I love the idea of wall gardening. I have made a grotto in a past house that stayed when I sold it of hypertuffa, a 50 gal fish tank, and some plumbing fixtures that gave it a water fall that went from plant pocket to plant pocket as it trickled down. It had grow lights recessed into tube lamp fixtures so they didn't show much unless on.
If you are careful you lose less than about 30 inches at the location of it in width and maybe four feet in length. The next one I do will be on a cart and perhaps have all four faces planted... that is a next year project though. I have just moved and my brain is doing happy dancing!!!
Sheri > Margaret Beers OliverSeptember 2, 2010 at 5:57am
Margaret, did you take any pictures? Would love to see how you put that together.
I didn't. I suck with a camera! LOL I used marine grade plywood to make a box for the bottom and the back. Also some low sides. Then took some chicken wire to make a frame with flower pots where I wanted the plant pockets to be. Then... put the tank in the bottom of the box... add enough tubing to reach from the tank to the top and a submersible water pump that isn't so strong it throws water everywhere (word to the wise that does nothing for the walls) Follow the curing for hypertuffa and keep it misted to damp and under plastic for a couple of days. It worked great for me.
There are very few rules... you can figure out the plumbing from most of the hydroponic sites. Hypertuffa instructions can be found on the web too. After that it is just making your own plant tower/grotto. My husband did the lighting, we had two can lights in the ceiling and then I put one in the tower that was shining down on some plants in the middle. I loved it so may make one for this place also. I think this one will be small and on wheels. The other was about six foot high. I am planning on using a small pond form so I can have gold fish in it also. Maybe use some kind of plant pockets on the wall itself to give that height that I like so much.
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If you are careful you lose less than about 30 inches at the location of it in width and maybe four feet in length. The next one I do will be on a cart and perhaps have all four faces planted... that is a next year project though. I have just moved and my brain is doing happy dancing!!!
There are very few rules... you can figure out the plumbing from most of the hydroponic sites. Hypertuffa instructions can be found on the web too. After that it is just making your own plant tower/grotto. My husband did the lighting, we had two can lights in the ceiling and then I put one in the tower that was shining down on some plants in the middle. I loved it so may make one for this place also. I think this one will be small and on wheels. The other was about six foot high. I am planning on using a small pond form so I can have gold fish in it also. Maybe use some kind of plant pockets on the wall itself to give that height that I like so much.