On various social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest, it is quickly becoming apparent that many people around the world are forgoing the classic horizontal garden format in favor of the more modern vertical garden. But why are so many people embracing the vertical garden movement? Whether you are a horizontal garden purist that believes all greenery belongs on the ground, or you are a first-time green thumb looking to foray into the world of gardening by way of vertical greenery, you have come to the right place. Find out if vertical gardening is for you as we lay down the pros and cons of maintaining a vertical garden.
There are three factors that you should evaluate if you are trying to decide if putting up your own vertical garden is a good or bad decision.
Location and Space
Coming into this decision, do you already know where you want to place your vertical garden setup? Or maybe you are still debating whether you want it in your space or not. Whatever the case may be, your location can play a big part in your decision. Regular flat homes and business establishments with access to the outdoors are not limited to a vertical garden should they want to indulge their green thumb, but gardening enthusiasts renting apartment units or living in high-rise condominiums, or businesses leasing commercially in malls or buildings may not have much of a choice if they want to house a garden in their current space.
- Pros
- A vertical garden helps green thumbs get around strict building restrictions in condominiums, apartments, and commercial spaces by hosting vertical gardens on their balconies (for apartments and condo units) or indoor walls (restaurants and other commercial spaces).
- For people in these establishments, the number of plants and herbs that they can grow is multiplied! Without having to resort to window and ledge planters, urban gardeners can grow a multitude of herbs and greenery in neat tiers that do not interrupt their day-to-day activities.
- Cons
- For gardeners that do have their own outdoor areas with plenty of space, a vertical garden can take some adjustment due to its limited space.
Verdict: It depends
For a residential installation, your living situation will really dictate whether or not a vertical garden will give you more or less space. Think about whether or not introducing this into your home will limit or free up valuable floor area indoors or out in the balcony or patio. For commercial space vertical gardens like hotels and restaurants, installing it inside your restaurant adds an element of style and freshness, especially if you have lush edible plants and herbs on display.
Weather
Every gardening enthusiast that owns an outdoor greenhouse or garden knows the feeling of a long, stormy night. We all dread seeing the number that a stormy evening can do to our ornamental plants and hard-earned crops. A vertical garden can be maintained indoors, minimizing any damage that results from bad weather. However, having your garden indoors can also limit your choices when it comes to the kinds of plants that you maintain. Some plants flourish best under plenty of sunlight, but this can be remedied with artificial lighting solutions like grow lights.
- Pros
- Vertical gardens will always be safe from harsh weather conditions like harsh rains, floods, and typhoons. Keeping them indoors will make it much easier to protect them, while monitoring the effect of the weather on their condition.
- Cons
- Keeping a vertical garden indoors can limit plant choices, but this has a solution that is readily available on the market for those that want to spend a little extra for more variety.
Verdict: Worth it
Your plants are a product of your hard work and nurturing. It is much easier to narrow down your choices from the get-go, or to supply them with artificial lighting solutions than it is to salvage a dying and waterlogged plant. Long-time plant enthusiasts know the saying that underwatering is better than overwatering, which will inevitably happen if your happy little planters are caught in a storm. Protecting your plants should always come first.
Maintenance
Like any outdoor gardening endeavor, growing indoor vertical garden plants in the Philippines will require a lot of effort. This is especially true for edible plants and herbs, and any plant, ornamental or otherwise, that requires some watering. Any garden requires you to be on the constant lookout for sunlight needs, watering needs, pests, moldy leaves and soil, and even root rot, which will require repotting. That being said, there are a number of solutions out on the market to help, such as grow lights, hydroponic irrigation, and more. However, there is one exception that completely eliminates any need for maintenance: a vertical moss garden.
If you still want the refreshing and natural look of a vertical garden without the maintenance, opt for a vertical moss garden instead! These require virtually zero maintenance, so you can enjoy a number of great benefits without having to put in the legwork.
For a low-maintenance vertical moss garden installation that combines form and function, we recommend combining preserved flat moss with the light green hills of preserved pole moss. The deep green flat moss creates a stunning backdrop that cools any space, while preserved pole moss mimics the rolling hills of the great doors, adding visual depth with great acoustics—perfect for office spaces and large function halls!
- Pros
- Because vertical gardens are a growing movement, there are plenty of available options in the market to address indoor maintenance.
- Reputable vertical garden and vertical moss garden suppliers will also offer to do any necessary maintenance for you, including the replacement of dead plants or damaged moss tiles—making your garden virtually maintenance-free.
- Cons
- Traditional outdoor maintenance for gardens is a bit different from the approach that a vertical garden may require. Gardeners that make the transition might find some difficulty, especially if they plan to maintain the vertical garden themselves.
Verdict: It depends
Some people might enjoy the elbow grease needed for maintaining traditional horizontal gardens outside, but many others might see the low maintenance of a vertical garden as a total win. Whether you opt for a preserved moss wall garden that requires almost zero maintenance or you like the idea of nurturing live plants in a vertical garden format with lower maintenance needs, then maybe embracing the movement is for you.
At the end of the day, switching to a vertical garden is a personal choice regardless of the pros and cons. Presenting these to you is simply our way of guiding you to make the decision that you think is best for you and your needs. But should you choose to bring a vertical garden to your space of choice, don’t be afraid to reach out to us over at Vertical Green so we can help you out!
