Vertical gardens and living walls are a trend that won’t be going away soon. As homeowners become more environmentally conscious while spending time at home, bringing nature indoors has never been more important. What’s especially beneficial about vertical gardens and living walls is that they can be works of art just as much as living plants. Here are instructions and ideas for turning a collection of your favorite succulents into DIY wall art.
Picture frame
4 pieces of hard wood the same thickness as the frame
Plywood or plastic backing
Hammer and nails
Screwdriver and screws
Wood drill
Wire mesh with holes about 1-2 inches square
Staple gun and staples
Spray bottle or mister
Cactus/succulent potting soil
Succulent cuttings
Remove the glass and backing from the frame by carefully taking it apart. If your frame is already empty, you’re one step ahead.
Measure and cut the wire mesh so that it fits inside the frame with a little extra overlap. You’ll need the overlap in order to staple it to the frame.
Turn the frame face down and attach the mesh. Try to pull it tight as you go so it doesn’t sag.
Take the extra wood cut in the same dimensions of the frame to form a rectangle. Nail or screw the pieces together so they are secure.
Attach the wooden shadow box frame to the back of the frame using nails or screws.
Measure and cut a piece of plywood or plastic to fit the shadow box. Just like with the mesh, leave a little overlap so you can attach it to the frame.
Turn the frame over so it is facing up. Pour an even layer of succulent soil through the mesh. Keep adding soil until it fills the shadow box and touches the wire mesh.
With a spray bottle, mist the soil so it’s just slightly damp.
Take your succulent cuttings and start adding them into the holes in the mesh. Begin with the larger plants and fill in the space with the smaller cuttings. Make sure they’re planted closely together so there aren’t any gaps.
Hang your frame in a sunny spot and watch the magic happen.
Depending on the type of succulents you planted, it might take a few weeks to see any growth. However, as the plants develop, you’ll have a lush vertical garden and wall art all in one amazing DIY piece.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
