One of our favorite ways to utilize a blank outdoor wall and bring a little more life to a space is by installing a vertical wall garden. We have done a few different styles of wall gardens in the past, usually with succulents. Vertical plant displays makes a space feel so much more organic and lush, sometimes without much effort at all.

You can do planter boxes, pots, or felt pockets like the ones we used in this project. You can also do the forward facing succulent wall gardens, etc. There are so many options for putting plants up on a wall.

We are in the process of transforming Elliott’s patio into a useful and inviting space. There is this large cylinder block wall out there with an indented space that is completely bare. We thought it would be the perfect place to install a wall garden as it is a major focal point on the patio. This space can also be seen from inside the house too.

We decided to use plant pockets for this project because we liked how easy they were going to be to install. This option also allows for an entire wall space to be completely covered in plants. Not to mention, we had never done this type of garden before and were eager to give it a go.

Recently, we built a pergola over the patio which led us to choose a mix of low to medium light tolerant plants. Eventually, we plan on growing a light vine on the pergola, so we wanted to ensure the plants we planted would be happy there long term.

We used a few different types of Bromeliads, some Satin Pothos, Marble Queen Pothos, Kimberly Queen Fern, Bird’s Nest Fern, Burro’s Tail, Agave, some Dracena, and a few Dumb Cane plants. We also filled in with some succulent cuttings we took from around our yard.

Supplies

• Plant Pocket Panels 
• Dirt
• Screws and/or Concrete Drill Bit
• Variety of Plants

Step 1 – Hang the Pockets

Our first step was to measure out the space to hang the pockets. We wanted to fill as much of the indented wall section as we could, so we centered four panels along the bottom of the space. Then we cut our extra three panels down into smaller pieces to use up top.

To hang the panels we used a concrete drill bit and a hammer drill to make pilot holes for our screws. We then used a powered drill to screw our concrete screws in with washers for extra support.

Step 2 – Plant the Wall

Once we had all of our panels hung, we went about planting in no specific order. We did, however, want to ensure our different varieties of each plant were evenly dispersed around the wall. We planted the pockets as you normally would a pot, making sure the plants were packed in well with dirt.

Step 3 – Water

The final step was just to clean up any mess, and then give the plants a really good watering. We’re going to water the wall a few times a week while the plants get established. Then we will probably only need to water about once a week or so after that.

We are really happy with how the wall turned out! It’s already very lush and full. As these plants grow they will fill in more overtime, hopefully to the point where you won’t be able to see the felt pockets. This wall garden has instantly made the space so much more beautiful.

We hope this project will inspire you to install a vertical garden of your own! It’s a really fun, moderately easy, and instantly gratifying activity.

We have a few more projects to do on this space, so stay tuned for the full patio reveal!