5 Mistakes to Avoid With Indoor Vertical Gardens
October 13, 2020Indoor vertical wall gardens create unique and visually appealing decor for the interior wall(s) of your home. Vertical gardens provide many benefits and are a popular choice amongst homeowners who have a bit of a green thumb. Although these living walls are beautiful, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with them if you don’t plan ahead. Here are some common mistakes to avoid with indoor vertical gardens:
Mistake #1 – Putting it in the Wrong Place
Selecting the wrong location for your indoor wall garden is one of the common mistakes to avoid with indoor vertical gardens. Doing so can lead to a great deal of inconvenience and even, at times, additional expenses if the garden needs to be moved.
Indoor wall gardens are biophilic design ideas that don’t take up much floor space, and that is one of their many benefits. However, a vertical garden placed in an inconvenient location can create additional work and stress.
Wall gardens should be accessible, so maintenance and other tasks can be performed easily and regularly. Moreover, the location of your indoor vertical garden should add to the aesthetics of the room and contribute to the overall look and feel you’re trying to create.
Mistake #2 – Getting the Irrigation Wrong
Proper irrigation is one of the bigger challenges associated with indoor vertical gardens. Without a proper irrigation system, it is difficult to get plants to grow and thrive. Even when the irrigation is ideally installed for the plants, it can still create issues for the rest of your home if the area is not properly prepared.
Considerations must be made for waterproofing your wall surface and a drainage system must be incorporated to avoid damage to the walls, ceiling, trim, and flooring of your home. Taking the time to figure out a good irrigation and drainage system is one of the most valuable vertical garden design tips.
Mistake #3 – Choosing the Wrong Plants
Choosing the wrong plants for your indoor wall garden is one of the best ways to create a lot of extra work and is one of the mistakes to avoid with indoor vertical gardens. It can also be detrimental to the interior of your home if invasive or climbing vine species get out of control and begin to grow where you don’t want them.
The plant species you choose for your indoor wall garden will directly affect the amount of maintenance and upkeep required from the garden. It is also important to research the toxicity of certain plant species if you have young children or pets in the home.
Mistake #4 – Never Thinking About Maintenance
Maintenance is an important consideration to make when you are planning an indoor vertical garden. First and foremost, do your schedule and lifestyle permit you the time required to care for and upkeep the garden? Additionally, how much time do you want to allocate to this type of maintenance?
Designs can be altered and customized to be a better fit for your lifestyle, but to do so will take some additional research and planning. Some wall garden designs allow for the easier removal and replacement of plants when they are grown in containers while other wall gardens will require more irrigation, drainage, and soil maintenance. Give all of these considerations ample amounts of thought while planning your vertical garden.
Mistake #5 – Adding Too Many Plants
Adding too many plants is a common mistake that is easy to make. Although you want your living wall to be lush and full, you also don’t want to add too many plants. Overwhelming the space with too many plants to start out is a sure way to create an overgrown maintenance nightmare for yourself.
Not only can this create a cluttered, messy look, but it can also lead to some plant species overtaking others. In addition to inhibiting growth or even killing off some of your plants, it generally leaves your indoor vertical garden looking unsightly and unkempt.
These are just some of the common mistakes to avoid with indoor vertical gardens to keep in mind as you plan out yours. If you’re still unsure if a living wall is right for you, reviewing the pros and cons of indoor vertical gardens can help you decide.
If you’re ready to bring your dream home to life, give Custom Home Group a call at 717-284-4090!