Go From Can’t to Plant With These 10 Vertical Succulent Garden Ideas

Once you get into succulents, it’s hard to stop looking for ways to add even more to your home. Vertical gardens are a trendy and creative project for succulent lovers, and the possibilities for this project are endless. Get on the hunt for a repurposed piece of "junk," or hunt down a statement piece and make the DIY vertical garden of your dreams with these 10 vertical succulent garden inspirations to get you started.

1. Succulent Picture Frame

If you’ve never heard of living art, then you’ll love how creative you can get with succulents and an old picture frame. Dust off that old relic in your attic and transform it into a succulent garden with some hardware cloth, soil, plants, and staples, and watch your living picture frame grow before your very eyes.

The best types of succulents to use for a vertical garden include:

• Short, wide-shaped, and hardy succulents like sempervivums and echeverias

• Fast-spreading, indoor-loving succulents like crassula and sedum

The wider plants add dimension and shape to your garden, while the fast-growing plants help fill up patchy spots in your planter box.

2. Shadow Box Succulent Planter

A picture frame itself isn’t the only way you can create green art to call your very own. Use an empty shadow box, some hardware cloth, staples, nails, and plywood backing to secure your favorite succulents into the box. Then, add some cacti soil and arrange the succulents in a pleasing group. Just be sure to let the shadow box sit flat for at least six weeks to allow the succulents to root before you hang it on the wall!

3. Succulent Wreath

It doesn’t have to be Christmas for you to hang a wreath on your door. With a succulent wreath, you can have one up year-round! Succulent wreaths are perfect for a country-style home. We think that Joanna Gaines would absolutely approve of this rustic little wreath, with its cool-toned greens complementing the ashy brown wall.

4. Succulent Wall Climber

Once you get the hang of building vertical succulent planters, you’ll find that most projects require similar materials, like this stunning living wall. So long as you have some cacti soil, hardware cloth, and succulents, you can practically grow the plants on pretty much any hanging object. And, if you don’t have a wall, you can even use an old wooden pallet to build a vertical pallet garden.

5. Succulents on Ladder Shelving

Here’s an easy DIY project perfect for a Saturday. Simply stack potted succulents on a ladder or other form of shelving. This creates the illusion of a vertical planter without the technical challenges of constructing an actual vertical garden. 

Bonus tip: Add some trays under each pot, and you can bottom-water your succulents without having to move them off the ladder during their feeding time. 

6. Canvas Planter Wall

Whether you’re an artist who has canvases lying around the studio or you know someone who does, they just so happen to make excellent containers! They usually have holes already at the top for easily securing to the wall. All you have to do is add the plants and hang them on the wall. Keep in mind that you’ll probably want to put these beauties on exterior walls, as the material is naturally porous and water will drain through the bags when you water your succulents. 

7. Wall Planters

For a more avant-garde look, wall planters can bring out your artistic side. They come in all kinds of designs, from ceramic faces like the ones pictured above to geometric shapes. They also come in many types of materials, like copper, galvanized metal, or cement. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different textures and designs, or even search around your home for containers with a flat backside to DIY your own wall planter. 

8. Hanging Succulent Planters

There’s no need for old teacups and coffee mugs to collect dust on the shelves when you can transform them into hanging planters for your succulents. All you need to achieve this look are plants, soil, cups, macrame rope, and S hooks.

9. Terra-Cotta Bookshelf

You can never go wrong with terra-cotta pots. They just have that earthy, warm look that makes for a homey feeling. As such, they're amazing for turning your creative home garden into a more natural space for relaxation. What makes these planters so compelling is how they've been stacked on a bookshelf with little props for tilting the plants and creating angles that enhance the look even further.

10. Faux Succulent Planter Box

We get it. For some garden admirers, even drought-tolerant succulents can be tricky to maintain or keep alive. So what better way to ensure your plants keep looking fresh than to use faux ones? This lovely wall art by Angie Holden of The Country Chic Cottage looks awfully similar to the picture frame succulents—only the plants aren’t real! 

You also don’t need hardware cloth or patience for the roots to take hold for this idea. All you need is a picture frame, a piece of styrofoam cut to fit inside the frame, some hot glue, and some faux plants. If you want to get extra crafty, consider painting the frame or staining it before constructing your garden.