Vertical Garden – pallet regeneration
I had some old pallets lying about so I wanted to see if I could put them to use rather than just sending them off for recycling. I’d seen some different types of vertical gardens using pallets but they weren’t planters, other examples were using (mainly) succulents so I wanted to see if I could make them into planters giving more options on what flowers could be used.
After a few thoughts (and cups of tea) I decided by moving some of the slats and making shelves this would offer the platform to plant on, I needed to then add a solid back to keep it all together, also some sides to stop everything falling out ! I wanted to do all this and try to keep it looking like a rustic pallet, as if the flowers we’re naturally growing there – to keep with the rustic / urban theme I spray painted the name on.
When it came to the planting I knew I’d have to use short root flowers given the shelves we’re shallow. Bedding plants and alpines were the obvious choice but I tried sprayed heather too as the bright colours were a good contrast against the wood. I mixed rich compost with loam topsoil as the compost alone was very light and adding the topsoil gave it more density. It was a bit fiddly planting in the shelves so I put a layer of compost/loam in first, placed the flowers in ,then filled in around and over the roots.
A month on and all flowers are going well. It was only ever done as an experiment / showpiece but the first – less refined – effort he’s been very well received and been asked to make some for clients, be it slightly more polished versions, one being used as a herb garden on a balcony. I am making a handful for sale.
