PHOTO Dennis Green
"People want a surround of health and
wellness, a surround of well-being and
a surround of food," – Brian Minter
Pallet gardens for small spaces
Many businesses and
restaurants already
incorporate vertical gardens and green walls. To
bring this trend home,
Wim Vander Zalm, garden expert and president
of Art Knapp Plantland,
suggests creating a pallet
garden. This can hang or
lean against a south-facing fence or wall.
"It's amazing how
much you can grow
in a small space," says
Va n d e r Z a l m , w h o
describes how he created
his own pallet garden
in his upcoming book 100 Biggest Gardening
Questions.
Start by sealing the bottom edge of a vertical
pallet so that the soil won't fall through. After
wrapping the pallet in landscape fabric, turn it
upright and fill it with dirt. Then, plant from the
bottom up, adding more landscape fabric and dirt
as you go.
Plants that work well in a pallet garden include
herbs like parsley, rosemary, oregano, sage and
basil, as well as vegetables and fruits such as strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini, kale and cucumbers.
Plant vine-producing plants near the outside
edges of the pallet. Extend the growing space even
more and attach string to a fence for the plants to
follow. Untreated wood pallets can sometimes be
obtained by asking nicely at your neighbourhood
nursery or grocery store. ■
See SOURCES on page 83
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