Since it’s Memorial Day and the unofficial 1st day of summer today, I thought I’d share my latest outdoor project with you.

I DIY’d an easy outdoor living wall and have to say I am delighted with how this one turned out!!

I have wanted to add an outdoor green wall to our small deck space forever and finally decided to go for it.

Today, I am sharing how I made it, why I chose the plants, and what I will do differently next year!

Designing an outdoor living plant wall

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Choosing a space

I decided to add a living wall of plants to our outdoor space at our Ludington, MI, Airbnb.

We already planned on refreshing this deck for our Airbnb guests, and there was a blank wall that I wanted to make a focal point. Being able to use the vertical space was the best part!

And the eastern sun exposure will provide plenty of light.

Once I had chosen the space, It was time to figure out how large I wanted the DIY plant wall to be.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Measuring the Space

To make a statement, I wanted to build the structure to fill the entire wall. But I did not want the structure to be permanent.

Instead, I wanted something we could change or remove if we decided to sell the house.

Ultimately, I decided we would need to lean it rather than attach it to the house.

Building the Living Wall Frame

Materials Needed for wall portion.

• Two sheets of 4 x 8 plywood
• Minwax stain in Early American
• Minwax stain in Ebony
• Polyurethane
• Plant Pockets
• Plants
• Screws

We started with 2- 4 x 8 pieces of plywood that we cut 6 inches from, giving us a frame of 7 ft x 8 ft.

The next step was to secure the two pieces of plywood together with one strip of plywood from what we had cut off the original pieces to the back of the plywood to give it some additional support.

Once we had our base, we built a frame around it.

I wanted the plants to sit inside a frame.

Using screws, we secured the 4- 2 x 4 x 8 boards cut to fit along the outside of the plywood to frame it.

Once the frame was completed, I stained the plywood (inside)with Minwax Early American stain and the frame with Minwax Ebony, which is black, to add some contrast.

Then, I used three coats of polyurethane (letting them dry thoroughly between coats) to seal the entire piece for added protection against the elements.

I will probably add another coat in the fall.

Add the plant bags.

Before I attached the plant bags, I laid them out to see how I wanted to attach them.

Once I saw the whole wall laid out, I realized I wanted to add another design element to this piece.

After some thought, I settled on a Giant Letter Board to leave welcome messages for our Airbnb guests.

How fun!

Now that my layout was decided on, I added the grow pockets.

They are made of a heavy-grade felt material.

We used these large vertical wall pockets from Amazon for 4.5-inch plants.

I mixed a variety of the seven-pocket version and the 12-pocket version, leaving room for the giant letterboard in the middle.

Once the vertical wall pockets were attached, it was time to start planting.

Choosing the plants for our DIY Plant Wall

Ideally, as the plants fill in, I hope it will be the perfect mix of a bit of greenery with pops of bright colors.

The plants I chose:

Moonbeam Coreopsis

Vinca Vine is a perennial vine; I may leave these and see if they return next season.

Ajuga Bugleweed

Campanula (white) -top Row

Asparagus Fern

When planning any garden structure, it is essential to select the right plants. I was careful to chose plants with similar light and water requirements. Low-maintenance plants were my first priority!

With the help of my local nursery staff, I chose these particular plants because they are drought-tolerant and will thrive in full sun.

This, combined with the water-storing crystals, will help immensely with watering this summer.

The Best Way to Care for Your Living Wall

Your plants will need regular watering and the occasional pruning (I love these pruners).

Because I used small plants (4-inch, which tend to dry out quickly), I added a product that I have had success with in the past to the soil.

Miracle Grow Water-Storing Crystals.

These were a great way to keep up with my patio containers last year, and I have my fingers crossed they can save me some time with watering this year.

When planting, you mix the crystals with the soil (I like to avoid the roots). If you are adding this product to existing plants, follow the directions. You have to be careful not to add too many crystals.

Watering needs are essential to consider for an outdoor plant wall. I may add an irrigation system like this one next season (you may also find something similar at your local garden center) if I think it will be less maintenance and the plants require too much water to keep up with.

I love the look of this modern living wall, and the different plants add a “cottage feel” to the deck. I might try a smaller version at my own home and use it as a “kitchen Garden” or vertical herb garden. Fresh Rosemary, anyone??

The Giant Letterboard

• Porch Paint
• Primer
• 4 pieces of 1.5 x 36 inch wood
• 4 pieces of 1.5 x 50 inch wood
• Stain (leftover from structure)
• Polyurethane
• Vinyl Letters

For the giant DIY Letterboard, I painted the square with primer and then two coats of porch paint, followed by three coats of polystyrene to seal it.

We then ripped four pieces of wood to 36 x 1.5 inches and four pieces 36 x.50 for the ledge.

I stained them with Minwax stain and sealed them with polyurethane since they were outside.

We attached the ledges with a pneumatic nailer.

Easy peasy!

We chose 7-inch letters for the giant letterboard, although the Vinyl letters are not cheap!

That is it for our easy DIY outdoor living wall.

I’m excited to say the plants are already beginning to fill in nicely, and we still have frost warnings here!

I’ll post another pic once it fills in.

Our final step was securing the entire piece to the house with a large hook and eye to prevent falling.

The Airbnb guests love leaving us messages.

 That’s it for today; if you’d like to shop the post, you can do so below.

And be sure to check out my Amazon Store for more outdoor decor pieces.

Until next time,

Libbie

If you liked this post, I have a couple of others you may enjoy! I am a sucker for indoor plants, and you can find posts featuring wall planters, an indoor plant wall, and the best plants to use in your own living wall. Check these out:

DIY Indoor Living Wall

DIY Checkerboard

Outdoor Decor Inspiration

Until next time,

-Libbie