Flat, horizontal gardening is so boring. Liven up your garden with vertical growth. The benefits of a vertical garden are plentiful, from greater visual interest to making use of otherwise unusable space.

Vertical Gardening Pros

Mary Ellen’s viewpoint: Vertical gardening goes against the norm, the usual way of doing things. So why should you plant up? Advantages of vertical gardening abound. Here are a few reasons you will want to start making use of vertical space in your garden:

Vertical gardening looks cool. One really simple reason to try vertical gardening is that it adds such great visual interest to a space. Whether you’re creating a green wall or simply growing vines up a trellis, a vertical garden adds a new element to your patio, yard, or even indoor space.

Unleash your creativity. Sure, you can get creative arranging plants in beds, but add another layer of creativity as you figure out how to grow up. There are plenty of ideas online for vertical planters, wall planters, trellises, and other unique ways to grow vertically. Use these for inspiration and come up with your own solutions.

Grow more in a small space. The most practical of all the advantages of vertical gardening is that it allows you to grow more in a space that is limited. If you have a small yard or garden but want to grow more flowers, herbs, or even vegetables, utilize vertical space. Even the smallest spaces, like a balcony, can be maximized with vertical growing.

Everything is easier in a vertical garden. Your vertical garden, once you get it started, will be the easiest part of your garden to maintain. You will have minimal weeds, if any, to pull out, and you won’t have to bend or crouch to access your plants, to water them, or to harvest them.

Vertical gardens provide cover and privacy. If you use a trellis or fence, or even create a wall for your vertical garden, you can use it to hide something unsightly, like that big AC unit behind the house. You can also use vertical growing to fill in open spaces and create a privacy shield for your yard, patio, or balcony.

Grow healthier plants. Keeping plants up in the vertical space increases airflow and keeps them healthier. Being above the soil may also protect your plants from soil-borne pests and diseases, like fungal and bacterial infections.

Cons of Vertical Gardening

Vertical gardening pros are not limited to those listed here. There are many more reasons to grow up and not just out. Find the reasons most important to you and then run with it and enjoy your new, multi-dimensional garden.