Vertical Garden Update

So, a couple months ago, we posted on Vertical Gardens. Here's a little update on my (Kari's) project. We've had a lot of questions about this project, so I'll try to answer them here for those of you who are still interested.

This is a 4-panel piece (you can refer back to the original post here to see what the panels are). I built a frame out of wood scraps that I had around the house (don't look too closely at my mitered corners as I whipped this puppy up in about 10 minutes and I wasn't being too careful about the details!)

I love how this turned out! I am looking for more panels as I'd like to do another 4 panels in a frame, placing this on the fence staggered down a bit from the one that you are seeing in the photos. (I have no idea if that makes sense or not---I can't figure out a better way to write that---sorry!)

I bought the panels at my local Lowe's, but they have since sold out and I am kicking myself for not buying more when I had the chance! I'm finding it harder to find these now...but as soon as I find an inexpensive source for more of these, I'll spill the beans and let each of you know. In the meantime, if any of you out there find these panels for vertical garden planting, please let us know by leaving a comment. We'd so appreciate it!

Here's some info for you, based on emails and questions we've received about this project:

1. I definitely recommend using spaghnum moss to secure your plantings. At first, I left two panels without moss so I could compare. Moss is definitely helpful. Not all succulents have a fabulous root structure, so the moss helps hold everything in place when you are waiting for the vertical garden to take root. The moss also helps keep the moisture in.

2. Succulents can be expensive if you aren't patient about hunting for deals. Lowe's has some inexpensive succulents, as does Ikea. And, if you buy larger succulents in pots, you can often divide them three or four ways. The succulents that trail off the bottom of the frame (see photos above) were divided from one pot that cost $5.00. Also, after you've had succulents planted for awhile, you can take cuttings off of them and use those cuttings to start new plants.

3. To water the vertical garden, I use a spray nozzle on a hose and lightly spray it down. I wait for the soil to nearly completely dry out before watering. Also, the soil I used was cactus soil, not regular potting soil.

Now that I have tried this, I am excited to try some variations on this project. I love how my blah fence now has a piece of living art!

P.S. Sorry we have been MIA for over a month. Shame on us, but time sure is flying this spring! We'll show you some of what we've been working on in the next coupla weeks. Stay tuned!