How to transform a plain brick wall into a productive vegetable garden
If you are short on garden space, looking up might be your best strategy. Vertical gardening uses upright structures to create vital extra planting area, turning even the narrowest terraced garden into a bountiful, edible landscape of herbs, tomatoes, and climbing beans.
Vertical gardening is more than a space-saving trick; it is an exercise in microclimate management. According to RHS expert Alexandra Baulkwill, a south-facing wall can act as a heat reservoir, providing the warmth necessary for plants from hotter climates. The base of such a wall often creates a natural heat pocket, making it an ideal location for heat-loving crops like cucumbers and aubergines. Conversely, the shade cast by larger plants can provide a necessary cooling effect for less heat-tolerant varieties, such as parsley.
However, designing a vertical wall requires balancing aesthetics with practical accessibility. Baulkwill’s experiment involved a structure 2.4m high and 2m wide, using timber supports and galvanized expanded metal mesh. While placing longer-maturing crops like chilli peppers higher up can look striking, it presents challenges. High positions are more susceptible to drying winds, and reaching the top of a 2.4m structure may require a stepladder for watering and harvesting. To ensure a consistent yield, it is more effective to place 'cut-and-come-can' crops at a height where they can be easily reached with scissors.
The materials used can be both sustainable and decorative. Upcycled containers, such as silvered olive or plum-tomato tins, can be wired to the mesh to hold herbs and compact bush tomatoes. When building the framework, using 5 x 5cm timber battens to hold the mesh away from the wall is crucial, as it allows air to circulate. Regardless of the container used, ensuring there are drainage holes in the bottom is an essential step for plant health.
Source: Vertical Vegetables | Growing Vegies | Gardening Australia
