Make your walls more exciting!
By: Garden Gate staff

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Brighten up a blank wall
What color is your wall? Choose planters in a similar shade for a more formal look. This pair of terra-cotta wall planters coordinates well with the orange brick background, along with the plants inside.
As the orange calibrachoa (Calibrachoa hybrid) and white euphorbia (Euphorbia hypericifolia) billow out of the top, they soften the hard lines of the mortar. To keep the containers in place, drill a pilot hole into the mortar and install a lead screw anchor. This handy device expands so the screw won’t come loose.

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Break up a wall
You can also use the warmth of terra-cotta to break up a cool green wall, like this one covered in Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata).
Framed by foliage, these wall planters are topped off with colorful impatiens (Impatiens hybrid). Choose plants suited to the shady conditions under the eaves. Hanging out of the rain, they may need a little extra watering.

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Add ornaments
Coordinate ornaments that are close by for a cohesive look. The woven planter on the wall is similar in color and style to the wire-frame bench below.
Help keep the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) looking good by growing it in a plastic liner inside the quick-draining wicker.

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Upcycled planter
Not everything is what it seems — this wall planter is made from a set of stackable resin storage units, found at most hardware stores, and framed by four pieces of treated lumber.
Drill a few holes in the bottom of each bin and plant whatever annuals suit your garden’s style and home. The wall is painted a light color, which reflects the sun, so the planters may need to be watered more often.
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