It's Spring! Add Color to Your Deck with a Vertical Garden by Merri Cvetan

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this post, free of charge,from the author and Home Depot,  for blog posting purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Today's guest post is perfect for small space gardening, growing herbs outside a back door, or allowing for a festival holiday display, all year long!

When the weather is warm, there are three things that everyone can appreciate: green grass, gardening and flowers. Big flower gardens are beautiful and impressive, but they also take a lot of work and are very time consuming. As a result, container gardening continues to grow in popularity. It’s perfect for small yards, condo and apartment living or any location where you don’t have the opportunity to dig in the ground and plant. If your home or rental unit has a deck, you probably don’t want tons of planters and pots to take up valuable floor space. When that’s the case, think vertically! 

Instead of arranging containers on the deck itself, hang them on a trellis. Here’s how to create a compact vertical garden for your deck in two simple steps. 

Step One: Prepare Your Trellis

I purchased a basic wood diamond trellis that was 2 x 8 feet. It was also available in a 4 x 8 model, but I chose the narrower once, since I was working at a condo with limited deck and yard space. I ended up cutting off 3 feet off the longer side, since a 5-foot section was easier to manage and the homeowner could reach the top more easily. 

If you’re DIY-savvy, you can also build your own custom trellis to fit your space. To avoid the trellis blowing over in the wind, attach it to the exterior of the house with screws and hooks.

Step Two: Hang Containers and Pots

I used S-hooks to hang metal pots on the trellis. For a less expensive alternative to hanging containers, use small pots with handles. If you come across a planter you really like sans handles, simply drill a hole on one side to accommodate the hook.

If your pots don’t have drainage holes, be sure to add a few inches of stones or rocks to the bottom before adding soil and planting your flowers so the plants aren’t sitting in too much water. Even if your containers have plenty of drainage, the stones add weight to the pots for added stability in wind and rain. 

A vertical garden on your deck gives you unlimited decorating possibilities. You can mix up the size and style of your containers and flowers whenever you like. Change and rearrange them every year, or update them with new blooms during the growing season. If you’re hosting a Fourth of July party on your deck, try red, white and blue containers or flowers. 

There are no rules for your vertical garden—just have fun!

About the Author:

Merri Cvetan is an interior designer who is very crafty. She loves to share step-by-step tips for fun DIY projects, like this vertical garden. If you are thinking of making your own vertical garden, check out the wood decking boards and lattice selection at The Home Depot.