We've seen how vertical gardens can use a variety of different types of media and come in different shapes and sizes.
Ambitious projects such as ClearPoint residences in Sri Lanka are helping to create sustainable urban environments and more pleasant living spaces.
If you're planning something a bit less ambitious closer to home, you'll probably be wondering which plants you should select for your garden.
The Royal Horticultural Society recommends using climbers and wall shrubs, pointing out that pyracantha or ceanothus claddings can provide many of the benefits offered by more complex systems.
Fruit trained as espaliers can also be used – once they are established, espaliers require little pruning and produce attractive blossom and fruit.
Most kinds of vegetables can be grown vertically, providing the soil is deep enough, but it makes sense to plant vine varieties where possible, of course.
Ideal vegetables include pole beans, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes and winter squash and gourds. However, extra support may be needed for some of the heavier varieties.
Grasses and herbs also make ideal plants for vertical gardens. If your wall is in a sunny position, consider using strawberries, oregano and thyme. Varieties suitable for shadier positions include chard, chives, land cress, lambs lettuce, lettuce, parsley and rocket.
Plants for summer interest, such as belgonias and busy lizzies, perform well on vertical walls, while ivy-leaved pelargoniums, petunias and verbena are also ideal varieties.
Plants should be introduced at as small a size as possible, ideally as plugs, because this gives them a better chance of becoming established.
You don't have to put your green wall outside, of course – increasingly, people are beginning to use them as an indoor feature. These require artificial lighting and may need a drip irrigation system to ensure they flourish.
The ideal time to begin planting your vertical garden is spring, as plants will have a better chance of establishing themselves quickly.
You might think it's a bit late to start planting your wall this year, but that gives you plenty of time to plan next year's project.
