I'm going to do some verticle gardening this year. I saw it 25 years ago at the National Arboretum.

[HopeHoops]

I got some PVC sewer pipes. My wife's requiring that I spray paint them dark green. The smaller guage has holes drilled in it and the larger ones don't. I'm going to cut them in half, secure them with those metal fence post thingies with the wedges near the bottom and the hooks for fence ties, put gravel in the bottom and a good mix of soil and starting soil for the remainder. Obviously you don't want to grow onions or potatoes in anything like that, but anything that likes to vine like squash, cucumbers, most tomatoes, etc. are fair game. So are brussels sprouts near the top - they make them look like a tree. It will be my first attempt at it, but we'll have to see how it goes.

[Denninmi]

1. I always wanted to do that.

I always thought it would be neat to do a giant column in a great big pot on either side of my driveway, planted with probably wax begonias. The large gauge pvc is kind of pricey, though.

[HopeHoops]

2. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. If this works out, we want pictures.

And details about what works and what doesn't. I think it sounds like a great idea, but I am having trouble picturing it right now.

[Denninmi]

4. Something like this image in found on Google.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I'll bet that needs watered a lot.

But it looks good---and yummy.

[HopeHoops]

6. Actually that's one of the beauties of it. It does NOT need a lot of water.

You top water and it soaks down but there's very little loss to evaporation. Extremely efficient method. And yes, that picture is very much what I'm talking about, except I have to paint them green.

[Denninmi]

7. A lot of people will put a perforated pipe with a cap at the bottom down the center.

You fill that up with water as needed, and it slowly leaches out into the soil and acts like a self-watering planter.

Probably about an inch and half in diameter pipe, with small holes, say 1/8", drilled around it every few inches up and down the length.

[HopeHoops]

8. I'm going to use the top-down method with a food of gravel at the base for retention.

We'll see. If it doesn't work right this year, I'll try it a different way next.

[Ruby Reason]

12. I think I see spinach in this one. That would be a great idea.

So is Hopehoops' idea of brussel sprouts. They might be hard for a short person like me to harvest if they are way at the top. But the tree idea sounds cool.

[Whisp]

9. that is a super idea. I want!!!

I just went outside to show my husband. Those pipes are pretty cheap he says, so yay!!

I'd like to have about 3, or 5, (has to be an odd number) and maybe paint them all different bright colours. maybe. just new to this so things will change.

thanks for the idea. love it.

[Whisp]

10. do you think peas would do okay in this?

probably so and the posts would look so nice all covered and green. could play with topiary ideas too! oooooo. asparagus - let them mature to ferns and trim them to something interesting. o I do like this

[HopeHoops]

11. Peas are going in a couple of mine - at ground level they are rabbit food.