Once your paling fence is up, there’s little else to do with it. But here’s an idea: plant a vertical garden on your fence and make it a more visually interesting component of your yard.
The paling fence is a functional component of your property that isn’t normally thought of as adding to your property’s visual appeal. But what if you think of your fence as a blank canvas? Ah, now it becomes interesting and the possibilities are infinite!
One of the many ways you can make your paling fence pop is by fixing it up to accommodate a vertical garden. Like all gardens, a vertical garden adds visually pleasing elements to the structure and creates a focal point that draws in the viewer. So instead of scanning across a bare and boring urban structure, your eyes are drawn to a lush, verdant spot on your fence.
If you plan to maintain the garden yourself then it becomes an activity centre that helps you stay in shape and maintain your health. “Sitting is the new smoking,” according to new medical research. Tending to a garden is a very productive way for you to keep moving, keep the heart pumping and the blood circulating. And planting herbs, spices and veggies on your paling fence vertical garden is also a way for you to augment your diet with healthy greens. Just what the doctor ordered!
Planning Your Vertical Garden
As with all projects, it all starts with planning. Before you go out and buy the latest and the greatest vertical gardening accessories, take time to clarify what you want from your garden. Do you simply want foliage? Do you intend to produce a splash of colours when flowers bloom? Do you want your own herb and spice garden? What you want defines how you eventually set up your garden. Each option will have its own peculiar set of requirements.
Take stock of what you already have. Setting up a vertical garden is really just container gardening – with the containers stacked up on top of each other instead of spread out horizontally across the garden. Perhaps you already own some pots, cans and such that you can use for this purpose.
You can also get inventive and design a layered garden using gutters that will only require watering on one level!
Round out your materials. Buy the rest of what you need to transform your paling fence into an amazing vertical garden.
Getting Started
Now it’s time to put it all together. The first order of business is to fasten your plant containers onto the paling fence. You can fasten the pots and planters individually directly onto the fence; this especially works for the larger containers. Or you can fasten holders that can accommodate multiple small pots and containers.
Add in the soil or growth media, plant your seeds or seedlings, and your vertical garden is ready to grow and add an exciting and whole new dimension to your paling fence.
