Cultivate the City’s rooftop vertical garden of basil, herbs, and strawberries (Photo: Niraj Ray)
Taking plants aboveground makes it possible to grow herbs, flowers, and produce in places where soil is nonexistent, such as on a balcony the size of a postage stamp or the basement of a hip new restaurant that touts its locally sourced ingredients.
Vertical gardens are cropping up all over town in commercial and community sites, and can provide great inspirations for making your own space-saving garden dreams a reality.
Learn about the principles, technologies, and techniques of vertical gardening from two pros: Niraj Ray, founder of Cultivate the City (which works with urban farmers, community gardens, and schools) and Mary Ackley, founder of the D.C. urban farm Little Wild Things (which specializes in microgreens, salad greens, and edible flowers grown on plots of less than a quarter acre).
In a demonstration, they also offer guidelines on building your own vertical garden using reclaimed styrofoam pots.
