Think Beautifully, Plant Vertically

                                                                                                  Photos by Paul Lee Cannon

In Summer 2013, I had the great pleasure of meeting Miss Kristel Gramlich in the test garden at Sunset headquarters in Menlo Park. This was during the legendary magazine's "Celebration Weekend," so the garden was packed with visitors fishing for inspiration. Kristel and I hung out, fielding questions, and getting our horticultural knowledge tested pretty much all day long. It was a great opportunity to work on our tans, too.

Kristel has a Hollister, Calif.-based company - the wonderfully, aptly titled Plantasy - which specializes in plant-it-yourself Vertical G(art)en kits. She had two of her botanical masterpieces on display in the Sunset garden, and if I had a nickel for every ooh and ahh I heard that day from passersby, I'd be big pimpin' with Jay-Z this very minute.

Since that weekend, I've been obsessed with Kristel's revolutionary approach to vertical gardening, so I ordered one of Plantasy's "Classic Kits" as a holiday treat for myself. (I'm a firm believer in self gifting!)

The kit included a GroTile, which is one of the coolest planting media I've ever seen. It felt like a cool, springy sponge the first time I eagerly clutched it in my paws. Sort of reminded me of those fancy bath sponges but meatier, more substantial. You ready for this magic? It can hold up to five times its weight in water and has so much incredible air porosity that "it is nearly impossible to overwater." What??? It's a blend of peat moss, decomposed forest bark and coconut fibers. Plantasy uses a stabilizing agent to hold it all together in a nice, neat rectangle that fits snugly in a custom-made ABS plastic hanger box.

The box has a reservoir on the very top for the easiest watering ever plus a catch basin that helps avoid messes. Sorry, Woolly Pockets. When it comes to instant beauty plus ease of planting, care and all-around neatness, the Plantasy's product's really got it growing on! I didn't have to deal with spilled soil or water WHATSOEVER, and it took me less than two hours to complete my new homegrown botanical wall hanging.

OK, so check out my beautiful iPhone shots below that will help guide you (and hopefully inspire you) to make your own Plantasy come true!

The bare, naked GroTile, ready to be planted. 

That's the reservoir I mentioned. You just fill it with water, which seeps down
into the GroTile so roots never grow thirsty.  

No new botanicals were used in the planting of this GroTile. I plucked succulents
 (some with roots, some cuttings) as well as a few tender, herbaceous plants from
several pots and plots in my own garden. I kind of went mad, really.
Yes, I was THAT excited!

Plantasy offers cedar frames in juicy, delicious colors,
like this "Anjou Pear." More on this yumminess to follow. 

Plantasy pre-cut some circles in the GroTile to make planting a breeze. As
suggested in the instructions, I pulled these out to make way for the
spectacular succulent tapestry about to take shape. As you're inserting plants,
cuttings, etc., you can easily tear the excess plugs of soil-less medium
into small pieces to tuck into the GroTile to fill in holes and such. 

Empty holes, waiting to be filled (Get your mind out of the gutter!). 

In just minutes, THIS is what happened. Even with the
randomness of my poking and placing, the Plantasy
Vertical G(art)en brings a sophisticated order to the
cavalcade of plantings. You're getting excited now, right?!

SQUISH, SQUISH ... I almost felt like slathering myself
down with this cool, sponge-like mass of peat moss, coconut
coir and decomposed forest bark. Felt so good in my hands.
I could easily see (and feel!) how the plants would love it!

My masterpiece, before framing. Tip: Be sure the frame is
screwed on when planting or you'll squish a few cuttings like
I did. Oopsies! 

TA DA! It's a bit floppy-doppy but I'm confident my G(art)en will fill in and grow more
beautifully over time. I'm pleased as punch with the results!