4 vertical gardening ideas

As long as you have a blank wall or bare fence that needs beautifying, you can tend edibles, annuals, even perennials with these vertical gardening ideas — all of which inspire high hopes for the season ahead. (Bing: Find the right vertical-garden kit for you and your home)

1. Pockets
How they work: Composed of a breathable, recycled material akin to felt, these pouches — sold individually and in rows of three or five — can last 20 years. Metal grommets make them easy to attach to a wall with screws. (From $40; woollypocket.com.)

Plant them with: The standard 15-by-24-inch pockets, which hold up to 20 pounds of soil, accommodate most annuals, plus small edibles and perennials. In this photo, carex grasses, colorful coleus, trailing petunias and more flourish along the side of a barn.

So how do you water these things, anyway? If the plants are within easy reach, you could always rely on your trusty hose or watering can. But for pockets and trays hung up high, install an automatic gravity irrigation system (from $27.44; dripdepot.com). Attach the system to a hose, then run the drip lines through the open channels in the backs of the pockets or trays.

Slide show:  How to start a vertical garden

2. Trays
How they work: Similar to nursery flats, these rectangular, plastic trays are divided into planting cells — all slanted at a 30-degree angle, with bottom holes that promote drainage and aeration. Each tray comes with a bracket for mounting, though you'll need to add a wood frame to achieve the "wall art" look to the right. (Trays from $39.95; verticalgardeningsystems.com.)

Plant them with: Succulents like these, which have shallow root systems, are well-suited for trays with 2-by-2-inch cells. Opt for the larger 4-by-4-inch cells when planting small annuals, perennials and edibles such as lettuce.

• On our blog, 'Listed': Here's a wall you can eat

3. Pot hangers
How they work: These polypropylene supports clamp onto the backs of pots and practically disappear when screwed into a wall or fence. Designed to endure high winds, each hanger can bear up to 100 pounds. ($19.95 for five; hangapot.com.)

Plant them with: Anything you'd typically put in a pot is fine, including kitchen herbs and annuals like the pansies and bacopa to the left.

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4. Found objects
How they work: As these rain gutters planted with euphorbia and creeping wire vine demonstrate, salvaged finds can double as excellent and unusual vertical gardening systems. Just remember to drill holes in the bottom of your finds, if necessary, for drainage. Other ideas for repurposed planters: burlap bags and shutters with slats wide enough for you to tuck succulents inside.

• MSN Living: Revolutionary vertical gardens

Plant them with: Use common sense. The more soil a given item can hold, the bigger the plant — and root system — it's able to sustain. And before planting edibles, make sure your cast-off container is nontoxic.