Are you tired of that ho-hum view of your backyard? Sick of staring at your neighbor’s roofline? Pouting because there’s no planting space?
It’s time to grow up.
Vertical gardening can solve many kinds of landscape problems, according to Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet, co-authors of the brand-new “Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces” (Cool Springs Press). The two California landscape designers wrote the book to help gardeners visualize their gardens in new ways.
The book is filled with creative ideas for adding dimension to a garden, disguising an eyesore or taking a neglected part of the landscape and using the space in a new and exciting way.
Morrison says the biggest challenge in researching and writing the book was to dispel the notion that vertical growing is limited to creating living walls.
“Vertical gardening is not a giant succulent wall or a Woolly Pocket,” she says. “There are so many other ways to make vertical gardens interesting and fun.”
Fences are a good example of a yard’s wasted potential. Morrison says most people will cover a fence with a vine, transforming it from a brown fence into a green one. Her solution is to turn part of the fence into a focal-point wall. Instead of covering the fence with one kind of vine, mix in a range of vines and add exclamation points that draw attention to the garden. Exclamation points are tall evergreens that make a bold vertical statement, like the dwarf juniper Prairie Pillar (Juniperus virginiana).
Paint a bright trellis
Another way to brighten a dull spot in the garden is with an inexpensive wooden trellis and a can of paint.
Morrison recommends painting the trellis a bright color, like cobalt blue, then planting a vine with a complementary flower color, like orange clock vine (Thunbergia gregorii).
Many houses have narrow side yards that present their own landscaping challenges. These narrow planting areas should be viewed as an opportunity to add something new and unexpected to the garden.
Morrison turned her own narrow side garden into a beautiful spot she could admire from afar. She built a faux wall, painted it “grape riot” and hung porthole-shaped mirrors on it. Then she added a piece of artwork and a container garden to create a surprising element in a hidden space.
One of the secrets to making the most of a narrow planting space is to layer up instead of out. Gardeners can create a lush perennial border in a 4-foot-wide space by planting in three layers. The top layer consists of vase-shaped vines to provide a backdrop. The middle layer features plants with tall flower stalks, and the bottom layer is planted with shorter flowers, grasses and foliage plants.
“There are two important things to consider with the layered look,” Morrison says. “First, don’t depend on flowers, because they’re too short-lived. Second, remember that the middle layer is the most important one.”
Instead of choosing thick plants for the middle layer, she recommends plants that have a see-through quality to create an illusion of depth. One of her favorites is willow leaf sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius), a tall plant with masses of yellow flowers and willow-like leaves.
In “Garden Up!” the authors include beautiful images of vertical plantings of all shapes and sizes. Because they like before and after photos, they included special “Design Spotlights” to emphasize the impact a vertical garden can make.
For gardeners interested in creating living walls, Morrison says she favors planting in Woolly Pockets. These pocket-style planting systems are made of a breathable fabric that makes it easy to hang a garden on a wall or to cover the length of a fence.
“The trend is moving away from planting exotic succulent walls to planting natives or well-adapted perennials,” she says. “They’re great for edibles too.”
Read more of Jodi Torpey’s writing at .
Five Easy Species
Growing Up
There are many plants that like to sprawl, from honeysuckle to cherry tomatoes, and every one of them can be paired with an arbor or trellis to create a third dimension to your garden. Here are five easy species the authors of “Garden Up!” recommend for Zone 5.
1
American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis Emerald) is a slow-growing, compact evergreen that can function as a focal point or a vertical accent to lead the eye through the garden.
2
Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) is a tall, upright, ornamental grass that provides garden interest from late spring through winter because of its long-lasting flowers.
3
The fast-growing Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia durior) is an evergreen vine with heart-shaped leaves. It gets its name from the delightful purple and yellow flowers shaped like little smoking pipes.
4
A colorful vine ideal for small gardens is Gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba). The vine climbs to 6 feet tall with striking flowers in shades of yellow, orange and red. Gloriosa lilies are planted as bulbs, which can be dug up and overwintered in a cool indoor spot.
5
Hardy John Cabot climbing roses have fragrant, deep-red double flowers. The canes are sturdy enough to act as a trellis for a purple Jackmanii clematis to climb and twine around.
