Vertical garden alternatives are all the rage at the moment, whether you’re in a newly designed office or an old one the chances are there are vertical walls or vertical shelves that could house your freestanding garden.
They’re a beautiful feature in any office or home and really give a space that WOW factor. However, the downside to these stunning hanging vertical gardens is that they’re very expensive because setup and maintenance need electricity and plumbing.
Here are five cost-effective vertical garden alternatives you can try.
Hanging Plants
We can hang plants at any height from the ceiling and use several colours of plants, currently, Pothos and Aglaonemas are our favourites. It looks fantastic and still gives a really unique look that people don’t see very often.
Floating Shelves
These floating shelves get fixed to the wall and then we can use individual plants to put on the shelve or a trough that we run a mixture of plants through. It’s a very clean look and works especially well around logos. Make sure the shelf spacing is adequate to comfortably house the plants.
Shelving Unit
Rather than have the shelves on the wall, fix your shelves to the floor. The idea is to just dress the shelves. Plants can trail down or grow up, we recommend using a wide range of different plants. Make sure the shelf spacing is adequate to comfortably house the plants.
Cage or Wire
Grow the plants at the bottom in a trough or pot and over time they creep up around the wire. This creates a garden tower look. Again it looks amazing, but it does take time to grow. It’s not an out of the box solution, but despite that people get a kick seeing the plants grow up the wire.
Floor Plants – Spaced Out
Preferably use something tall and thick, a Kentia or Happy plants, five or six of these in a row look superb. Most ceilings are around 2.2 metres, so it’s recommended to use Kentia in a tall pot. The trick here is to make sure that whatever plant you choose, it’s thick and bushy and there’s enough placement for the plants.
What Are Some Benefits of Vertical Gardens In The Office?
Vertical garden alternatives in the office add positive energy and boost mood for working. According to TIME, vertical garden alternatives increase productivity by 15% in the office. It also reduces distractions and improves work concentration and satisfaction.
Indoor plants like snake plants and peace lilies purify the air by filtering 90% of air pollutants inside the office.
How Do Vertical Gardens Work?
Vertical gardens come in different shapes and sizes depending on your space and creativity. You can grow them indoors or outdoors, hang them on a wall or organise them into tower garden systems. Just make sure to have the right containers and gardening tools to design them.
What Plants Can Grow in a Vertical Garden?
It’s important to choose your plants well, determine which is suitable outdoors and indoors and the maintenance they need.
Plants that are perfect for vertical garden alternatives include vines, herbs, air-purifying plants and annual flowering plants.
Check out these plants that are perfect for your vertical garden:
Pothos
- Succulents
Succulents are low-maintenance plants for vertical garden alternatives. They add beautiful patterns to your wall and can survive in extreme weather conditions. There are different colours and shapes of succulents to choose from, you can also get different varieties to create a lively design. succulents like echeveria, sedums, Senecio, crassula and sempervivum are perfect for your vertical garden alternatives. - Boatlilies
Boatlilies are short foliages suitable for vertical shelves. They come in pink, green, burgundy and cream colours. Boatlilies are easy to maintain and thrives with lots of sunlight. - Arrowhead Vine
This is a type of trailing vine that can be placed on vertical shelves. it is ornamental in nature and can grow in shallow water. This type of vine is usually stored in small pots. - Bromeliads
Bromeliads are another great option to hang on your vertical garden. These are ornamental flowers have shallow roots with vibrant foliage. - Moss
If you’re more of a minimalist, having mosses for your vertical garden wall gives it a clean and lean look. The best part is that it’s maintenance-free! You can also go for preserved varieties such as mood moss, reindeer moss, and sheet moss. - Hostas
Hostas have variegated foliage and grow well in a shady area. - Crotons
Crotons are stunning in areas with bright light. They are best kept in highly humid areas. - Begonias
Begonias thrive well in areas with sunlight. There are 5 categories of begonias namely fibrous-rooted, rhizomatous, rex and hardy begonias. They come in pink, white and variegated foliages. The rex begonia has the most attractive foliage compared to the four. - Ferns
Ferns are all-around plants known to spread fast across the wall. Ferns are a fantastic choice for vertical planters. Wall planters can choose from rabbit foot fern, sword fern, Boston fern, blue star fern, and bird’s nest fern. - Lipstick Plant
If you like plants hanging on ceilings, the lipstick plant is a great plant for vertical garden alternatives. Lipstick plants have bright red flowers and sprawling stems that climb upwards.
How Much Does a Vertical Garden Cost?
It really depends on the size, type of frame, and plants you want to have in a vertical garden. The price is measured per square foot of a wall which is approximately $100 to $225. You have to keep in mind maintenance costs as well.
Doing a vertical garden alternative is one way to save money. However, it will also cost a lot of time and effort to build one. Hire a good vertical garden builder who has in-depth knowledge of design and the best plants that fit your space.
Wow your employees and clients or simply create a home sweet home with The Plant Man’s full-service vertical garden alternatives.
Get a free quote today.
