plant me a picture...

I came across an article on green buildings today. Companies planting rooftop gardens above their offices, ledges and unused corners of towers being planted up with greenery and new inventive ways to use the space you have in a green way. Apparently these green buildings have the potential to reduce city temperatures by up to 2 degrees. Basically it's all about using any available space in your work or home environment and add a bit of green.
...Now, I live in a small apartment in the inner city area. No yard here (...that I can plant into, although I plan to do some gorilla gardening before too long *evil laugh*) and it's so hot in my apartment (sadly no air con either) that everything I try to grow in pots dies. This got me to thinking... How can I make my little slice of the city a little greener?
I eventually stumbled across an idea within a segment I saw ages ago on Better Homes and Gardens (yes, I'm a bit of a Nanna at heart) Try it out...

 DIY plant art:

How to:

- Find yourself a shallow planter tray the aprox ideal size for your "picture" (ensure it's deep enough for the plants root system though, aprox 4-5cm).

- Fill the tray with potting mix ensuring the soil is quite compact.

- Cut a sheet of chicken wire several centimeters larger than your tray, making sure you have enough wire to wrap over and around the tray and secure together at the back of the tray.

- Place the wire over the top/front of your tray, cut away the corners and fold wire around tray. Secure at the back of the tray with wire twists or string.

- Fasten the plants by carefully feeding the plants roots through the holes of the wire. Add more soil as needed and pat down to compact soil and secure plants.

Leave the tray to settle for a few weeks if possible.

Spray the plants every day or two to begin with (once a week during winter). After a month or two, spray every other day.

I'm going to try it out. I can see at great spot on my little balcony wall that would look perfect with some in green.

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