GROWING a vertical garden is a funky and functional way to introduce greenery into your home - inside and out.
Vertical gardens grow on panels supported by - you guessed it - vertical surfaces, such as walls and fences.
At their most high-tech, they are lightweight and soil-less, but you don't have to be an expert to cover an unsightly wall with lush plants.
One size does not fit all with vertical designs, so it's best to think about the aim of your project first. For example, do you want to camouflage an unsightly backyard fence, make a design statement or establish greenery in a tight space?
The next thing to consider is the amount of light the area will receive, which will determine which plants are suitable for that area and how well they grow.
With guidance, common creepers, such as the native Hardenbergia violacea (commonly known as native sarsaparilla and purple coral pea) and food-producing vines, such as tomatoes, strawberries, passion fruit, runner beans or bitter melon - which grow skyward with little effort - can be grown in wall units.
These plants require full sunshine and are more suited to outdoor spaces.
If you have limited space in your garden or patio area, a simple way to create an instant vertical garden is to prop an old wooden ladder against a wall and train a pot creeper, such as waxflower, to climb up it.
Bear in mind, though, that regardless of what you grow your plants on or in, they will grow at the same rate only if they receive the same amount of sunlight. If they are sun-loving and the bottom half of the unit is in the shade, only those at the top are likely to flourish.
Once you've established your goal and judged the amount of light the area will get, narrow your options by looking at the DIY products at hardware stores.