Note: Right now you're probably thinking: Dwarf banana tree??? .. what the heck? I talk a lot about liking "functional plants" and most of my outdoor garden plants are edible. I like to play it off like I'm some cool, organic granola eating girl, but this isn't actually the case. While I love the idea of growing my own food, I think my obsession with edible plants is partially due to some deep rooted paranoia that one day we will experience a zombie apocalypse (Or I suppose it could be some other disaster but most likely, it will be zombies!) and I will be holed up here for years, sustained by all my edible plants. There's enough liquor in the cabinet to make some pretty lethal Molotov cocktails in defense against the zombies and Corey and I could be stuffing our faces with garden tomatoes, kale, chives... and (if all goes according to plan) dwarf bananas while the rest of the world is in chaos! You can make fun if you like but then I won't give you any of my bananas! Mmmm... delicious dwarf bananas! Corey's probably reading this and shaking his head right now. Don't think I'm too nuts though- I'm mostly joking! It's good to be prepared!
Before I invest in a larger plant, I thought I'd try something small, cheap and easy. An air plant seemed like a good bet but I also didn't have the first clue of where to put it.
I found these vertical gardens (below) online and thought it was a great idea to keep the plants out of the way. I didn't love the size so I decided to make my own using things we already had around the house.
I started with an Ikea Ribba picture frame. These are great because they're so deep and I have tons lying around for staging. I used a hammer and nail to create small holes around the inside of the frame. I then screwed in little eyelet screws from a picture hanging kit. I wasn't worried about measuring the spacing since I may interlace more wire or add another deeper wire grid at some point if I feel the plants need more stability.
I then ran picture hanging wire between the eyelets. I kept my spacing large to start with but may add more wire in the future.
I ended up discarding the backing so that my plants will have a little more air circulation. I purchased some cheap plants in a variety of shapes during a day out with my mom. A couple of them look like they may flower for me soon.
Then I painted the frame and wire with white non-toxic paint. I could probably get away with regular spray paint but the plants absorb everything through their leaves so I didn't want to risk it.
Once it was dry, it was ready to hang. Notice how the wires are almost invisible against my white wall? I think I'll try to match the paint on the frame to whatever colour I end up painting the East room.
And here's the final frame with the plants. I do think it may need a few extra wires for security but I'm going to wait to decide.
And since these little suckers need to soak in the sink a couple of times per week, the arrangement is constantly changing. I also think they're looking healthier now that they're hydrated!
