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Vertical Gardens

Vegetable gardens can provide delicious, fresh vegetables which are an important part of a healthy diet, but not everybody has the outdoor space needed to grow a garden. A vertical garden is a great way to grow your own vegetables and herbs when you are short on space!

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Plan

  • What materials will you use to build your garden?
  • Where will you put your garden? Will it hang down or will it be supported from below?
  • What plants will you have in your vertical garden?
  • What will your plants need to grow?

Do

  • There are lots of designs and many different materials you can use to build a vertical garden! Experiment with different ideas to see what works best for you.
  • One design involves using upcycled bottles. To make this design, turn the bottles on their side and cut out holes big enough for a plant to grow out of. Also make two small holes near the neck and bottom of each bottle on opposite sides so that a rope can pass through the bottle.
  • Using two pieces of rope, start to string the rope through the bottles. One rope will pass through the neck and the other rope will pass through the bottom of the bottles.
  • Arrange the bottles so that they are 30 cm apart. You can tie knots in the rope beneath the bottles to make sure they stay in place.
  • Now your bottles should look like a ladder, where each bottle is a rung on the ladder. Make sure the holes where your plants will grow out of face up!
  • Continue until all of the bottles are attached to the rope. Add soil to the bottles and plant your seeds.
  • Find somewhere to hang your vertical gardens. Make sure your garden will get lots of light and don’t forget to water it!

Review

  • How did you make your vertical garden? Why did you choose this design?
  • What materials and design worked best?
  • How can a vertical garden improve food security?
  • Which plants do you think will grow best in your vertical garden?
  • Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map

Materials

Many designs can be used. One design uses upcycled bottles:

  • Plastic Bottles (ex: 2L soda bottles)
  • Rope/ string/ twine
  • Scissors
  • Soil
  • Seeds
  • Somewhere to hang your garden

Keep it Simple

  • If you do not have enough time to build a vertical garden, you can create and decorate a flower pot using the bottom half of a 2 L bottle. Use your beautiful pot to plant delicious herbs that you can use in the kitchen!

Take it Further

  • Share the food you grow with your family and friends. You can also learn about other alternative methods for growing food. Do research online to learn about other alternative growing methods like aquaponics, hydroponics, and permaculture. How do these methods compare to traditional farming?