A living wall turns an empty wall or fence into a vertical garden. This guide walks through a build step by step: what to buy, how to plan the layout, how to mount it safely and how to keep water off the wall behind it. If you have not picked a pot size yet, start with our living wall kits, which compare the three sizes.
What do you need to build a living wall?
A kit covers the planters and the hardware that holds them. Each set of 5 or 6 inch pots comes with 5 pots, 1 frame, 5 fabric pieces, 5 irrigation tubes and 1 hardware kit. Each set of 8 inch pots has 3 pots, 1 frame, 3 fabric pieces and 1 hardware kit.
Beyond the kit, gather these before you start:
- Potting soil and your plants
- A drill, a level and a tape measure
- Wall anchors or screws suited to your wall, whether that is studs, brick, concrete or fence posts
- A drip tray or mat for under the bottom row, if the wall is indoors
How do you plan the layout of a living wall?
Measure the width and height of the wall first. Kits mount in repeating rows, so plan the wall as a grid and work out how many rows and columns fit. Because every set is the same, you can start with one section and add more later.
Place the wall where you can reach it with water. Water drains down through the rows, so the lowest pots stay wettest. Put the thirstiest plants at the bottom and plants that like to dry out at the top.
How do you mount a living wall frame and planters to a wall or fence?
A planted wall is heavier than it looks, because wet soil and water add weight. Fix the frame into studs, masonry or other solid backing rather than into drywall alone. On a fence, screw into the posts rather than into thin boards.
Mount the first row dead level, since every row above it follows that line. Researchers who built living walls with school groups found the same sticking points a home build meets:
“Ensuring the frame is square, securing and fastening the frame members, aligning the planters correctly, and physically attaching the green wall planters to the frame properly.”
Michael B. McCullough (Project Sustainability), Michael D. Martin (Department of Landscape Architecture, Iowa State University) and Mollika A. Sajady (University of Minnesota), Implementing Green Walls in Schools, Frontiers in Psychology, 2018
Check each frame is square and firmly fixed before any soil or plants go in. It is far easier to adjust an empty frame than a planted one.
How do you stop a living wall from damaging the wall behind it?
Water is the risk, not the plants. Indoors, protect the wall with a waterproof backing before the frame goes up. Leave a small gap between the planters and the wall so air can move and the surface can dry.
Put a drip tray or mat under the bottom row to catch runoff before it reaches the floor. Outdoors, make sure water draining from the wall runs away from siding and window frames rather than pooling against them.
How do you plant and water a new living wall?
Fit the fabric pieces and irrigation tubes as your kit instructions show, then fill each pot with potting soil. We stock bagged soil and triple mix, so it can come home on the same trip as the kit.
Choose plants that suit the spot. The Royal Horticultural Society advises picking plants with “similar light and moisture requirements to the conditions on offer”. If a wall gets “less than half a day of sun in mid-summer”, it recommends plants for shade. It also notes that spring is the best time to plant, because plants establish quickly as they come into active growth.
Water the top row and let it drain down through the rows below. For plant ideas and how often to water, see our living wall kits guide.
Building an indoor living wall vs an outdoor one
An indoor living wall needs a bright spot away from heating vents, and protection for the wall and floor. Kitchens, living rooms and offices all work. Trailing foliage plants such as pothos suit an interior wall.
An outdoor living wall faces wind and direct sun, so it dries out faster and needs checking more often in summer. Fences, garage walls and balcony railings all make good supports. Most herbs and annuals will not survive a GTA winter outdoors, so read our kits guide on overwintering before you plant.
Can you build a DIY living wall without a kit?
Yes. People build plant walls from wooden pallets, wire grids and timber boards. A homemade frame can work well, but you take on the parts a kit already solves.
You will need to add your own waterproof backing and plan the drainage yourself. A scratch-built frame is also harder to extend neatly, while a kit grows by adding matching sets.
How do you look after a living wall?
A living wall needs a little attention every week. Check the top row for dryness first, since it drains fastest. Trim anything that grows over its neighbours and look under leaves for pests.
Replace any plant that keeps struggling rather than nursing it. Swapping out one plant keeps the whole wall looking full.