Vertical Flower Garden

Add some colour to you patio with a vertical flower garden. This allows the flowers to be closer to you when looking at them and so they appear to be larger. It also enables a number of pot plants to be grown using a small footprint.

The pot plants are attached to a vertical shaft made from beverage cans which is fixed to a concrete base.

Supplies

Eight beverage cans

Cement

Packing tape

7 flowering pot plants

Attaching a Pot Plant

Attach a small pot plant to the shaft with a couple of strips of packaging tape. One strip around the bottom and another around the top. Make sure the tape cross at the back to make a loop which won't come apart. The pot plant should be fixed so it hangs out a few degrees. Marigold flowers work well as plants to use.

Add Some More Pot Plants

Add some more pot plants around the vertical shaft using packaging tape.

Another Version

Another version of the vertical garden can be made using 5 empty flower pots joined together - as shown in the photos above. Once made, just slide the pot plants in.

Capillary Watering

Using small pots mean they require regular watering or risk drying out. To help with watering a capillary watering system is being tried. The top can being fill with water and cotton wicks feeding from it into the pots. Feed the wicks into through the holes in the top can before inserting them into the pot plants.

Stand and Base

The stand the pot plants are attached to is made from some aluminium beverage cans attached together. While the base is made from cement set in a mould.

Making the Stand

Make a stand:

Cut the end off a beverage can.
Trim with a pair of scissors.
Insert a can into the end of the cut can.
Secure with tape.
Cut the end of this can and insert another can.
Add six more aluminum beverage cans in the same way.

Making the Base

Cut a beverage can in half.
Fill with cement.
Place the filled half of can into a small bowl.
Pour cement in around the can, leaving most of the can sticking above the cement.
Once the cement has set 'green', twist the beverage can and remove it.
Once the cement is fully set, remove the base from the bowl, invert it and place the cement filled can back in as shown in the photo.
Fit the stand to the concrete base.

Remember to water the pot plants regularly to prevent them from drying out.