The Creative Way To Hang Outdoor Plants With This Simple IKEA Hack

Do you have a pocket garden, or are you wondering how to create one in your outdoor space? Carving a spot for plants, be it vegetables or ornamentals, when all you have is a postage-stamp backyard, paved patio, or balcony requires creative thinking and, probably, some minor DIY skills, and taking advantage of horizontal and vertical areas. Thankfully, a trip to IKEA — or jumping on their website — can get you there right away. All you need is one of their solid wood wine racks and some small galvanized steel planters. Add a steel drill bit, some hooks, exterior paint or stain, and either adhesive tape, 3M Command strips, or screws to the mix, and your balcony or patio wall will be adorned with a legit living wall in no time flat.

There's good reason why so-called "living walls" have been around since the late 1930s — at least, that's when American landscape architecture professor, Stanley Hart White, applied for the first patent on such a system. Going vertical with your plantings saves space by lifting plants from the floor; it also creates a jungle-like aesthetic in any outdoor (or indoor, honesty) setting. Nothing gives "Amazon trek" more than walls covered in stag-horn ferns and creeping figs. What's more, if you use removable adhesives over screws, this project also provides renters an opportunity to add some splashes of verdant greenery to a home that's only temporarily their own. Now, let's go shopping!

As mentioned, the first items you need are the frame to hang the planters on and the plant pots. It's time to head to IKEA! In store, trip quickly through all the displays to the kitchen utensils area. Locate the HUTTEN nine-bottle wine rack ($17.99) — it comes flat-packed and not assembled. Next, head to the garden section and pop half a dozen or so of the 4 1/4 inch BINTJE galvanized steel plant pots into your cart ($0.79 each). If you hate or don't have time to water often, you could also consider buying fewer larger planters — bigger pots require less frequent watering.

Ideally, you'll hang your pots with metal s-hooks, looping them over the rack's rails and through a hole you drill in the planter. We like this 16-pack of rose gold flat s-hooks for about $13 on Amazon. (The flat sides ensure the pots don't wiggle around so much and the hue is so pretty.) If you're not confident about drilling through metal, IKEA also sells VITLÖK 6-inch plant pots with holders in an attractive light gray-blue hue for $7.99 each. Since the wine rack is designed for indoor use, it's far from weatherproof. Just as you need to weatherproof your outdoor furniture, you need to make sure this plant pot holder will withstand rain, wind, and even snow, depending on where you live. Purchase a wood stain or paint made for the exterior in a hue that suits your current garden decor.

If you're a renter, buy removable adhesive tape — Walmart sells rolls of heavy-duty picture hanging tape for under $9 — or waterproof 3M Command strips — get large bathroom strips for just over $7 at Lowe's — to wall-mount the hanging planter. (Make sure you only use small pots and lightweight plants and growing media.) If you're a homeowner wanting to hang hefty plants and planters, consider mounting the wood frames with metal screws for more stability. Tools-wise, you'll need a paintbrush and an electric drill and drill bit set.

Supplies in hand, it's time to start assembling this space-saving balcony garden feature. You're only using the sides of the rack, which sort of resemble small ladders — coat these with a few layers of paint or stain and allow them to dry completely (up to 24 hours). While waiting for them to dry, drill a hole in each of your planters, about half an inch down from the rim. The bit you use needs to be a little larger than the diameter of the hooks. Clean the area of the wall you'll mount the rack to with a white vinegar and water solution or rubbing alcohol, and attach adhesive tape or 3M Command strips to the back of the rack. Press them onto the wall, waiting the requisite hour before hanging your planters. Now, all that's between you and creating a flourishing vegetable garden in a small space is buying your favorite edible plants!