Hanging Plants & Vertical Gardens

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon might have been a myth, but the 'recent' trend of suspending plants is certainly not. Maybe I've been under a rock & these botanical creations have always existed, but I've only been introduced to them recently. Up until a year or so ago all I knew of hanging baskets were the traditional, English-cottage, begonia-filled versions.

As I mentioned in the last post about our Thai travels, I became so aware of all the floating plants with exposed roots whilst we were in Thailand. Did vertical gardens and hanging plants actually originate there? I saw so many suspended orchids with aerial roots & mini leafy creepers in giant snail shells that looked totally at home there.  Previously, I'd only seen this local girl's gorgeous work at Opus and others on Pinterest.
I thought it was a new trend but I must say they looked totally natural, un-designed & like they'd been there forever. 

Aerial roots @ Chotika Riverfront

I love the uncontrived collection of coconut filled planters & other creepers hanging from this bamboo @ Chotika Riverfront

Filled Snail Shells outside a shop in Amphawa

Hanging creepers in Amphawa

This installation is a green solution featured by MBK in Bangkok. Beautiful, practical & a media solution

     



















I guess the orchids love the humid conditions of Thailand but I think these mini gardens can be created for any environment. Gardening is downscaled to any size, no matter how small, to add interest to a vertical space in the kitchen, bathroom or office & they're perfect for balconies, patio areas or to brighten up a window. The 1st 2 articles here show how this style of gardening can work for apartments, to add a bit of greenery to a balcony. Apartment Therapy even feature a veggie version, & I must say there is s'thg quite beautiful about a canopy of apparently weightless gourds!

Anyway, I'm glad these botanical creations have spread across the Pacific, (or that I've at least finally been acquainted with these clever little design features!)

I love them. I want them everywhere - despite my very ungreen fingers, I'm inspired!

So, I left Thailand with 2 things to help me bring this design feature in to my home.
Firstly, I made sure we left with a well documented series of photos of a vertical garden structure that I'm hoping we can recreate at home with ferns & succulents. Looks fairly easy?!...

Simple vertical structure to house ferns & cover a wall

Then when we were in Amphawa on a river market trip,  I spotted these beautifully carved coconut shell planters. This weekend, I got planting!

I wanted to emulate the snail planter we have from Opus which has a Dischidia growing in it, but I couldn't find that or similar.
So for my DIY version I used : a flowering Peppermint , a perennial succulent called lemon ball & peace in the home. I also had a rather cute little helper <3

I lined the coconuts with felt - simply cut in a circle & then snipped to the centre so that it fits snuggly in to the shell with varying degrees of drainage holes.

 



And, tah da!

I think it's going to look fab in our white bathroom, I just need to get a hook to hang it from the ceiling.

Happy planting.
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