An Aromatherapy Living Wall Garden
Want a brilliant gift to give for the holidays? Why not give an aromatherapy living wall garden and give the gift which keeps on giving. WIN A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK AT THE CONTEST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG POST!
Why an Aromatherapy Living Wall Garden
Aromatherapy gardens can be started inside during the winter, then brought out for a gate or doorway hanging in the spring. These style living wall gardens pack lots of plants in a small space and are entirely weed-free. Below are some excerpts from my latest book, Grow a Living Wall; Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose, teaching you a few tips on growing an aromatherapy living wall garden.
Smells trigger memories and they can change your mood. For instance, [when I was a little girl] on a gorgeous August morning, mist hangs in the air as I get ready for the first day of school. My house is an island in a sea of cornfields in the middle of Indiana, and I wait on my front porch steps for the bus to come down the angling road and pick me up to drive me 10 miles to school. It is already 80 degrees with 90-percent humidity, and as I sit on the steps, I am enveloped in the scent of Mr. Lincoln—the reddest, most beautiful rose I ever did see and the prize of my father’s garden. That rose could lure in any human from 20 feet away with its beautiful, heady, overpowering scent. I would come out early on those first days of school just to have the privilege of sitting next to Mr. Lincoln because his scent was a powerful stimulant. When I smelled this rose, even when my childhood was emotionally complex and filled with drama, I was happy.
Good-smelling things can improve your mood, just as Mr. Lincoln did for me as a child. While aromatherapy is the use of fragrance to enhance health and promote feelings of well-being, there is a limit to the power it has, according to scientific studies. Discussions on essential oil and scents have been going for centuries; Egyptians used odors to treat diseases. Scents are used in modern-day times to relieve pain, reduce chemotherapy side effects, and promote restful sleep. However, the only thing that aromatherapy has been scientifically proven to do is improve mood. I’m all for improving my mood and helping as many people find a positive attitude as possible.
HOW TO PLANT A HOME OFFICE LIVING WALL GARDEN
Pull your Bright Green GroVert Living Wall Planter Kit out of the shipping box and fill it with your favorite soil such as Espoma Organic Potting Soil plant it up with herbs, backfill with any extra soil, water well while it’s flat on the ground, then hang your unit up. After it is hung, it will need to be watered from the top irrigation bin. This planting design includes basil, chocolate mint, cilantro, curry, mint, oregano, sage, lemon thyme, and thyme – you can order seeds or plants through Jung Seed’s online ordering center. Planting it now, then bringing it outside in the spring makes this a great dual-duty living wall and a wonderful gift.
SIX COMBINATION SCENTED PLANT IDEAS FOR AN AROMATHERAPY LIVING WALL GARDEN
• Pizza-Scented Culinary Garden: rosemary + oregano + basil
• Calming Garden: lavender + rosemary + mint or mint-scented geranium
• Stimulating Garden: lemon balm + lemon thyme + lemon geranium
• Happy and Relaxing Garden: rose-scented geranium + lavender
• Memory Stimulating Garden: cinnamon geranium + basil + thyme
• Invigorating Garden: mint + anise hyssop + fennel
Please consider giving my latest book, Grow a Living Wall; Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose, as a holiday gift as well as the aromatherapy living wall garden – I appreciate your support and want to give away a free book to one of my readers.
How to Win the Free Book Contest —
If you would like to win a copy of Grow a Living Wall; Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose, simply leave a comment below telling me where you would like to hang a living wall and why.
THIS CONTEST EXTENDS OVER THE WEEKEND AND ENDS ON 12/6 when a random winner from the comments section will be selected and announced Monday morning 12/7 on the blog post.
CONGRATULATIONS TO VALENCIA CHRISTION! HER NAME WAS SELECTED BELOW BY THE RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR AND WILL BE SENT A BOOK!!!
I have been wanting to get your book and to plant a vertical garden…this is intriguing and I will have to think of a aromatherapy living wall inside and out…I need to find a sunny spot which will be hard indoors perhaps and outdoors the only walls I have are on the vinyl siding….but I would love something close to the patio or porch to enjoy the scents….indoors I would love a wall garden near or in the kitchen for winter herbs…..brilliant idea Shawna!
I adore these and have yet to try one because while I’d love one in my home, I am too concerned about water damage and mold. So! I will look for a good wall outside for next summer. Lovely book, Shawna, good work as always. 🙂
I want to hang one near my front door. To have those great smells greet me when I open the door.
I would hang mine on the back porch where we spend our summers drinking wine, listening to music and looking at the mountain. I could enjoy the fragrance of the herbs and harvest some for grilling.
I would love to make an herb wall garden and place it in my kitchen so they would be handy and smell delicious.
I would hang my living wall in my atrium – a room between my living room, master bedroom and hall. The room provides light for the entire home and I could enjoy the living wall from all vantage points.
Vertical gardens are unknown in Hong Kong, except for ostentatious over-the-top installations in luxury high-rises, tended by an army of staff gardeners. I would love an aromatic hanging garden outside the window of my tiny kitchen (most HK homes are tiny). I have the joy of living in the countryside near the city, and hikers stop on the way by to admire my garden in pots (because feral cows eat the vegetation). A hanging garden would also be a working garden–herbs for cooking, smells and blossom for the soul!
My mom passed on four years ago and we have only sold her home now. Taken cuttings of her beautiful roses – don’t know the names – but your idea of an aromatherapy wall of scents is the perfect place to not only remember mom but also to allow these scents to permeate from the back porch!
This is such an awesome concept. I would hang my living wall right on the front of my house, perhaps the door, like a living wreath. What a wonderful way to be inspired to cook, when greeted at the front door with scent of fresh herbs. Whether it’s dicing a few for a great recipe, salad ir to make a cup of tea, such a great idea…. and no bending! An aging gardeners dream!
I would love this and hang it in my family room where the sun comes in through the sliding glass doors even in the Midwest winters. Using the calming combination, my family of seven (5 kids) will be brought together in love and relaxation!
We would love to hang a living wall all across my sister’s fence with nothing but pumpkin plants (mini pumpkins, mini boo, etc.) with all the fruit and yellow flowers decorating and hanging across entire fence. We love autumn.
I would love to have a living wall garden in front of my house. I live on the highway, so it would brighten the landscape and give commuters something calming and colorful to break up the view of concrete and cow pastures.
This is such a great idea! I would like to use this idea both inside and outside my home. The idea of a hanging garden of herbs really appeals to me, and inside I would make a wall garden of succulents including some of my Hens and Chickens that are descended from my Grandmother’s plant (possibly even older, as I don’t know if she got them from a relative of hers).
I would love the chance to make more living wall Gardens we made 10 with succulents for our home and garden show in April this year it was interesting to see everyone’s ideas hung from a decorative fence leading into the Home and Garden Show entrance I would definitely be interested in exploring different living wall ideas the succulents came out so well IT just couldnt be any simpler
I’d love to grow one at my front door to greet visitors to my home and to help keep mossies (Australian slang for mosquitoes) at bay!i
Have never done one of these. I think it would work well on the back of my chimney which would overlook my deck and the patio below. The pictures you’ve shown are really amazing and inspiring.
I plant a herb garden every spring because I love cooking with fresh herbs. But I hate seeing them die off in the winter. I’ve thought about getting one of those hydrophonic grow boxes, but I don’t really like the way they look (too sterile). I would hang a living wall on the inside of my back door which is made of 15 panes of glass so it would get light all day (I could also install grow lights if necessary). The door is located between the stove and the counter where I prep my food. A living wall would be beautiful, functional and convenient. I would definitely get the pizza-scented culinary garden because those are my favorite herbs. I love this idea!!!
I’d love to plant a wall garden in the bathroom,for it would give a better aroma..The mints would keep the mice out,of house,and all the herbs ,would be great for cooking,for they would be better than buying them from store…Also fresh is the best..Thank you!!Have a great weekend.
Love the concept. Would want one in the bathroom….my spa one since that is where I spend most of my time when I am not in the garden…right ladies!
Gotta bookmark this post and wait for my wife to look at this. She’ll gonna love this idea. Thanks for this post!
I would love to give this to my daughter for her new home.
Hi Shawna!
Love love love this idea! I would hang my living wall everywhere I could to inspire people. I make my living as a gardener, and I’m constantly thinking outside of the box. So thanks for inspiring and showing people how to think outside of the box! You rock
I would love to have one of these in my kitchen!
I would have my vertical garden on the fence by my back patio so I could enjoy both the beauty of the plants, lovely fragrances. and som fresh edibles! But. . . I live in Sweden so I might have to have one indoors for the winter!
My living wall would be located in a high traffic area, like my dining room. As I walk by, I could run my hands along and smell the great aromatherapy.
Shawna, thank you for this awesome inspiring give a way. I would love to create an always-in-season wreath to hang on my garden gate for everyone to enjoy! The gate is in a perfect sunny location, visible when guests arrive and can be seen out of my kitchen window too!! To have your book added to my coffee table collection would be a blessing. Thank you again for inspiring all of us with your wonderful ideas on green living, organic gardening, and healthy food recipes!! Have a wonderful Christmas!!
I would include it in my therapy sessions in long term care and include my residents in building, maintaining and harvesting it!
I love exploring new methods of gardening especially when it can involve food or herbs. It would be great to learn more about a portable vertical garden which could be grown just indoors or moved outdoors for the summer. I would hang it in my “sunroom” (a former porch which was enclosed by a previous owner).
Valencia –
The random number generator selected YOU as the winner of the book! I’ll shoot you an email and get a book out to you right away. Happy Holidays!
Hello Donna,
My name is Yvette and I’m with Bright Green USA the maker of the GroVert Living Wall Planter.
We have a nice selection of vertical planters that can accommodate you situation. Perhaps one of our Mini Vertical planters could fit your indoor dilemma? These are smaller and easier to hang in tight spaces where sunshine can be.
Take a look at our site and see what we have to choose from. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.
Shawna is such a great source for vertical planting ideas you can also refer back to her many videos and articles. And we will share that all of us at Bright Green are huge fans and have her book as well!
Thanks!
Yvette
http://www.buylivingwalls.com
Hello Ailsa,
My name is Yvette and I am with Bright Green USA. After reading your comment I wanted to help direct you in getting a vertical planter of your own. We have many GroVerts to choose from and know that Amazon would be your best bet in purchasing one. Since we do not ship directly to Hong Kong you can look at our site and then purchase through Amazon who could. There are several sizes to choose from which could help you find the best choice for you. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact me at yrizzo@brightgreenusa.com
Attached is the Amazon site:
http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Green-BG-WM8BW-Grovert-Planter/dp/B00AI9C3VM
Thank you,
Yvette
Aromatherapy starts everyday when I wake up and extends in some form all day I have a patio with a wall to the rest get of it I have herbs in pots there aromatherapy plants would be amazing wafting outside and in.
I would love to make my home smell nicer. I didn’t know that you could have a living wall garden! It would be so nice to be able to have my garden on the wall, since then it wouldn’t take up that much space!
Thank you so much for such a nice and informative article about living wall garden. I really enjoyed it so much. I wanna make a green living wall in my home. Thanks again for your article. I will share your article with my friends.