Changed my mind about using vertical space after visiting a community garden in Brooklyn

I always thought balcony gardening meant keeping everything at waist level in pots on the floor. But last month I visited a neighbor's community garden plot in Brooklyn, and I saw how they used trellises and hanging baskets along the fence line to grow climbing beans and cherry tomatoes. One guy had strawberries in a stacked tower made from old gutters, and it looked great. That visit convinced me to try a vertical setup on my own tiny balcony. I built a simple wooden frame with wire mesh for peas and cucumbers, and added three hanging baskets for trailing herbs. It doubled my planting space without taking up any floor area. Has anyone here figured out a cheap way to make a vertical garden that won't blow over in wind?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse8422d agoMost Upvoted

Read somewhere that people fill the bottom of hanging baskets with rocks to weigh them down, keeps them from flipping in a stiff breeze. Also heard that putting your trellis on casters lets you roll it against a wall when it gets gusty, might be worth trying.

dakota_rivera22d ago

Yeah honestly I just stuck mine on a hook screwed into a rafter and it broke the rafter instead.