Bring the Outdoors in with a Living Wall

Build your very own living wall and bring the outdoors in! Learn more about this DIY project in this Lowe’s video:

Jungalow style brings together the coziness of the indoors with the lush vibrancy of the outdoors. This style brings to mind color, pattern, plants, global finds and tons of texture. The key to jungalow style is decorating wildly.

For this project you will need a few planks of wood (21x6x10, 31x4x8), some 1/4-inch plywood for the backing, and 6 mil clear sheeting. When selecting plants, think about plants that will work nicely together (have the same water and sunlight requirements) and will thrive in your space. Pick plants with different textures, patterns and colors to really create a vibrant look.

You’ll start by building a frame that has a little lip at the bottom and several shelves that will hold rows of lush tropical plants. The frame will be 3′ x 3′ which is big enough to have some serious wow factor but small enough to be manageable. Pre-drill the holes and use wood screws to fasten the four frame boards together.

For the frame backing, cut the 1/4-inch plywood to match the size of the frame. Add wood glue all the way around the frame, then lay the plywood evenly on the frame. Use a nail gun to secure the plywood on all four sides.

Add plastic sheeting to protect the walls from water. Roughly measure the width and add a little extra as the plastic is going to wrap around the inside. You can always trim it afterward, so it doesn’t have to be super-precise. Measure the lip. Flip the box and use a staple gun to attach the plastic sheeting to the inside of frame. The lip at the bottom will hold in the potting soil and the residual water from watering the plants.

Use the 1×4’s to add the lip and shelves. Screw in one plank as the lip at the bottom, then install the top plank at a 45-degree angle pointing down. Measure 7-1/2 inches from the top plank and install another plank; the two planks should face each other. Make sure the plastic sheeting is covering the sides and the bottom of the lip. Continue installing the shelves.

Now add the plants. Lay the frame down on a table and add a small amount of soil between the shelves. Arrange the plants (leaving them in the pots); get creative with the placement. Once you’ve settle on your design, remove the plants from the pots, loosening the roots, and install them in the frame.

Let the plants settle for at least a week, then hang your frame and enjoy!