As part of our garden renovations a big change was taking down the large sweet viburnum on the corner of our shed. I completely understand that this plant is in the wrong place. While many people try to keep Viburnum obovatum as a 3 foot tall shrub, it truly wants to be a 30 foot tall tree. I knew for a long time that this needed to come out, but it has been the place for me to plant orchids in trees as a fail safe way to grow my orchids.
So finally this tree has been removed. Right plant, right place never rang more true.
This has left me with the very predictable issues of now both having many orchids that need a new home and a now very visible garden shed. After spending a few weeks in the shade of another tree it was time to create a permanent home for my orchids and tillandsias. This orchid green wall was both a functional and beautiful solution.
This orchid green wall project was very easy to complete and required just a few materials. 
Orchid Green Wall Materials:
- Flower Pot Klips – roughly $15 for 12
- lumber for braces- I used cedar for increased longevity
- screws for assembling- these were leftover 1 1/2″ deck screws
- Orchids!
Orchid Green Wall Construction
Because the aluminum siding of our garden shed cannot support any weight it was necessary to add a vertical support that could be anchored to the bracing inside the shed. If your wall is solid and can bear more weight you may not need to have this vertical bracing. In our case though, this piece is actually bearing the weight of each row of plants.
With this piece securely anchored to the interior beams, adding the horizontal supports was easy. I did use my level to make sure each of these crosspieces would align well. Installing 2-3 screws in each support ensures that it will not pivot and holds it in securely.
The final step for this support was to add the Pot Klips. The hardware to attach each piece was included with the clip and made it easy to install. Basically the weight of the pot hold it in place within the clip. These are heavy duty stainless steel so there isn’t a need to worry about rusting over time.
The pots are easy to insert and will also be easy to remove when needed.
With the center pot in place I measured equal distances on each side and continued to add the pot clips to the horizontal board. As the next board was added I decided to alternate the pot positions so that they would be staggered rather than lined up over each other. There isn’t really a horticultural reason for this, simply an aesthetic choice!
Because I am a little crazy, I also decided to put similar orchids together. You can see the bottom row here is all oncidium orchids and the center row is all dendrobiums.
From a distance our orchid green wall is an unassuming addition to the garden. It is a great way for me to grow my orchids, the light is just right and it doesn’t take up much space. Not to mention, see that bottom board? It is empty! I actually have a planned space for additional plants! Absolutely amazing…
