DIY Vertical Garden
This easy tutorial will show you how to make an outdoor succulent wall planter or vertical garden in just a few simple steps.
This is a super easy succulent wall planter made out of an inexpensive home improvement store item. The best part is you can recreate this vertical planter in less than an hour! The backyard at our old townhome was a very small space. We use the term backyard lightly because really it’s just a gloried 20 x 10-foot space that has a privacy fence around it. You can’t ask for a whole lot when you live in the middle of Houston, the land of downtown townhomes and people that don’t know how to drive around bicycles, ha!
As we were saying, it’s just enough space for a little dining area, a few plants, and an awkward empty space along the patio drain. The unfortunate part is that the drain can’t be covered up and the weird empty spot in front of it also happens to be the first thing you see when you walk out onto the patio.
We wanted to create a vertical garden to fill the space that wouldn’t obstruct the drain, and that’s how this easy succulent wall planter came to life! It’s a great way to make a big impact in small spaces and add a pop of color to a plain outdoor area.
What is a Vertical Garden Succulent Wall?
A vertical garden is a twist on the traditional garden by allowing you to grow your favorite plants and herbs in small spaces. Not everyone has the ability to be able to utilize traditional garden beds, and creating a vertical rack for growing is a great alternative. You can make a vertical planter for patios, balconies, outdoor showers, or even indoors where you have plenty of sunlight!
Materials and Tools for Making a Wooden Succulent Wall Vertical Planter
This DIY vertical garden requires almost zero DIY skills since the handrail is already fully assembled! All you really need to do is stain it, place it, and add the plant hooks.
- Unfinished outdoor wooden handrail
- Waterproof outdoor wood stain
- Foam brush or rag — For applying the stain
- Potted succulents or herbs in any type of planter you can drill a hole through — We used paint tins.
- Screw-in plant hooks
- Drill and drill bit (the same size as the plant hook)
Steps Needed to Make Your Outdoor Succulent Wall Planter
1 – First, paint the stain onto the handrail then let it dry.
2 – Lean the banister along the wall of the fence where you want it placed, then decide where you want the plants to hang on it before you drill any holes.
3 – Once you’ve decided, drill a hole at an angle on the bottom side of the railing and then twist in the screw-hook.
4 – Next, drill a hole in the back of your planter and then slip the planter over the edge of the plant hook to hang in place.
More DIY Vertical Garden Ideas
This handrail was a simple way for me create a custom garden space for our small backyard, but there are plenty of other unique vertical garden DIY’s, too. Keep in mind that you can also use a vertical planter as a twist on the traditional garden for creating a modern herb garden. Here are a few other DIY projects for creating a succulent wall planter or vertical planter:
- Repurpose PVC pipes cut in half as plant pots that won’t rust.
- Snag an old wooden pallet that’s being thrown out for an easy pallet project.
- Coat a large wooden picture frame with polyurethane to make a weather-proof succulent frame.
More Easy Home DIY’s
You can’t beat this vertical garden for a quick and easy weekend project, right? For another nifty project, see how to make my faux grass DIY paver stones! They’re another really easy garden hack that’s perfect for mixing and matching with different outdoor styles. Be sure to bookmark some of my other favorite home decor DIY’s for your weekend projects —
- A DIY dry erase board from a picture frame
- Make a DIY hanging planter from a common household item
- How to make faux grass paver stones
- Enjoy your garden with DIY citronella candles
- This vertical planter would make a great DIY gift idea too!
- DIY ring toss game for small spaces
- A battery operated outdoor basket pendant light
- Modern DIY wind chime
- Easy Trick for How To Keep Flies Away Outside
DIY Vertical Garden
Equipment
- Drill
- Foam brush or rag for applying
Instructions
- Stain the handrail. Then, let it dry.
- Lean the banister along the wall of the fence where you want it placed. Then, decide where you want the plants to hang on it before you drill any holes.
- Once you've decided, drill a hole at an angle on the bottom side of the railing and then twist in the screw-hook.
- Drill a hole in the back of your planter, and then slip the planter over the edge of the plant hook to hang in place.
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Did you get the railing from Menards, preassembled?
Hi Marissa! Are you referencing railings from a different blog post? We didn’t use any from Menards for this backyard. For the vertical garden, you can use repurpose a ladder. We used a preassembled railing from Home Depot. Hope this helps!
I just found your site today and I think your project is just great and inspiring. Thanks also for the detailed assembly instructions. Please keep it up.
Best regards
Karl Heinz
Hi Ashley, loving your great wall accent idea! I have a question, is there a brand of waterproof outdoor wood stain that you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Matt! We linked the exact stain that we used. We really love using Minwax!
Love this idea!! xo
This is officially saved in my “PROJECTS” folder in my Bookmarks for when I next have a backyard. Looks really professional and it doesn’t seem too difficult (though I’ll have to buckle down and teach myself how to use a drill.)
Can achieve the same effect by up cycling the side of an old crib/cot.
Hi Mel! We think it would work, depending on the length of the fence or wall. We would definitely recommend securing it into the wall.
Well, this is awesome. I love it, Ash! Such a smart way to repurpose a handrail.
This is hands down the cutest way to display succulents! Absolutely in love! Now if only I had any outdoor space to my name…
I seriously love this! I think succulents are so pretty and fun, with all of their different shapes! I might even consider putting this somewhere inside my home! I think your “backyard” sounds fabulous. ;)
-Jessica
WOW, lets keep the DIY projects for the outdoors coming, this is fantastic!!!!
i have much more outdoor space but this looks better than mine.
I love this – such a cool use for a banister!
I love this DIY, and I’m totally going to make one for my balcony!
Ahh I love this! It would be a perfect addition to the new home ;)
How pretty! And so unique, I have never seen an outdoor succulent set up like this before, I love it!