How to Plant a Vertical Garden

As long as you've got a blank wall or bare fence that needs beautifying, you can tend edibles, annuals, even perennials with these vertical gardening ideas — all of which inspire high hopes for the season ahead.

1. Pockets

How They Work:Composed of a breathable, recycled material akin to felt, these pouches — sold individually and in rows of three or five — can last 20 years. Metal grommets make them easy to attach to a wall with screws. (From $40; woollypocket.com)

Plant Them With: The standard 15" x 24" pockets, which hold up to 20 pounds of soil apiece, accommodate most annuals, plus small edibles and perennials. In this photo, carex grasses, colorful coleus, trailing petunias, and more flourish along the side of a barn.

So how do you water these things, anyway? If the plants are within easy reach, you could always rely on your trusty hose or watering can. But for pockets and trays hung up high, install an automatic gravity irrigation system (from $27.44;dripdepot.com). Attach the system to a hose, then run the drip lines through the open channels in the backs of the pockets or trays.

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