How to build a vertical succulent garden

Building a DIY vertical succulent garden is so easy and inexpensive (two of my favorite adjectives!) with a prepotted flat of sedum, a few succulents and some scrap wood.

When we built our new privacy screen planter the young plants were still kinda short so there was a large empty space above the banana tree.  I had been wanting to build a vertical succulent garden for a while and thought this was a great place to put it.  Although, when the nights start to get chilly I will probably bring it in and hang it in the mudroom.

What You’ll Need to Build a Vertical Succulent Garden

You’ll need-

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• Flat of Sedum from Lowe’s
• Minwax 70002444 Wood Finish Penetrating Stain, quart, Provincial” rel=”nofollow”>Minwax stain in Provencial (I had enough left from our wood flooring project in the studio)
• A few live succulents (for some reason I was amazed that you can get them on Amazon!)
• some scrap wood for the front of the frame (mine is 2.5″ x 1/2″)
• a scrap piece of plywood for the back of the frame 
• drill and small screws
• wire
• stapler

We didn’t use the corner brackets in the pic because I decided I didn’t want to take away from the plants.

The flat of sedum comes preplanted in a thick soil mix with netting over it.  It’s meant to just be placed on the ground, no planting required.  This set up made it so easy to create a vertical garden with because it was held together so well. 

The sedum was so cute by itself with all the different types in there but I wanted a few focal points so I added the larger succulents. 
All I did was use my finger to scootch the sedum over a bit to create space for the succulents.

Then I placed the succulents in the empty spots.

How we built the vertical succulent garden frame

Cut the scrap plywood the same size as the sedum flat plus the width of the frame pieces.
We knew it wouldn’t be a big deal if it was off a bit because it doesn’t need to be flush. 
Turns out our measurements were right on (that’s a first!).

Then staple wire across the back of the plywood for a hanger. 
Don’t forget this step like we did or you’ll be trying to make the hanger while holding the rest of the frame and quibbling with your spouse about whose job it was to remember to do the hanger first (it was JC’s job no matter what he tells you!)

Center the sedum flat (without the plastic tub it comes in) on your plywood backing and run wire back and forth the entire thing while stapling the wire to the backing board being mindful of wiring in the succulents.

Here’s a quick video to show you how I did it.

After the flat is attached to the backing board screw the stained frame pieces to the backing board. 
We thought the screws on the front of the frame might bother us but honestly I haven’t noticed them at all since the day we built the frame. 

Also, we mitered the frame but looking back I wouldn’t bother. 
The plants are so pretty you really hardly notice the frame at all.

That’s it!  I told you it was super easy to make a vertical succulent garden!   
This project took about 1.5 hours (the quibbling added about 15 minutes) and about $30 to make.  

Let us know if you have any questions!  Is this a project you would make?  Would you add the focal succulents or just use the little cutie-pie sedum?