Hello all and happy 2013!
Are you familiar with vertical gardening? The practice has been around for decades but interest in it has been growing for the past several years.
Living wall planter by Pamela Crawford
Vertical gardening differs from walls of ivy. We’re talking about self sufficient living walls of plants that get their water and nutrients within a vertical structure and not from the ground.
I’ve loved the idea of vertical gardening for years… even before I knew it had that name. Perhaps it’s because Boston has so many flat brick walls facing the alleys in the Back Bay where I live. I always imagined something beautiful could be done with these blank canvasses. Wouldn’t it be great to see the walls flowering in the summer with morning glories, mandevillas or hibiscus? Ah, what a delightful sight that would be!
Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc
So when I read about Patrick Blanc, the inventor of the Vertical Garden, speaking on April 24th at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston called “The Vertical Garden: Biological Design and Urban Architecture”, I immediately bought tickets to attend. I also bought another two tickets to give away to one lucky City Garden Ideas reader who is interested in vertical gardens.
That’s where the contest comes in. Here’s what to do:
Hanging Gardens in Miami by Patrick Blanc
Comment on this post by March 15th and tell me – in 100 words or less – why you want to attend this vertical gardening lecture.
- Tell a story about an experience you had with vertical gardening
- Share something that inspires you about vertical gardening
- Let me know why you want to learn more.
Patrick Blanc says he’ll reveal ‘his methods for transforming naked walls with nature.” This I have to see! Hope you’ll enter to win or just buy tickets through the MFA.
And remember, Spring begins March 20th and it’s getting closer every day!
Other contest information:
One entry per person. Entries will be reviewed and one winner will be chosen on March 22nd. The decision of the judge (that’s me) is final.
City Garden Ideas 
I am very excited about the vertical garden and the MFA Patrick Blanc talk in April. I would love to go to the talk, but mostly to go with another garden enthusiast. My question to him would be – can you make a vegetable garden a vertical garden and how do I do that on my 6th floor balcony with one brick wall, western exposure and all these seasonal changes? I love growing flowers and seeing plants to start to regrow leaves in the spring but my biggest joy has been the 5 years that strawberries have continued to regrow, the herbs that come back after winter, and picking my own lettuce, tomatoes and beans. That is about all I have been successful at on my Beacon Hill balcony but I would love to use the vertical space as well.
The first time I saw a vertical garden was the one that has been installed at the Advent School Science Lab on the flat of Beacon Hill. The children love to take care of the wall and sit beneath it for story time. It is under a skylight so it gets a lot of natural sunlight but I wonder how well a garden like that would fare outside in Boston. Please pick me to go!
Hello and thank you for your entry! I’m very impressed with your balcony vegetable gardening. Expanding with a vertical garden might be a great next step!
You certainly are a contender for the tickets. The announcement will be March 22nd. Thanks again!