Hanging garden Bring any wall to life

Do you have a plain wall in your home that’s crying out for a plant display?

1 Choose the vessels

These low, long metal troughs can be found at flower shops or garden centres, but any lightweight vessels with flat backs will do. These were already lined with plastic, but if yours aren’t, waterproof them by lining them with cellophane and/or individual plastic liners.

2 Select the plants

Mix textures, add pops of bright yet related colours, and include a welcoming burst of fragrance. Avoid plants with suckers, such as creeping ficus, ivy, philodendrons, and similar plants if you don’t want them climbing up the wall and potentially causing the paint to chip. Here oncidium orchids, guzmania bromeliads, and jasmine grab the attention, with a combination of fineand wide-leaved ferns as the backdrop.

3 Design the plantings

Keep the majority of the plants the same from container to container for visual continuity. Let a couple of the containers act as supporting players and keep them simple so that the others can shine for a more compelling design. Make sure the plants’ grow pots aren’t taller or wider than the vessel (cut off any offending plastic if one is slightly too tall).

4 Plan using templates

To visualise where the planters will hang, measure each planter and create actual-size cutouts with scrap paper. Attach the

cutouts to the wall with masking tape, then use the tape to vertically ’draw’ in a few plants’ heights. Step back and take a look. Move the cutouts around until your design is pleasing. For a lush look, hang the vases close to one another and fill the wall with green. Or go for a sparer design with just one or two vessels.

5 Make them detachable

Hang each container with a bracket (ideally, French cleat and a bottom spacer that allows for a plumb hang and ample air flow between the wall and the planter to prevent dampness and mould). It’s best if your living wall is easily detachable so you can clean away dust and bugs that linger and hide behind the installation.

6 Arrange the plants

Set each plant inside the vessel in its original plastic grow pot. If the grow pot is too short, prop it up with something waterproof like Bubble Wrap or an upside-down plastic cup.

7 Now enjoy them!

Follow the care directions for each plant. If ease of care is important to you, be sure to choose plants with similar water and light requirements.

Creating a living wall in an indoor room or hallway allows you to keep plants in sight but out of the way, saving surface areas – including all of the floor – for other uses. Recreate the design pictured here using simple shelving brackets and metal planters by following these simple steps.

Containers made from weathered steel make a bold design statement

This project is taken from Decorating with Plants by Baylor Chapman (Artisan Books, £15.28, amazon.co.uk).