The Vertical Garden uses common household items (old clothing that can no longer be donated and used shower curtain..) and repurposes them into a hanging garden.

This garden is perfect for anyone who:

*is tight on space

*likes to conserve

*wants to save some money on groceries by growing locally

*wants to have a healthier diet.

Each step will tell you what materials are needed, the objective, and then give you a breakdown of what needs to be done to make a Vertical Garden.

Step 1: Items Needed

*Old, non-donatable clothing . (for this Instructable, I will use ripped pants.)

*A plastic liner . Anything around the house is plastic and somewhat durable. (I will be using an old shower curtain liner.) It has to be large enough to cover the interior of the article of clothing.

*Gravel for irrigation. A small bag should do fine.

*Soil enough to fill the article(s) of clothing that were chosen.

*Seeds or a seedling from a local nursery.

*Water (for the plants)

*Strong nails or screws (for hanging the planter).

*Hammer/Screwdriver to secure the nails.

*Needle and thread or sewing machine to stitch up clothing to make the right shape for the planter. I recommend using fishing line for durability.

*Scissors/Box Cutters.

Step 2: Cutting and Prep

Materials needed for this step: Clothing Article (pants), Cutting Utensils, needle and thread.

The first hurdle to overcome is how to make the Vert Garden look less like a clothes line and more like a fashionable planter. This can be accomplished by cutting a little bit here and there to maintain the material and to lose the clothing shape.

Cut the pants into the desired shape. Pants are fun because you can do a lot with them to make unique planters. Because the pair I am using for this demonstration has a hole in the knee, I am going to use the bottom half of the pant as one planter and sew off the top to make a second.

In order to clean up the upper portion of the plant, I am cutting the front of the planter opening and then folding in the back part for reinforcement. By doubling up on the fabric at the top of the pants, the planter will be a lot more secure once it is mounted to the wall.

If needed, sew small knots into the fabric to hold your folds in place until it is time to sew up the whole planter.

Step 3: Sewing the Planter

Materials needed for this step: Clothing Article (pants), Cutting Utensils, needle and thread.

The bottoms and raw edges of each section need to be sewn so that when it is filled up, everything stays put.

Don't be afraid to sew weak areas a few times over in high stress areas of the fabric to make sure that they are strong enough to keep in all of the soil. I strongly recommend using fishing line for thread as it holds up well against the elements.

When sewing everything into the correct shape, it is important to fold in the edges especially where the fabric is fraying. This will prevent the rips and tears from getting larger because it will lower the stress the area receives. So the key here is reenforce and stitch into place.

For this demonstration, a thick thread was chosen and sewn in using a simple stitch. Feel free to use more decorative or elaborate stitching. Anything works as long as it holds the clothing together.

Step 4: Lining

Materials needed for this step:Liner and Cutting Utensils.

In this step, we want to prep and insert the liner. This piece is one of the most important because it holds in the interior of the planter and controls flooding.

For this step to be completed smoothly, a large amount of table space is recommended. Lay out the liner flat onto the work surface. My liner will be used to fill two enclosures, so the plastic shower liner needs to be cut into two pieces large enough to cover the interior of each planter.

Simply lay out the liner and cut the plastic roughly into the needed size. For this step, it is better for the liner to be cut into oversized segments and trimmed after it has been properly fitted and filled. For this reason, do not worry about making cutting the pieces too big. The liner needs to be placed into the planter and spread out so it hugs the outer walls and takes the shape as a planter. Now trim the liner and repeat using the leftovers to line the second planter.

Carefully take out the liner while trying to retain its shape in the planter. Now cut a small slit into the liner about an inch long a few inches from where the bottom of the planter is. Try not to cut the slit too high if the planter is shallow. Cut no more than three slits throughout the liner at this height. For my liner, I am cutting at two points. One on the right and the other on the left side.

Very carefully, reinsert the liner. Once it is in place feel around to make sure the slits are located in the correct position. Play around with the liner until it is in the perfect spot.

Now there is a place for excess water to drain incase the plants are over watered. This also gives the roots ventilation and helps prevent root rot.

Step 5: Mounting

Materials Needed: Pants, Screws/Nails, and Screwdriver/Hammer.

Before the soil and delicate plant are inserted into the planter, it needs to be fixed to the wall.

This step goes a lot faster with a friend to help. Have one person hold the planter in place while the other secures it to its place on the wall. It is important for the planter to have enough support. It is better to have more nails than less to hold the planter into place.

Try to make sure the planter is level before it is secured so that both sides receive equal amounts of stress.

For this indoor planter, I will be using a number of T Pins to secure everything to the wall near the window.

Step 6: Filling the Liner

Materials needed for this step:Gravel, Soil, Water, Plants, and Cutting Utensils.

The first 1/4th to 1/3rd of the liner should be filled with gravel. This gives excess water somewhere to sit so the plants do not drown.

The planter should be filled up to 3/4 with soil. there needs to be enough room to plant the seedlings.

Place the seedlings into the planter and fill soil around the sides. Pat the soil down a bit. Try not to compact the soil down too tightly. Water the soil and plant and fill in more soil as needed until the soil is level to the base of the plant.

Lastly, we can trim the liner so that there isn't any excess sticking out on the sides.

Remember to water your plants as needed and enjoy your space efficient garden!

Thank you for viewing my Instructable!