Providing Proper Support for Wall Plants

Walls are useful for more than just holding up the roof, or providing shade in the outdoor sun. In fact, you can actually use them to also help grow some plants. However if you are thinking of doing that, you need to make sure that you are providing proper support for wall plants. If you don't, you can easily find your plants (or even the wall itself) getting damaged. Here are a few methods that you can use to ensure that your plants have the proper amount of support.

• Trellises. One of the more traditional methods for providing proper support for wall plants is to attach some trellises to the wall. This will give you plenty of locations that you can use to latch vines, and other creeping vines and similar plants to. This particular method is extremely easy to use, and also helps prevent damage to many kinds of walls. Just make sure that you securely fasten the trellis to the wall, or the weight of the plants can end up pulling the trellis from the wall. When attaching the plants to the trellis, make sure that you use either string or gardening wire.
• Hanging plants. If you are willing to use your roof, or are willing to install a few support arms to the wall, you can also use a hanging pot. This is another traditional method for increasing growing space, though you will want to pay particular attention to where the hook or support arm is attached. Make sure that the arm is firmly attached to a stud or similar anchor point. If not, don't be surprised if the hook gets ripped out of the wall.
• Create a hanging garden. A newer option or method for combining walls and plants is to create what is known as a hanging garden. Materials such as burlap or even weed barrier cloth can be used to create pockets which can hold soil and plants. These pockets can be arranged so that you can have several rows and columns of plants, dramatically increasing the amount of space you have to work with when gardening. Care needs to be taken to ensure that you have mounted the cloth properly, while also ensuring that the cloth doesn't rip or you can lose all your plants.
• Start from the ground. Another option that you could use to provide support for wall plants is to place a few stakes or rods into the ground right next to the wall. If you like, you can also attach these rods the wall as well. While not as extensive or expansive as trellises, these rods would give you plenty of support for things like tomatoes or beans. Additionally, you can use this method to provide support for climbing plants like wisteria.

There are plenty of other methods that you can use to provide proper support for wall plants than what is listed here. In fact, about the only real limitations that are in place are things like physics and your imagination. Have fun!