One of the latest gardening trends buzz phrase is vertical gardening. Vertical gardening is landscaping or using plants to draw the eye upwards which creates a larger, more airy space. Any space or landscape can benefit from vertical gardening, especially small yards, apartment balconies, limited spaces as well as large unused exterior walls for wall gardens. 

The new trend in vertical gardening is to build up. Pallet gardening is one way to build up. Other ways are trellises, arbors, teepees, window boxes, hanging baskets, varied sizes of containers, or merely planting shrubs and trees that are tall and narrow. 

• Mix water retentive polymers into the planting soil.
• Water frequently - daily during hot weather.
• Add nutrients to the soil more often than ground growing plants.
• Prune regularly.
• Deadhead flowers right away.
• Harvest fruits or pick vegetebles as they mature.

Plant Ideas for Vertical Gardens:

• Vines
• Clematis
• Small growing fruits such as strawberries
• Succulents - such as creeping sedum
• Ferns
• Hostas
• Columnar evergreens - skyrocket juniper, pyramidalis and emerald green arborvitae
• Creeping phlox
• Drift roses
• Heucheras
• Creeping euonymus, ivy and vinca (ground covers)
• Vegetables - tomatoes, peas, beans, etc.
• Herbs
• Small ornamental grasses