Living Wall

Plant a vertical garden, and let the automatic watering system keep it thriving.

- Travis Larson

if you have a ground-level deck or patio and would like a bit of privacy, consider building a living wall. It can shield you from the neighbors, surround you with flowers and provide fresh herbs just steps away from your kitchen or grill. The planter boxes are easy to build, and a drip irrigation system provides automatic watering all summer long—no worries about missing a day of watering or losing all your plants when you go on vacation.

THE PERFECT PATIO PROJECT

Every project has its benefits, but few projects bring as many bonuses as this one. Just consider all the features this wall can add to your deck or patio:

PRIVACY. This wall blocks the view and—covered with plants—even muffles noise a little. 

SHADE. At 7 ft. tall, the wall blocks late afternoon sun and screens the wind. 

ECONOMICAL. We used cedar lumber and spent $1,800 for everything but the plants. Built with treated lumber, this wall will cost about $800. Whatever lumber you choose, the wall will cost about 40 percent less if you clad only one side. Even with the most expensive option, it’s a relatively low cost for a project that transforms a deck or patio. 

COLOR. Flowers and greenery enliven a bland deck or patio.

FRESH HERBS. A steady supply, just steps from your kitchen. 

EASY TO BUILD. Setting posts straight and plumb is the hard part of a project like this one. But with our process, positioning posts is goof-proof. The rest is a simple matter of screwing boards to the posts.

Planning your wall