Looking to maximize your indoor greenery without sacrificing floor space in your home? Growing plants vertically is the perfect solution! From stylish hanging planters and wall-mounted displays to lush living walls and other creative plant setups, there are countless ways to bring the beauty of nature to your indoor spaces. Whether you’re short on room or just want to elevate your décor, vertical gardening adds charm and freshness to any home.
1. Mounting Plants On the Wall
Select plants can be mounted to wood or secured to another material and hung like works of art! Wood mounts may be made of cork, driftwood, or scrap wood. Ceramic plate mounts work for a more modern feel. Ideal plants to mount are epiphytes or semi-epiphytic varieties, footed ferns (Staghorn, Rabbit’s Foot, Kangaroo Paw), Orchids, Hoya, Pothos/Epipremnum, trailing varieties of Philodendrons, Scindapsus, and more!
2. Unique Wall-Mounted Planters
WallyGro Eco Planters are attractive and versatile, wall-mounted containers for indoor or outdoor use! They are made of 100% recycled plastic milk jugs, are available in a range of colors, and come with mounting hardware (up to 30 lbs). They’re ideal for one 6-inch plant, but can hold two 6-inch plants, or even three 4-inch plants comfortably. You can use Bird’s Nest Ferns, Snake Plants, ZZ Plants, Calathea, and all types of trailing plants—the possibilities are endless!
The special design of the WallyGro creates airflow to a plant’s root system while eliminating the need for bottom drainage with a unique watering chamber in back—this planter can also discretely accommodate drip irrigation lines! Planting soil can be regular indoor/outdoor potting soil or based on the specific plant’s needs.
3. Hanging Indoor Plants
Hanging houseplants are a stylish and space-saving way to brighten up corners or add visual interest to ceilings and walls with greenery. Hanging houseplants is best for trailing or semi-trailing plants. There are many creative ways to hang plants, including macrame, leather plant hangers, hanging baskets, ceramic plant swings, and more!
4. Growing Houseplants on Poles or Trellises
Many trailing or climbing plants such as Pothos, Hoyas, and Philodendrons can be trained to grow up a vertical wooden pole or moss-covered post. Initially, plants may need to be attached to post, but most will self-adhere over time with aerial roots that grow into the wood or moss fibers; be sure to keep plants moist for faster root growth.
Wooden poles or moss-covered posts are excellent display solutions for a narrow space or corner spot; supplemental lighting may help depending on plant selection and available natural light. Often, plant foliage increases in size when grown in this manner. Trellises can also be used to support vining, trailing, or climbing plants, and can mimick the look of a living wall!
5. Placing Plants Strategically on Shelves
Thoughtfully placing houseplants on shelves creates a stunning vertical display, adding depth, texture, and a natural touch to your home decor while making the most of your wall space. You can create a gorgeous wall of plants by using free-standing, hanging, or floating shelves. Ikea also has some great furnishings to showcase plants—we use many of them in our stores!
Supplemental lighting mounted into shelving units or applied otherwise can greatly increase the health and success of your shelved houseplants!
6. Growing Plants in the Air
Air plants, or Tillandsia, are a great option for areas with indirect light and can easily be removed for watering. Tillandsias can be displayed vertically by hanging from wire (no copper) or fishing line, or placed in attractive ceramic wall-mounted cones made by our local friends at Carter & Rose on SE Division Street in Portland.
7. Moss Art & Living Green Walls
Looking for “WOW” and have limited floor space? Moss wall art can be a great alternative to living plants. Moss art is the perfect solution where water and electricity are not available, and lighting is at a minimum. Preserved moss is cost-effective, requires very little maintenance, and is completely customizable! It can also be a fun DIY project to do at home or it can be done on a larger scale for commercial spaces.
Living walls, or green walls, are real masterpieces—custom created with living plants in special wall-mounted containers grouped together in a modular fashion to hang vertically. They are long-term investments that require careful planning, ongoing maintenance, and trained professionals to guide the process. Contact our Urban Plantscapes team of experienced horticulturalists to design, create, and install your large-scale living wall or moss art mural!
