Create The Vertical Garden Of Your Dreams With This Empty Water Bottle Hack

What's more beautiful than an entire wall or fence covered in plants? The lush and luxurious look of a vertical garden covering a fence or trellis doesn't have to come at a luxury price. As elegant as vertical gardens can be, they are primarily a way to grow a large number of plants in a small space. You can even achieve this on a budget by using water bottles as planters.

While the concept of vertical gardening dates back at least to the hanging gardens of Babylon, it rose in popularity throughout the 1900s and is now a beloved way to grow large numbers of plants in small spaces. Plastic bottles make ideal containers for these plants thanks to their ubiquity, as well as how lightweight and easy to clean and cut they are. Reusing plastic water bottles for vertical gardens also helps keep them out of landfills and recycling centers.

To create your vertical garden, you'll need scissors, potting soil, string or wire, clean plastic 2-liter or 20-ounce water bottles, and a fence or other structure to attach them to. If you don't have a fence, you can create a DIY trellis with items you may already own and attach your garden to that. Begin by carefully cutting the water bottles to your desired size and cutting drainage holes in the bottoms. You can orient your bottles vertically or horizontally, depending on the shape you want. Once you have cut your bottles, attach them to the fence or trellis using your string or wire and fill them with potting soil. Then all that is left to do is to plant up your beautiful vertical garden.

Many plants work well in vertical gardens. If you primarily want an edible garden, then strawberries, lettuce, and herbs are all great options. Ornamental plants that grow well vertically include nasturtiums, alyssums, and other flowers that grow well in containers. While vertical gardens are fantastic ways to garden in small spaces, they do require some additional work. As with most plants grown in small containers, your crops will likely require more water and fertilizer than those grown in larger areas or in-ground. As long as you watch for typical container garden problems, your vertical water bottle garden should thrive all season long.