Selecting suitable plants for a vertical garden can be challenging. There are several factors to consider, such as sunlight, water requirements, soil type and overwintering. This can complicate the process of choosing the right plants for a vertical garden.
In addition, of course, you want a vertical garden that you love or can eat from. Inthis plant guide, we'll help you choose plants for your own vertical garden.
1. The consequences of choosing the wrong plants
When you choose the wrong plants for your vertical garden, it can affect the growth and survival of the plants. With choice of wrong plants they can grow worse, get sick or even die. This is obviously a shame because you obviously want to have a beautiful and vibrant vertical garden.The right choice of plants is therefore very important.
Consequences of wrong plant choice
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Plant dries out
It may be that your plants in your vertical garden dry out. The wrong soil, not enough watering or too much sun for the plant cannot absorb the right amount of moisture and it dries out. -
Plant drowns
In addition to dehydration, plants can also drown. This can happen because the plant gets too much water, the soil holds too much moisture or too much rain falls on the plants and cannot drain properly. -
Plant does not grow well
Improper conditions can cause a plant to grow poorly. This can be due to wrong type of soil, too much or too little sunlight, too much or too little water. -
Plant dies in winter
In the Netherlands & Belgium we can sometimes face harsh winters. Not all plants survive this. If you choose an outdoor vertical garden, choose plants that can overwinter. The best is if they also remain evergreen, then you can still enjoy your vertical garden in winter!
So, quite a lot can go wrong with a plant, but when you take into account the circumstances and choose the right plants, you ensure optimal conditions for the plant and it can stay healthy and alive.
2. The ultimate guide to selecting plants for your vertical garden
Choosing plants for your vertical garden is perhaps the most enjoyable step in setting up your vertical garden. As discussed earlier, it is important to choose plants to suit the conditions of your vertical garden. There are some basic elements to consider. We briefly explain them for you below.
Sun & shade
Does your plant need a lot of sun or does it do better in partial shade or shadow? Look carefully at the location where you want to place your vertical garden.
Will the plants there get sun all day, part of the day or no sun at all? Take this into account when choosing plants and look carefully at the needs of the plants.
You may choose plants with different needs for shade and sun. This doesn't have to be a problem. For example, you can place plants with more need for shade under large plants that are in the sun. That way they get less sun than the plants above them.
Conversely, of course, the same thing. With a vertical garden, plants may end up hanging over each other. If you want to be sure that a plant gets sun, make sure that it stays above other plants. For example, by placing it above a hanging plant or trimming plants.
Watering
Some plants need more water than others. When putting together the plants for a vertical garden look carefully at a plant's water needs. It is easy to place plants with similar water needs in the same container.
You can often control the water supply for each planter. For example, with manual refilling or with an automated watering system. With a water system, you can make sure that each plant or planter has its own dripper. This way you can easily adjust the water supply to the needs of the plant.
Soil type
What type of soil you use can make a difference to a plant. In garden centers today, you'll see a variety of types of potting soil specifically for: cacti, roses, herbs or orchids. It's all there.
These types of potting soil are tailored to a plant's needs. In particular, the acidity and material of the soil is then important. However, it does not make a big difference to a plant. So you can do just fine with universal potting soil.
However, the soil type can be very important for the drainage in your vertical garden. There are types of soil that retain a lot or a little moisture. Soil types with coconut fiber retain a lot of moisture. Airy cactus potting soil, for example, holds less.
Consider the needs of your plant and whether it is necessary to purchase special potting soil for it. At JungleScape, we have put together an ideal soil mix for good water drainage, sufficient nutrients and water absorption. Read all about the perfect potting soil mix for vertical gardens.
Overwintering
If you are placing your vertical garden outside, then it is important to know if the plants you want to choose are hardy or not. If you want the plants to survive the winter later, make sure they are hardy. Because climates can vary by country and region, the USDA has created a categorization of plant winter hardiness.
Each region worldwide is classified with this categorization. The Netherlands is particularly in zones 7 and 8. Curious about the winter hardiness of your region? Check out the classification of regions in winter hardiness of the Netherlands and Belgium on Plantmaps.com.
You don't necessarily have to place only hardy plants in the outdoor vertical garden. For example, you can choose to grow annual herb plants in your vertical garden in spring and summer. However, it is a waste to keep houseplants outside in your vertical garden. These may do well outside in the summer, but will not survive the winter.
This is different from evergreens. Evergreen means that plants keep their leaves even in winter. Is a plant hardy, but not evergreen? Then the plant loses its leaves in winter and often returns them in spring.
Function
When choosing plants for your vertical garden, it is important to determine for yourself what function it should serve. Is your vertical garden for helping you grow vegetables or herbs? Or is it important to you that it look especially aesthetically pleasing? This gives other options in your selection of plants. Even if you go for aesthetic, you can go for greenery, flowers or a mix.
3. Ornamental plants for an outdoor vertical garden
A vertical garden has many advantages. One of the best advantages is that above all, a vertical garden is simply very beautiful. The best ways to decorate your outdoor vertical garden is to go for ornamental plants. Plants that are not edible, but mostly beautiful to the eye.
You can arrange your vertical garden in different ways. For example, you can go for a jungle look with ferns, grasses and climbing plants. Or make your vertical garden bee- and butterfly-friendly by adding flowering plants. Can't decide? You can always go for a mass.
Outdoor ferns
Many ferns provide green foliage year-round. With the serrated texture to the leaves, ferns give a wild look to your vertical garden. If you're going for a "jungle" look outside, ferns can't be missing.
- Double-leaf fern (Blechnum spicant)
- Iron fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)
- Nesting fern (Asplenium nidus)
- Sole fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
- Femur fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Flowers
Grasses
Grasses add beauty to your vertical garden all year round. The blades often go in all directions and therefore give a full appearance in your vertical garden. You can choose grasses in one color or multiple colors. There are many types of grasses grown, we have made a selection for beautiful grasses in a vertical garden.
- Lily grass
- Rye (Carex)
- Fescue
4. Kitchen garden plants for an edible outdoor vertical garden
Are you looking for edible plants for your vertical garden? We have made a selection of all suitable vegetable garden plants for vertical gardens. So you can create your own vertical vegetable garden at home with the right plants. We have divided them into herbs, vegetables and fruits.
Herbs outdoors
Are you going to grow herbs for your vertical garden? Then the most important thing is to choose herbs that you like and actually use it. Don't like cilantro? Then it's a waste to add it to the selection for your herb garden.
Herb plants can be annuals or perennials. A vertical garden is also great for growing annual herbs. In that case, pay attention to the time of year when you put the plants in. If you plant them in the spring, you can enjoy them for a long time. But in the fall they will die quickly due to less sun and colder weather.
You can also grow herb plants indoors in a vertical garden. For example, you can make a vertical garden in your kitchen with different plants. While cooking, you have the herb plants within easy reach. The important thing is that they do get enough sunlight indoors.
- Basil
- Basil (thai)
- Chives
- Lemon balm
- Dill
- Coriander
- Lavender
- Marjoram
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Stevia
- Wheatgrass
- Thyme
Vegetables
Growing food at home in your vertical garden.
- Beans
- Cucumber (small)
- Garlic
- Onion (small)
- Peppers (small)
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Mustard plant
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Tomatoes
Fruit
Much fruit grows on trees or large shrubs. For this, unfortunately, vertical gardens are less suitable. However, there are some plants that do well in a vertical garden.
5. Plants for an indoor vertical garden
A vertical garden with live plants not only looks beautiful indoors, it can also purify the air and provide extra oxygen. When choosing indoor vertical garden, look carefully at the light requirements of the plant. If you place the vertical garden in a corner, the plants may not get enough light and may not do well.
Ferns
- Curly fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
- Rabbit leg fern ( Davallia fejeensis)
- Nest fern ( Asplenium nidus)
- Medusa (Nephrolepis obliterata)
Philodendron
- Philodendron scandens
- Philodendron brazil
- Philodendron imperial red
- Philodendron verrucosum
Hanging plants
- Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus)
- Sleeping beauty ( Soleirolia solerolii)
Herbs indoors
Similar to an outdoor vertical garden, you can also grow fresh herbs indoors in a vertical garden. The advantage when you grow them indoors is that you can access them even easier while cooking! Just make sure your herbs get enough light.
Others indoors
- Monstera
- Spoon plant (Spathiphyllum)
- Grass Lily (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Aglaonema
- Dieffenbachia
- Calathea
6. Vertical garden system that makes watering easy
Because with a vertical garden, plants are not in the soil but hanging from a planter on the wall, watering can be tricky. At JungleScape, we sell easy vertical garden planters with a watering system. You can also easily install and plant them yourself.
7. Start creating your own vertical garden now
Now use the knowledge you have gained about selecting suitable plants and create your own beautiful vertical garden. You now know exactly what to consider when selecting the right plants. So what are you waiting for?
Choose a vertical garden system
All the steps to create a vertical garden
Want to know what else is involved in creating a vertical garden besides plants? We have created a roadmap for you with all the steps to make your own vertical garden.