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Some avid gardeners don’t have large yards or indoor spaces to grow their ideal garden. Because of this, many innovative and creative gardeners have started to grow vertically. This unique design has taken the industry by storm, and many people are hopping on board because it offers an array of different benefits. Here are some advantages you’re able to obtain while growing vertically with gutters.
Benefits of growing vertically:
- It saves space. You no longer have to worry about ground space.
- Good for the environment. More room for gardening equals environmental benefits.
- Efficient water usage. Vertical gardening combined with a drip irrigation system will ensure not a drop of water is wasted.
- Reduced levels of pests. It’s harder for bugs to reach the plants as they’re placed vertically and in hard-to-reach locations.
- Easy to manage. It Increases accessibility as you won’t need to bend over to inspect or perform maintenance on them.
As you’re able to see from the above, there is an abundance of different benefits you’re able to gain while growing vertically in gutters. Because of the sheer amount of advantages you can achieve from growing this way, I’ve decided to write a complete guide on the topic, so you’re able to implement this today.
Below we discuss the entire A to Z of vertical gutter gardening, what it is, how to build it, what plants you can grow, and many other benefits to encourage you to implement this creative gardening technique.
Vertical gardening with rain gutters
Now you’ve read the brief intro above. You’re probably excited, and ready to start getting involved with vertical gardening. To develop a vertical garden, a popular and inexpensive way of achieving this is with guttering.
What is gutter gardening?
Before we get into the process of building a vertical gutter garden, I thought it would be best to describe what it generally is.
A gutter garden is crafted from a rain gutter which is designed to hold plants or vegetables on a wall. The reason guttering works so perfectly is because of its “U” shape design.
If implemented correctly, with the right plants, this gardening solution can look phenomenal. It’s also rather diverse as you’ll be able to create a gutter garden, either indoors or outside.
Not convinced? See the below reasons why you should start a gutter garden:
- Use it to hide an unpleasant view – If you have a dirty wall or a view into your neighbor’s messy garden, you’re able to use gutter gardening to obstruct the view.
- Ideal for growing herbs in a kitchen – As you’re not restricted by space, you can hang these in your kitchen to have easily accessible herbs.
- Looks aesthetically pleasing – Potted plants look great but also generic. Spice up your garden by growing vertically.
If the above hasn’t got you excited about creating a vertical gutter garden, I honestly don’t know what will. For those who are ready to take the plunge into this growing technique, read below.
How to build a vertical gutter garden
I love the idea of a gutter garden because it requires minimal DIY knowledge, and it’s also extremely inexpensive. But, before we get into how to build your dreamy vertical gutter garden, here are the materials you’re going to need (the below materials are for a simple 2-step, 10-foot gutter garden).
Materials needed for a gutter garden:
- 2x 10-foot aluminum or plastic guttering.
- 4x end caps for the above guttering (2 x left, 2 x right).
- 6x screws and plugs (depending on your application, to hang your guttering on wood, 6x wood screws, for masonry materials, you’ll want plugs or concrete specific screws).
- *if you’re going to hang your gutter on masonry, a drill bit suitable for the plugs.
- 1x small tube of putty.
- 1x bag of potting soil and/or compost.
- 1x Power drill and small metal drill bit.
As you’re able to see, there are minimal requirements when it comes to creating a vertical gutter garden. On average, you should be able to pick all these materials up for around $30 to $40.
Now you’ve got the materials, let’s start building your vertical garden:
- First, you need to find your ideal location for your 10-foot guttering. This could either be on a fence, brick wall or indoors, etc.
- Now you’ve found an appropriate location, you can now hang your guttering. When screwing, you should make sure that your guttering is slightly out of line. By doing this, it enhances the drainage capabilities.
- Once you’ve done this and successfully hanged your guttering, you can now drill drainage holes.
- Next, You can secure the end caps to the guttering with putty.
- Lastly, you can add your potting soil and/or compost, along with your plants.
Building a vertical garden with guttering is really that inexpensive and straightforward. Without a doubt, it’s a unique idea, but it doesn’t require much forward-thinking to execute correctly.
What vegetables can you grow in gutters?
Now you’ve successfully built your vertical garden, it’s time to start adding vegetables into your soil. But, it’s only recommended to grow some vegetables in a vertical garden because it’s such a small growing area. Below we suggest some vegetables that you’re able to grow in your vertical gutter garden.
Depending on the guttering size you opted-in for, you should consider the following:
- 4-5” Guttering – Lettuce, radishes, basil, coriander, chives, and various other salad greens.
- 6” Guttering – All of the above, bush beans, onions, Asian green, garlic, peas, mint, thyme.
Although the growing area of a gutter garden is pretty small, you can generally grow quite a lot within them.
What plants can you grow in gutters?
For those that don’t want to grow vegetables in their vertical gutter garden, I’ve created a list of plants that you can grow in them. Some plants require a lot of space to grow, so the below have been carefully selected as “small pot” growing plants.
The above list is just a tiny minority of plants you’re able to grow inside of these small hangable containers. But, from the list, you should understand the species that allow for these types of living conditions.
10 Benefits of growing vertically with gutters
If you’re still not convinced about vertical gardening with gutters, the below benefits may encourage you differently. With this type of gardening, there are many remarkable advantages that both you and our planet can receive. To find out more, read the below.
1.Saves space
Many gardener’s dream of big, luscious outdoor spaces filled with wildlife, but this is pretty hard to obtain in most cases. Because of the small gardens most of us have, many creative individuals have developed innovative ideas to expand their growing space. In particular, this idea is vertical gutter gardening.
Instead of your traditional floor-standing plants, you’re able to grow on walls. Space is obviously one of the key benefits this style of gardening offers. But it can also make unsettling and boring views rather unique.
2.Good for the environment
It goes without saying because you’re able to increase your arsenal of plants and vegetables, the environment also reeks some immense benefits. This gardening technique is also known for its water efficiency.
This is because the hanged gutters can feed each other. If you strategically locate them above one another, the excess water will drain into the guttering naturally. From doing this, you’re ensuring that rainwater isn’t a wasted resource, resulting in you using less water when you’re gardening.
Don’t get me wrong, you may need to top them up with water in the summer, but they should be fine for the majority of the rainy season.
3.Grow more plants
If you’re a passionate gardener, you probably haven’t got any more room for plants. By opting in for a vertical garden, you’re massively increasing your growing possibilities. Being provided this, it can offer an array of different benefits.
Gardeners love the environment and adore being outside, so being able to grow more plants or vegetables, increases our time spent doing something we enjoy. Because of this, you can receive immense mental and health benefits.
4.Reduce levels of pests
Because the plants or vegetables are raised, many pests cannot reach them. This ultimately reduces the possibilities of your wildlife becoming infected or disease-ridden by pests. Remember, pests love ground-based plants because they’re easily accessible. If you take the accessibility away, you’ll find that you’ll encounter a lot fewer pests than you usually would.
5.Simple management
Another benefit of developing a vertical garden is that they’re much easier to manage than regular floor plants. If you’re someone with a bad back or just can’t kneel down anymore, this is a perfect solution.
Because the vertical guttering is placed at an above-leg height, this entirely removes you from the situation of having to bend over or crouch down constantly. Because of this reason, many people prefer vertical gardens, and especially the boomer generation.
6.Physical and mental health
It’s evident that gardening doesn’t just benefit the environment, as it also enhances our well-being. If gardening is your happy place, a hobby that you enjoy doing as it clears your mind, then adding more plants to your collection will only benefit you more.
Apart from offering a place to collect your thoughts and step away from reality, it also gives hobbyists great physical benefits. Gardening is great for your muscles, bones, and brain as it usually entails work that requires the whole body to communicate with each other. This can dramatically boost specific characteristics like your coordination, memory, and much more.
7.It’s unique
Next, it’s incredibly different and something not many gardeners implement into their yard. However, it’s a massive opportunity lost as you’re able to make these look spectacular. By constructing a vertical garden with gutters, you can grow in non-traditional spaces that not many people venture to.
By doing this, your garden will look good to the eye, and you’ll “wow” every guest that you invite into your yard. Without a doubt, I believe it’s something everyone should implement, with the right plants, you can make this look remarkable.
If you’re going to invest in this type of gardening, you should consider looking around for plants that’ll suit your décor, as you’ll be amazed what you can come up with.
8.Easier to harvest
If you’re using your vertical garden for growing vegetables, you can expect an easier harvesting season. As mentioned above, the likelihood of a vertical garden being above leg height is exceptionally high. Because of this, many gardeners believe that harvesting is much easier because they don’t have to crouch down.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean only the harvest season will be beneficial for you. If you’re someone looking to build a vertical garden for plants, maintenance work will be relatively easy and less hard-wearing on your back or knees.
9.Cleaner crops
Lastly, you can make much cleaner crops, and why don’t you want that? This is because they won’t have any water splashing soil into them, pests like cats laying a mess on them, or other plants stealing their valuable nutrients. Because of this, your vegetables will actually grow more significantly and at a much faster rate. This means you’ll spend less time weeding, spraying, feeding, and watering your vegetables because they’re able to get more nutrients from their soil.
10.More aesthetically pleasing
Lastly, they look fantastic. If you can implement this correctly and flawlessly, you can create something that looks stunning. Undoubtedly, some vertical gardens made from guttering can look messy, but they can be visually pleasing if you’re able to produce the appropriate plants within them.
As you’re able to see from the above, there is an abundance of different benefits you’re able to reek when making a vertical garden with gutters.
Conclusion
After reading the above, you’re probably well and truly excited to start developing your vertical garden with guttering. This widely available material is the perfect solution for creating something like this, and more people are slowly becoming aware of it.
From reading the construction process and benefits, you can clearly see that you get more out of this gardening solution than what you put in.
What should you do now? Take the plunge, and invest in the future of your garden today with vertical gardening.
