15 Fabulous Vertical Gardening Ideas & Designs

Browsing vertical gardening ideas is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Whether you want ideas for hanging gardens, wall mounted planters, vertical containers, or vine supports, these fabulous DIY vertical garden designs will inspire you!

Vertical gardens are a popular trend right now, and I’m a huge advocate! Many people start growing vertically by adding a few trellises or stakes in their garden to support their vining plants.

But these days we can break the mold of traditional vertical gardens, and grow plants in fun and exciting ways! In this post, I share 15 of my favorite vertical gardening ideas to help inspire you.

The best part is that these aren’t just pretty pictures. All of these projects are from my new book Vertical Vegetables. So, if you love these vertical garden design ideas, then you can learn how to build each one step-by-step in the book!

15 Fabulous DIY Vertical Garden Ideas

There are tons of different ideas to choose from, and it’s fun to look at pictures to get inspiration for your garden.

Below, I’ve broken my vertical gardening ideas down into a few different sections, so you can easily find what you’re looking for.

First I share a few of my favorite hanging gardens, wall mounted planters, and living walls. Then I move on to inspiring ideas for DIY vertical planters, trellises, and vine supports.

Hanging Garden Ideas

Hanging gardens are a popular way to grow flowers and other ornamental plants, and they’re also a wonderful way to grow food. The best part about these hanging vertical garden ideas is that you don’t even need a yard!

You can display these projects hanging just about anywhere. And, not only will you be able to garden in places you never considered before, it will look amazing too.

1. Hanging Cone Planters

This vertical garden idea puts a fun spin on standard hanging baskets. I love how these adorable hanging cone planters move and twirl in the wind. The longer you make the twine, the more they will move.

They’re perfect for dangling under a deck or pergola, from the ceiling of a porch, or from the branches of large trees. You can use them for growing herbs, like I did here, or plant them with your favorite flowers. They also make fun DIY gifts!

2. Large Self-Standing Living Art

This gorgeous self-standing easel combines art and function to create a unique piece of living art that will look amazing in your garden. The best part is that, since it’s always growing, your living artwork will never stay the same for very long.

Place it at the entrance of a path or gate as a fun way to welcome guests into the garden. Or use it to liven up a boring corner of your patio or deck, creating an interesting conversation piece.

3. Antique Ladder Hanging Planter

Antique ladders are a popular trend for interior decorating, and I love the look. So I designed one to use as a hanging vertical planter.

This replica antique ladder is very easy to build, and inexpensive too. I filled the planters with colorful herbs, but you could use it for growing any small plants, like succulents, strawberries or salad greens instead.

Wall Mounted Planters

Living walls are a huge trend these days, and they look fantastic! But for most of us, building a substantial sized living wall isn’t an attainable goal.

Wall mounted planters are smaller, and much more practical for home gardeners. These vertical gardening ideas are fun, easy to make, and will add life and color to a boring blank wall or fence.

4. Upcycled Living Picture Frame

Picture frames are no longer just for displaying photos of our loved ones. Living picture frames have become a very popular trend these days, and this project is a great way to upcycle old frames.

Used photo frames are a dime-a-dozen at second hand stores and yard sales, and are very easy to find.

It’s common to see living picture frames planted with succulents. So, for something different, I planted mine with herbs and salad greens instead.

5. Simple Vertical Wall Pockets

Vertical wall pockets are a brilliant way to add life to a boring fence or blank wall, and they don’t have to be complicated to make. These charming vertical wall pockets are ideal for any small space.

They look darling hanging on a fence, or adorning the railing of a deck or balcony. I planted mine with colorful herbs, but you could use flowers or succulents instead, if you prefer.

6. DIY Living Vertical Wall

Living walls make gorgeous additions to the garden, and really open up your growing options. While dedicating an entire wall or fence to building a massive vertical wall garden would be awesome, it’s not practical for most people.

So, I came up with a scaled down version of a vertical living wall that anyone can build. This one can be mounted on an exterior wall or fence, and is perfect for growing small vegetables, succulents, herbs, or flowers.

Vertical Garden Planters

Take traditional container gardening to whole new heights by combining it with vertical gardening. The vertical gardening ideas in this section combine the two popular methods in exciting and creative ways.

One of the biggest benefits of using containers is that you don’t even need a traditional garden plot. You can put them in places you normally wouldn’t be able to grow anything, like on your deck, balcony, or patio.

7. Stacked Pots Tower Garden

If you’re like me, you have more garden pots collecting dust in the garage than you care to admit. What better way to put those extra planters to use than to create a stacked pot tower garden?

This stacked pot garden is easy to make, and super inexpensive when you use planters you already have. It looks fantastic standing on a deck or patio, on the front step, or anywhere in the garden.

8. Planter Box With Trellis

Raised planter boxes with a trellis like this one are perfect for adding height to any corner of your garden. Since the box in this design has a bottom, you could even install it on your patio or deck.

The built in trellis allows you to grow even more plants in this small self-contained garden. Put shorter plants, like salad greens, flowers, or peppers in the front, and train your favorite vining plants up the trellis.

9. Upcycled Utility Rack Planter

This project gives new life to a simple utility rack that I found at a local discount store, turning it into a vertical planter. A beverage cart or other decorative storage rack would also work great.

Since it’s so cute, you can place it right next to your front door, or use it to adorn a balcony or patio. Plant your upcycled utility rack garden with herbs and edible flowers like I did, or fill it with your favorite annuals.

10. Self-Standing Gutter Garden

Hanging gutter gardens are super popular these days, and I absolutely adore the idea. But the gutters become very heavy once they’re filled with plants and soil, and I don’t have a spot that’s sturdy enough to hang them.

So, I decided to come up with a fun vertical garden design idea for a self-standing gutter that doesn’t require hanging. This self-standing gutter garden is perfect for any area in your yard, and offers an impressive amount of growing space.

11. Strawberry Tower Garden

This simple project is a great way to use up leftover materials you probably have sitting in your garage. Place it in the garden, or use it to bring life to an empty corner on your patio or deck.

This adorable vertical garden idea is easy to make, and perfect for growing trailing plants. Mine is planted with strawberries, but you could use it for flowers if you prefer.

Trellises & Vine Supports

Vertical plant structures are great for supporting vines, and they are beautiful too. The vertical gardening ideas in this section are not only functional, they will add architecture and character to your garden.

Whether you want to grow vining flowers or vegetables, any of these structures will add a decorative touch to your garden that will make visitors stop and take notice.

12. Contemporary Obelisk

Obelisks are one of my favorite vertical structures. Not only are they great to use for supporting vining plants, they add a unique and decorative touch to the garden too.

Though I adore the look of a classic obelisk, I wanted to come up with a fresh vertical garden design for modern spaces. So for this project, I put my own, contemporary spin on the classic obelisk form.

13. Upcycled Garden Tool Fan Trellis

A fan trellis is a timeless and classic design that adds form and function to the garden. There’s a wide variety of materials that you could use to build your own, but what better material to use than old gardening tools?

This upcycled garden tool fan trellis puts a fun twist on a classic vertical garden design, and gives old rusty or broken tools new life. Not only would it be a cute addition to any garden, it’s a great conversation starter too.

14. Pipe Fan Trellis

If you’re looking for a versatile trellis, this one is great for using alongside the house, shed or fence, or anywhere in the garden. It’s the perfect size for small vining flowers or vegetables, and looks great too.

A pipe fan trellis may sound complicated, but this design is extremely easy to make. It’s also a very inexpensive project, which is fantastic if you’re on budget, or need to build several trellises for your garden.

15. Large Teepee Fort

Creating a special outdoor space for children is a wonderful way to get them interested in gardening. This large teepee fort is a fun place for kids to hide out and play.

It’s easy to build, and can be planted with a variety of climbers. Grow crops like pole beans or cucamelons on the teepee to get the kiddos excited about eating their veggies.

FAQs

In this section, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions, and give you even more vertical garden ideas. If you can’t find an answer to your question here, ask it in the comments below.

What plants can grow in a vertical garden?

There are tons of wonderful plants, both flowers and veggies, that you can grow in your vertical garden. Which ones you choose will depend on the type of structure you use, and the amount of space you have.

You can find out exactly how to choose the best vertical garden plants here to get plenty of ideas, and pick your favorites.

How do you build a vertical garden?

While most vertical gardens aren’t difficult to build, there are lots of aspects to think about before you create your own. Things like height, durability, strength, and your current garden style are all important considerations.

I don’t want to go into too much detail in this article, but you can learn all about building a vertical garden here.

What vegetables grow well in vertical gardens?

For tall trellises and other supports, you’ll need to grow vining vegetables, like cucumbers, squash, peas or grapes, for example.

If you use a container, hanging, or wall mounted planter, then you should choose veggies that work best with their size and depth. You can learn all you need to know about growing vegetables vertically in my book!

What is the best vertical garden system?

The best type of system really depends on the amount of space you have, what you want to grow, and your personal preference.

Learn all about the best types of systems & supports here to get ideas, and choose the ones you love the best.

There are tons of fantastic vertical gardening ideas that you could incorporate into any space you have. I hope that my vertical garden designs have inspired your creativity. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through by adding your own unique flare to your gardens.

More About Vertical Gardening

• The Amazing Benefits Of Vertical Gardening
• Vertical Garden Maintenance & Care Tips
• How To Train Vines To Grow Vertically
• Choosing Materials To Use For Vertical Gardening
• 13 DIY Cucumber Trellis Ideas For Small Or Large Spaces
• How To Make A Cattle Panel Trellis Arch

Which one of these vertical gardening ideas is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below.

Photos by Tracy Walsh Photography