If you’ve been anywhere on social media, you’re probably already familiar with one of the biggest trends in interior design: the living wall. Living walls — a.k.a. vertical gardens — are all over social media, from birthday brunches to gender reveal parties. But they aren’t just popular for special events, people are adding them to their homes no matter the time of year, and for good reason.

Living walls aren’t just nice to look at, they come with a number of added benefits, too. Here’s how to create one.

 

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A post shared by Mike Archi (@mike.archi.ai)

Step 1: Pick a wall.

The first thing you need to do to create a living wall is choose a wall to decorate. It could be in your living room, bedroom, kitchen, or even your backyard. Wherever you decide, it should be a wall that gets ample light since most plants need bright, indirect light to thrive.

Step 2: Pick your greenery.

You can’t have a living wall without some greenery. When picking out plants, try a mix of textures and colors to create visual interest. Here are some good options:

• Ferns
• Succulents
• Pothos
• Spider plants
• Herbs

Step 3: Gather your supplies.

Once you have everything picked out, you’ll need to grab your supplies so you can start working. Take a look at what you need for the job:

• A prefabricated, vertical garden planter system
• A high-quality potting soil designed for your specific plant species
• Screws, nails, hooks, or any other mounting hardware
• A drip irrigation system (optional)

Pro Tip: If you plan on creating a living wall without the help of a store-bought planter, you can make your own by using a repurposed pallet, hanging pot, or felt pocket planter.

Step 4: Prepare your wall.

When creating a living wall, the first thing you want to do is prep your wall to make sure everything adheres properly when it’s time to attach your supplies. To do this, you’ll need to clean the surface with soap and water for a smooth, clean canvas to start.

Pro Tip: If you’re concerned about causing water damage, adding a waterproof barrier or lining the back of your planter with plastic should be enough to protect against any potential problem.

Step 5: Install the planter.

Next, securely attach your planters to the wall, checking that everything is level for maximum appeal. Or, if you have a vertical garden system, simply follow the instructions on the box accordingly.

Step 6: Add soil and plants.

After you stick your planters to the wall, you’re going to need to fill them with potting soil, making sure to leave some space at the top so that nothing spills out whenever you water it.

Then, you can start adding your plants. To do it, all you have to do is create a hole in the soil where your plant will go. Next, gently place one of the plants inside your planter, then pat the soil around it to keep it from moving too much. Repeat this step until you’ve planted the rest of your greenery.

Step 7: Water and maintain.

After you’re done planting, make sure to water your plants so they can easily settle into their new home. Then after you’ve completed that, the only thing left to do is keep up with it.

Maintaining your living wall is kind of like maintaining a regular garden — the most important thing to remember is to water according to the needs of your specific plants. Or, to make it easier, a drip irrigation system can guarantee your plants get the right amount of moisture without over or under-watering.