The Secret to a Productive Small Garden: Grow Up!
Use tried-and-true vertical gardening techniques to squeeze a bigger harvest from your small-space garden
If you’re looking for new ways to garden, you may need to just grow up.
Vertical gardening is not only one of the latest trends, it’s also a smart technique that maximizes space, lessens the impact of some garden pests, and provides great visual interest.
The term vertical gardening refers to any method that emphasizes growing plants up (or down) rather than spreading out horizontally. The techniques for growing vertically certainly aren’t new, but they are particularly relevant in today’s smaller gardens where every square foot of ground is precious.
Vertical gardening can make a small garden seem bigger because it directs the eye upward, drawing the focus away from horizontal boundaries, and adds another layer of interest and complexity to your garden design. Plants grown vertically are also less vulnerable to garden pests that attack from below because less of the plant is in direct contact with the soil.
Following are a few ideas for using vertical growing techniques on annuals, perennials, and edibles in your garden.
