30 DIY Vertical Garden Ideas to Show off Your Green Thumb
Here's how to make a vertical garden for any space, indoors or out.
If you're searching for some extra space in the garden—or in need of privacy outside of your home, going vertical is a wonderful option!
Regardless of your reason, it's worth exploring vertical gardening options that utilize upright growth habits (such as flowering vines) or container-loving plants to maximize your growing space. This technique works indoors or out!
You can add some sparkle to a plain kitchen, give bare indoors walls a touch of color with indoor plants, and add screening and texture to outdoor spaces. You also can grow a kitchen garden near your back door or make a dull exterior wall prettier. There's really no limit to what you can do when you're growing up!
Many different types of houseplants, annuals, perennials, and shrubs work well in a vertical space, so there are plenty of options on what plants you can use.
Adding window boxes, hanging pots, or a garden structure such as a trellis also provides additional exterior vertical growing space. And you can DIY many different kinds of planters with a few inexpensive craft or salvaged items to create your own one-of-a-kind vertical growing space.
So, get creative and read on to discover a few of our favorite vertical garden ideas for your home, indoors or out.
Find more ideas to upgrade your backyard:
• 22 Best Annual Flowers and Plants That'll Make Your Gardens Glow
• 38 DIY Chicken Coop Plans and Ideas, from Weekend Projects to Dream Coops
• 21 DIY Water Fountain Ideas That Will Spruce Up Your Garden
Make a DIY Colander Planter
Learn how to convert a colander into an adorable vertical hanging planter.
Get the tutorial for a colander planter.
Plant a Perennial Vine
Plant a perennial vine to grow up a garden structure or wall. Clinging vines, such as the climbing hydrangea shown here, won't damage mortar the way plants such as English ivy do.
Hanging Wall Planters
What's better than being able to snip off fresh herbs while you're cooking? This simple but elegant-looking hanging planter idea from Julie Blanner can dress up any bright window in your kitchen.
RELATED: Everything You Should Know Before Starting an Herb Garden
Salvaged Window Trellis
A salvaged window proves the perfect support for a climbing vine, such as star jasmine. Remove the glass panes and hang on a wall or rest on your potting shed work table.
RELATED: 8 Easy Tips for Creating Your Very Own Backyard She Shed
Hanging Garden Planter
If you have a spare hook or two on the porch, add a cheery hanging flower planter to a spot. Pick up hanging plant hooks at the hardware if you don't have hooks in your selected space.
Ladder Shelving
Here's a super-simple way to add height: Lean an old ladder against the wall and use it as tiered shelving for plants. This wouldn't be hard to DIY with landscape timbers.
RELATED: 23 DIY Pretty Flower Pot Ideas
Bamboo Trellis
Remember that vertical doesn't have to mean complicated.
Lash together several pieces of bamboo to create a rustic tuteur (aka, a freestanding trellis). Or get thrifty with long limbs salvaged from your yard. Then train annual vines such as morning glories or black-eyed Susan vines up it for a gorgeous focal point.
Succulent Wall Garden
Plant a wall garden with succulents or other shallow-rooted plants such as lettuce or herbs. Easy to set up wall garden container options are available online. They're incredibly fun and easy!
Read more: 17 Best Living Wall Planter Ideas to Add Life to Your Home
Vertical Garden Doorway
A weathered doorway gets a romantic touch with a winding archway soaring above its entry. Search for a local landscaping contractor to assist with installing your dreamy project.
RELATED: Upgrade Your Garden With a DIY Bean House This Spring
Upcycled Wooden Pallet
Reuse a wooden pallet by creating a wall unit for potted plants. You can attach it to a wall, or even lean two pallets together.
Privacy Trellis
Neighbor's patio too close to yours? Frame a sheet or two of lattice to create a mini-wall.
Then grow vines (such as grape vines) up to soften the look and provide additional screening. If you're not handy, a pre-made trellis works, too.
RELATED: 13 Best Privacy Trees for Your Backyard
DIY Succulent Vertical Garden
Landscape fabric and cactus potting mix are two of the secret ingredients in this easy DIY succulent garden tutorial from Jen Woodhouse. It would look lovely on a mantel, in a bedroom, or on the wall of a dining room.
Related: The Complete Guide to Growing Succulents
DIY Vertical Hanging Planter Garden
Bet you never thought you could turn $5 hanging planters into something this gorgeous! A flat-finish paint, some sturdy rope, and washi tape help get the job done.
Check out the tutorial from Paper + Stitch.
Vertical Shed Garden
Set up the perfect spot to create a pretty and functional gardening display. A gardening shed performs double duty—it's covered in easy to install half round planters with vibrant flowers and inside it holds precious garden wares.
RELATED: 12 Ways to Perk Up Your Garden Shed
Brass Ring Hanging Planter
This delicate DIY brass ring vertical planter is ideal for a single small succulent or air plant. Because it's so simple, it looks stunning when paired with other potted plants.
Find the instructions at A Beautiful Mess.
RELATED: 20 DIY Hanging Planters to Display Indoors or Outdoors
Recycled Pockets
Composed of non-toxic biodegradable material, planter pouches are super durable. Metal grommets make them easy to attach to a wall with screws.
Modern Kitchen Garden
Grow your herbs right where you need them—in your kitchen, of course! You can easily customize this indoor garden tutorial by purchasing pots that match your own decor.
Find the instructions at Inspired by Charm.
Pot Hangers
Pot hanger supports that clamp onto the backs of pots—practically disappear when screwed into a wall or fence.
RELATED: We Found 15 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25
Tin Can Fence Garden
It's true: spray paint is magical. Here, spray painted tin cans make for absolutely adorable, not to mention, extremely affordable, planters.
Find the tutorial at Ciera Design.
DIY Strawberry Tower
No space to garden? You can make a strawberry tower from inexpensive plastic piping.
Cut out tiny sections (because strawberries don't need much soil to thrive) and stand up the whole thing up in a weighted clay pot.
RELATED: How to Create Your Own DIY Hydroponic Garden at Home
4 Bad Lawn-Watering Habits to Break
11 Hard-to-Kill Garden Plants
11 Plants to Make Your Garden Feel More Cool
Plant a Red, White, and Blue Container
