Vertical gardens are fitting for homes with less space and for first-time gardeners. Chaudhary Ram Karan, a terrace gardener from Lucknow, shares her secrets.
Putting together a garden is one of the most satisfying hobbies of all time, that too by reusing available materials. There are multiple ways to make use of the plastic bottles lying around the place. Converting them into planters to form a vertical garden is both an inexpensive and eco-friendly idea.
Chaudhary Ram Karan, a terrace gardener from Lucknow, grows vegetables like brinjal, tomato and capsicum in her vertical garden made of plastic bottles. “This technique is perfect for those who face a shortage of space in their home to do gardening. Also, if you have never done gardening before, start by using these bottles instead of expensive pots,” she says to The Better India.
Here are various designs for your vertical garden using plastic bottles:
1. Cut-the-bottom planter
Take bottles of one or two litres, leaving their caps intact. Turn them upside down and cut their bottom part carefully. Make three or four holes in the cap to complete the process of making a planter.
Use a rope to hand it in a well-lit place. Take three or four bottles and repeat the process so that they are placed vertically. Add potting mix and plants as per requirement.
Chaudhary says that if two-litre bottles are used, plants like capsicum, tomato, brinjal and chilli can be easily grown in it.
2. Two from one planter
To make two planters out of one bottle, cut them half in the middle. Place it upside down and make holes in the lid and bottom. Tie ropes and hang them anywhere.
Small succulents and spider plants are suitable to be grown in these. If it’s a vegetable garden, coriander and mint leaves can also be grown.
3. Railing planter
Make railing planters out of two-litre bottles in which you can comfortably grow flowering plants like portulaca and petunia.
Cut the bottle in such a way that only one strip is left in the middle portion. Fold the strip which ends in creating two planters on each side. You can comfortably hang the bandage on a railing.
4. Horizontal planter
This is the easiest and most attractive way to make a planter. Place the bottle horizontally and cut it from the middle such that we can insert potting mix and plants easily. Then make four holes around it, so that it can be hung anywhere.
In this type of planter, herbs and flowers can be grown. Place three or four of them on a rope by which limited space can be effectively utilised.
Use any of the above methods or all of them to create a beautiful and lush garden inside your home. Once the planters are made, make them colourful by painting them.
Add potting mixture and grow plants as per your interest. This method is suitable for flowering plants, vegetables and herbs. Don’t forget to water them regularly.
Now go grab some old plastic bottles and unleash your creative side.
Happy gardening!
Read this story in Hindi here.
(Edited by Yoshita Rao)