Vertical Gardening in Southern California - FineGardening
Abstract
Vertical growing is nothing more than what it says: growing plants up walls, spreading them across fences, decorating vertical panels, covering exposed and upright areas, or even arranging containers of tall growers-to garden upwards. Planting up rather than out helps plants and gardeners With Southern California's increasing water shortage and intense sunshine, this kind of gardening allows for better irrigation control as well as optimal shade protection for plants that might otherwise burn. Add in all the artistic possibilities for designing plants to grow upward, and we can expand the magic of the plant world all around us-both indoors and out-even with critical watering restrictions. Much of the designing and construction can be done indoors during the summer heat, while sun-loving plants such as tough succulents can still be planted outdoors. Regardless of the material or design used, when using wall-hung frameworks, it is wise to include an efficient, waterproof lining between the permanent wall and the attached garden so that water cannot seep into the surface of the wall behind your vertical plantings. No matter if your vertical garden is mobile or stationary, it can offer protection for growing plants that might be too exotic to survive otherwise. Jane Gates is the author of All the Garden's a Stage: Choosing the Best Performing Plants for a Sustainable Garden and has more than 40 years of garden design experience in Los Angeles.