even plant many types of plants in this way on the balcony.

What is a vertical bed?

Initially, vertical beds were conceived by landscape designers as a way of landscaping and decorating limited spaces - terraces, loggias and balconies. This idea quickly appealed to many gardeners and gardeners. After all, with this growing method you can significantly save precious space on your site.

In essence, a vertical bed is containers placed or suspended on a vertical frame with soil poured into them. Such a structure can be mounted on poles, fences, walls of houses, or made in the form of free-standing structures.

But this growing option is only suitable for crops whose roots are not too branched and do not go deep into the ground. After all, the more developed their root system is, the more soil you will need to pour into such beds.

Read also: How to make and decorate beautiful garden beds with your own hands: simple, tall, smart. For flowers and vegetables. Original ideas (80+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews

Advantages and Disadvantages

Vertical beds have many advantages. We list only the main ones:

• original design: with their help you can decorate any vertical surfaces with greenery, from fences to house walls
• significant space savings: on 1-2 square meters, experienced gardeners are able to grow significant yields of the most different types crops
• ease of care: When placing plants on multi-tiered racks, you will no longer have to bend over backwards when loosening and weeding them, because a significant part of the bed will be at the level of your chest
• absence of fungal diseases caused by excess moisture
• restricting access to many types of pests and rodents
• mobile beds can be easily moved if desired from place to place or temporarily removed indoors during the onset of returning cold weather

The most serious disadvantage Vertical structures require frequent watering. In the soil, most of the moisture is in the lower layers. Therefore, even with a lack of watering, plants have the opportunity to use it. Evaporation rising from the ground is also a serious help for them.

The amount of moisture in vertical beds is limited. Plus, soil raised above the ground is dried faster by the wind. Therefore, it will have to be watered much more often (in hot weather, a couple of times a day).

This problem can be solved by using special drip irrigation systems.. In this case, moisture will be periodically supplied to the roots of the plants without your participation. You can also use hydrogel - a special type of polymer that can absorb large amounts of moisture and gradually release it to plants. It is added to the soil used for planting.

One more nuance will need to be taken into account. Due to the small volume of soil, the plants will have to be constantly fed with fertilizers. Otherwise, with an undeveloped root system, the planted crops will begin to wither.

Plus, when planting beds vertically, it is impossible to grow perennial crops with a developed root system. After all, for these purposes it would be necessary to fill up too much soil. You can plant any kind of greens, cucumbers, low-growing tomatoes, strawberries, strawberries and some types of flowers with small roots in them. Although some gardeners manage to grow even potatoes in vertical beds.

Read also: Do-it-yourself drip irrigation device in a greenhouse: from a barrel, a plastic bottle, or even an automatic system. For tomatoes and other crops (Photo & Video)+Reviews

Planting petunia

Another significant disadvantage of vertical beds is soil freezing. For annual crops, this is not a problem - after all, they simply will not survive until winter. Containers with perennial plants will have to be removed and insulated annually. They are placed on the surface of the ground in places protected from the wind and covered with spruce branches or covering material. Don't forget that early spring the covers must be removed, otherwise they will be locked up.

For the winter, the plants can be moved to a dry basement or vegetable store. However, the temperature in them should not exceed 5-7 C. At normal room temperature, it will not be possible to provide plants with a period of winter dormancy.

When hanging vertical beds from wood and plaster surfaces, you should leave a small space between them for ventilation. Otherwise, at the point of contact, the fence or wall will quickly begin to rot.

Types of vertical beds

They can be made from any waste or scrap materials. But to make such beds look impressive, try to match the color and texture of the containers with the overall design style of the site.

There are many ideas for vertical beds. To create them you can use:

• PVC pipes
• containers made of metal mesh
• cinder blocks
• plastic barrels with holes made in which plants will be planted
• flower pots
• boxes assembled from wooden boards or plywood; Vertical beds can be made from this material in the form of shelves or original pyramids; In such structures, large ornamental plants are placed in the lower, widest part, and small ornamental plants are placed at the very top.
• car tires of different sizes
• old pallets
• ready-made plastic or wooden boxes or boxes from old furniture
• canvas or synthetic bags (for example, flour or sugar bags)
• large plastic bags or bottles

You can simply buy special bags up to 2 m long with pre-prepared holes for vertical beds. They are intended mainly for planting strawberries, but they can also be used for other types of plants.

Vertical structures can be made either one-sided (when attached to vertical surfaces) or double-sided. In the latter case, plants that do not require a lot of light are planted on the shady side.

It is better not to use metal containers for filling soil. In hot weather, they will quickly heat up in the sun, burning the plants. At night, on the contrary, the metal will cool greatly.

Bed made of PVC pipes

How to make a vertical bed like this? To create it you will need two types of pipes. The first of them, sewer pipes, intended for backfilling soil, must have a larger diameter (from 150 mm). Since the height of the beds should be equal to the height of an adult, they are cut to 2 m. Structures of greater length are undesirable - after all, caring for plants in them will be inconvenient.

Since it is unrealistic to shed the soil well when watering in such a long container, a narrower perforated pipe is inserted inside the wide pipe. For ease of watering, it should protrude 10-15 cm above the main pipe. It is into it that water will be poured. To protect the holes from clogging with soil, it is wrapped with thick fabric (burlap or synthetic non-woven material), which is secured with rope. To prevent water from stagnating in the lower part of the bed, the end of the pipe is plugged with a stopper or covered with tape. To protect against wind-blown debris, a cap is also installed on top of the structure.

Perforated holes of larger diameter (up to 15 cm) are also located along the entire length of the wide pipe. Plants will be planted in them. You should not make holes too often - the optimal distance between them is 20-25 cm.

To protect against silting, small stones are placed in the lower part. Next, fertile soil is laid into the structure. Garden crops are planted in such beds so that the stems have an inclination angle of 40 degrees.

All that remains is to attach the structure to any vertical support - a frame made of wooden beams or channels, a pole or a fence. Caring for planted plants consists of periodic loosening, weeding and regular watering. Fertilizer diluted in water is also poured into the pipe intended for irrigation.

It is better to plant perennial crops in such a pipe on three sides, without affecting the fourth. In this case, in the fall it can be laid on the ground, and covered with grass mulch, spruce branches or spunboard, protected from winter frosts.

Shallow vertical beds for greenery can also be made from pipes cut horizontally. They are hung on ropes or placed on shelves.

Beds made of burlap or large plastic bags

Such products can be mounted on any vertical structures - walls or fences. The principle of making vertical beds from bags is similar to the previous one. They are hung by making holes in them in advance and inserting a pipe inside for irrigation, or they are placed horizontally on shelves.

Each of these materials has its own advantages. Natural jute bags They perfectly allow moisture and air to pass through, so the plant roots will “breathe” in them. Plastic bags will allow you to better retain precious moisture, and the beds will have to be watered a little less often. But do not forget to fill the bottom of such plastic containers with drainage made of small pebbles or broken bricks, otherwise the roots of the plants will rot.

The optimal diameter of the beds is 20 cm. To create a structure of greater height, bags made of burlap or synthetic fabric will need to be sewn together. For ease of hanging, a durable handle made of the same fabric is attached to the top. To plant seedlings, small cuts are made along the entire length of the bag every 15-20 cm.

Improvised small flower pot pockets sewn from burlap suspended on a vertical surface look original. In this case, soil consumption will be less.

Vertical gardening with pots

It’s even easier to build such a vertical bed. It only requires a wooden or metal frame on which the flower pots will be placed. You can use both clay and plastic containers.

Pots of different sizes can also be placed on an improvised pyramid. The largest pots are placed on the bottom shelf, and containers with small plants or herbs are placed at the top. In order not to accidentally knock down the flowerpots, it is better to additionally attach them to the frame with ropes or strong wire. Watering is carried out in the usual way - the soil in each of the pots is watered with a watering can.

To create vertical gardening, you can also prepare a metal post-frame with a thick wire welded to it, bent into a ring. Pots with planted crops will be inserted into such rings.

You can also get a vertical pyramid from pots of different sizes in another way. They are simply placed on top of each other - a smaller pot is placed on the largest pot, and the next one is placed on it. The smallest pot is placed at the top of the pyramid. A variety of plants are planted in the space remaining between them. Such a pyramid looks most successful when decorated with climbing annuals - petunias, sweet peas, gloxinia, bell-shaped grapes, etc.

An example of a vertical bed made from flowerpots

An interesting design can be obtained by arranging the flower pots in any order and at different angles.

Another example of decorative design

To do this, a strong pole is dug into the ground, which will serve as a frame. Flower pots are attached to it using wire at different angles. The option in which plastic containers are “strung” on a pole looks interesting.. In this case, you will need to make holes in their bottoms.

Pyramid made from old tires

The principle of its assembly is similar to creating vertical beds from flower pots. Tires of different sizes, from the largest to the smallest, filled with fertile soil, are placed on top of each other. Seedlings are planted in the resulting gap. You can make several holes for it in the rubber itself. To do this, use a chisel.

Since rubber can reliably store heat, a pyramid bed made from tires can be used for planting cabbage seedlings or growing early greens. After the first harvest, a structure made of rubber wheels is used for planting plants with a short growing season - radishes, dill, coriander (cilantro), parsley, lettuce.

Green beds made of wooden boards

The board structure can have any shape. It can be made in the form of a ladder with drawer steps, a shelf or a pyramid. Any gardener can assemble such a bed.

To make pyramids, they are taken on four support boards and the upper corners are cut off. In these places the boards will lean against the central support post. It is more convenient to determine the length of the shelf boards after the main frame has been assembled.

The finished structure is transferred to a permanent place, soil is poured between the boards, which is compacted tightly.

Construction from old pallets (pallets)

To create a vertical bed for strawberries, flowers or herbs, just install the tray vertically, attach it to a reliable support in the form of a wall or pillars dug into the ground. Since the holes between the boards in the pallets are too large, and the soil will constantly spill out of them, it is better to attach a metal mesh, burlap with holes cut in it, or lay a layer of straw on the inside of each pallet.

The pallet can simply be leaned against a vertical support, for reliability, screwing the upper part with bolts or screws, thus obtaining an inclined bed.

Beds made of construction mesh

The main advantage of such structures is the creation of structures of any size, including large ones. You can grow any type of plant in them, including those with impressive roots, for example,

Mesh construction

You can make a vertical bed from a mesh in a short time. It is bent into the shape of a pipe with a diameter of about 0.9-1.0 m and filled with fertile soil. To protect the soil from weeds, the sides of the container are first filled with straw. For ease of watering, it is better to place a perforated plastic pipe in the center.

Plants are planted simultaneously with filling the soil. That is, we place potato seeds or seedlings of greens, tomatoes, peppers at the same level, add a layer of soil on top (for potatoes at least 0.5 m, tomatoes 0.3-0.35 m, for greens this distance can be much less), we plant the plants again.

Such improvised tall pots are placed in random order on the site. Since containers with soil will have considerable weight, filling it and planting plants is done on site.

Construction from plastic boxes

Plastic bottle boxes turned on their sides and stacked on top of each other can also become an impromptu vertical bed. To prevent such a “wall” from accidentally collapsing, the boxes must not only be tied together, but also attached to a support - a wall or fence posts.

Soil is first poured into each of the boxes. To prevent it from spilling out and being blown away by the wind, the top of each of them is covered with geotextile or burlap. Then the boxes are turned over on their side and placed on top of each other in the desired sequence, for example, like a ladder or in the form of a solid wall. Since the holes for bottles in the boxes are small, only some types of low-growing flowers or greens can be planted in them.

When planting plants in small containers, be sure to use a hydrogel that can retain moisture for a long time. Otherwise, the soil in them will dry out in the sun within several hours.

Strawberries in a barrel

Holes are made on the sides of the structure for planting plants.. The distance between them depends on the type of crops planted. It is also necessary to prepare several holes in the bottom of the barrel to drain excess water.

Drainage made from small stones, gravel or broken bricks is poured into the bottom of the barrel. Just as in previous cases, seedlings are planted simultaneously with filling with soil. It is better to place climbing crops (for example, cucumbers) only in the upper part of the barrel.

When planting perennial crops in such a container, transferring it for the winter will be problematic. It's better to do the following. Before the first frost sets in, make a cylinder from a metal mesh larger than the barrel itself and install it on top of the structure. Next, the gap between the barrel and the cylinder is filled with dry insulation (leaves, grass, straw). The top of the structure is wrapped with covering material. But still, during severe frosts, the plants in it may suffer.

When planting in large bags or barrels, holes are placed in a checkerboard pattern on their sides every 25 cm. To ensure that the plants have enough light, no more than 3 bags or barrels are allowed to be placed on each square meter of land.

Initially, architects began to plant vertical surfaces and used this method to create green recreation areas in the limited space of balconies and terraces.

The idea was so good that it was quickly borrowed by gardeners and farmers, because the height of the site is not limited in any way, which makes it possible to increase the usable space.

Nowadays, vertical beds are widely used by landscape designers, as they fit any created style.

In fact, any gardener can create such beauty on his own site. This does not require a lot of effort, skills or financial investment. And with a little ingenuity and imagination, you will create real Hanging Gardens of Babylon on your site.

A vertical bed has its advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

• ease of care. To plant, process and harvest, you do not need to bend down to the ground, all plants are at an accessible level
• plant leaves do not come into contact with the ground, therefore they are protected from fungal diseases
• saving useful site space
• when the temperature fluctuates sharply, such beds can be easily moved to the utility room
• the opportunity to decorate not only the landscape, but also the walls of buildings, fences, gazebos
• absence of weeds and pests in the soil

Flaws:

• Due to the small volumes of soil in vertical beds, nutrition of the root system is limited, so it is necessary to feed it with mineral fertilizers
• Perennial crops may not tolerate severe frosts; they should be brought indoors for the winter
• the soil dries out quickly, more frequent watering is required

Vertical bed made from pallets or pallets

For the garden bed, choose whole pallets that are not affected by rot and mold. Pay attention to the factory markings. Typically, to extend their service life, wood on pallets undergoes chemical or heat treatment.

For growing ornamental plants Both options are suitable, but for the beds from which you will harvest, use only thermally treated pallets. Be sure to check them for nails and knots.

To create a bed you will need: a pallet, non-woven covering material (agrofibre), burlap, thick fabric, soil, seedlings.

Let's get started:

1. Clean and treat the pallet with paint or a compound for exterior use.
2. cover the back side with a double layer of agrofibre, burlap or fabric
3. we plant plants starting from the bottom row
4. compact the soil tightly and fill all free space
5. We water the finished bed and leave it in a horizontal position for a month for better root germination and soil consolidation.
6. hang the bed on the wall, fence, crossbar, you can lean it against the wall

Advice: You can make pockets from agrofibre for each row of the bed. And although it will take a little longer, the soil consumption will be much less.

Idea: Pallets can become the basis for vertical flower beds and herb plantings. Paint them with bright paint, attach existing containers (flower pots or containers, buckets, painted tin cans, linen bags) and plant plants there.

Green beds made from plastic boxes

This idea of ​​plastic bottle boxes is perfect for small plants, flowers, salads, and herbs. With the help of such a vertical bed, you will not only fill the table with tasty and vitamin-rich food, but you will also be able to create cozy relaxation areas.

Vertical bed of flower pots

Using ceramic or plastic pots different sizes you can make a very simple, but very beautiful garden bed. Everything is simple here: the structure is installed according to the pyramid principle.

Fill the pot with the largest diameter with soil, and place a pot of smaller diameter on top. So we install all the pots sequentially. You can make several tiers, depending on the number of pots.

From pots of the same diameter, you can make an original bed using a metal rod with a diameter slightly smaller than the hole at the bottom of the pot. Place the first pot on the ground and drive part of the rod into the ground through the hole for stability.

Fill the pot with soil, and then string each pot onto a rod and move them in different directions. The bed is ready, all that remains is to water it and plant the plants.

Vertical bed made of construction mesh

This bed is ideal for growing flowers, herbs, vegetables and even potatoes or mushrooms.

• the construction mesh must be rolled up in the shape of a pipe with a diameter of 80 - 90 cm.
• We lay a layer of straw along the outer edge and a layer of compost inside.
• We fill the soil in layers of 10 cm, plant seeds or tubers of plants in each layer and water them abundantly.

Instead of straw, you can use polyethylene or burlap. This garden bed looks impressive, takes up little space, is mobile and easy to maintain.

Vertical bed-bag

The bag bed can be placed both vertically and horizontally. Give preference to a bag made of natural material, since artificial fibers will collapse under the influence of moisture and sun without lasting even one season. Make a hanging loop on top, fill it with soil and secure it in place.

Make holes in the bag and plant seedlings or tubers in them.

By the way, you don’t have to hang the bag, but install it in a sunny area of ​​the garden or yard. The main thing is to take care of the stability or fastening of your bed.

By analogy with a bag bed, you can build mini beds from a wooden, metal or plastic barrel.

Vertical mini beds made from plastic bottles

One of the most inexpensive options, as waste is used.

Place the bottle with a screwed cap horizontally and cut off the top part, using a knife to make several holes on the opposite side. It turned out to be a wonderful planting container. Having made the required number of containers in this way, assemble them with a rope into one system, as described in the previous version.

By planting low-growing, bright flowers in such a vertical flower bed, you can create entire compositions, flowering walls, and also divide your yard into zones with colorful hedges.

Bed made of plastic pipes

Plastic pipes are affordable and easy to work with. For the beds you will need plastic pipes small and large in diameter, at least 11cm, and possibly larger.

From cinder blocks

The height and dimensions of your bed in this case depend only on the number of blocks and free space on the site. All you have to do is show your architectural skills to build a stable structure oriented to the south.

This way your plants will receive maximum light and warmth. Try to immediately choose the most illuminated, heated and protected from the wind place for the garden bed, because moving it to another place will be quite troublesome.