How to Build Tower Gardens

Make your own tower garden using basic tools and supplies.

Decorative gardens make any area of your home look beautiful, but if you live in a smaller space without a yard, it's difficult to experience the beauty of a garden on a regular basis. One solution is to create a tower garden consisting of vertical pots of flowers, herbs or other plants that can be displayed on a small balcony or patio. Make your own tower garden using inexpensive materials and tools purchased at a garden-supply store.

Things You'll Need

• Terracotta pot, 16 inches wide
• Small stones
• Wire-mesh cylinder, 8 inches wide, 48 inches long
• Sphagnum moss
• Potting soil
• Watering can
• Seeds
• Sprouted plants

Instructions

1. Fill a large 16-inch wide terracotta pot halfway full of small stones.

2. Insert an 8-inch wide, 48-inch long wire-mesh cylinder vertically into the stones, and submerging the mesh cylinder at least 6 inches into the stones.

3. Fill the cylinder with a 4-inch layer of sphagnum moss, then add a 4-inch layer of potting soil on top of the moss.

4. Repeat this process, layering moss and potting soil, until you reach the top of the cylinder.

5. Pour water into the top of the cylinder, using a watering can, to moisten the soil and moss.

6. Insert seeds and sprouted plants into the wire-mesh cylinder through the holes on the outside of the cylinder.

7. Place the tower garden in an area with plenty of sunlight.

Tips & Warnings

• Use plants that grow easily in small spaces, such as herbs and edible greens.

References

• Sunset: Make a Vertical Garden Tower