Designing and building a gutter garden is a great way to recycle dilapidated gutters while at the same time creating a unique and aesthetically pleasing garden in a small space.
This type of garden can be a great addition to your backyard, deck or patio. You can use to plant edible fruits such as herbs and berries or even plant beautiful flowers in the re-purposed gutter.
The Materials You Will Require To Bring This Garden To Life Include:
Pieces of gutters that have been cut into uniform sections
Cups for both ends of the gutter
Glue used for PVC
Screws and brackets for mounting
An electric power drill, a drill bit and screw
Plants to grow in your new garden such as edibles or flowers and potting soil
Directions For Creating Your Gutter Garden
First ensure that you carefully and thoroughly clean your gutters. Any dirt, grime and parts of flaking shingles should be removed and properly disposed. If your gutters had been painted with lead-based paint ensure that you do not plant any edible plants within.
Use a handsaw to cut and divide your clean gutters into equal sections.
Take the end caps and use the PVC glue to affix them on each end of the gutters.
Use the power drill and bore some small holes along the gutter. The holes are to allow any water to drain.
The next step is repainting the gutters. If you do not want, you do not have to carry out the painting. However, a new coat of paint can make your project more beautiful and aesthetically appealing. If you decide to paint the gutters, ensure that you first apply plastic primer coating before starting the painting. The primer will help the paint you are about to paint stick to the PVC gutter. To achieve the desired look, you may need use two coats of fresh paint on your gutters.
Find a suitable space in your property to hang the gutters. (See an example below).
Ensure that you are placing your newly created gutter garden in a place and position where the plants will be able to receive enough sunlight!
Mark the areas where you will put your brackets. Ideally each channel should get two brackets. If the gutter garden will lie vertically, ensure that you leave sufficient space ideally one foot between each row to give sufficient space for your garden to expand and grow properly. You should also ascertain that your plants be they edibles or flowers are receiving enough direct sunlight.
If you have found an appropriate area for your garden, you should then fasten your garden using screws with the mounting brackets acting as support.
The last step is filling your new gutter gardens with the potting mix. The mix should not exceed the lips of the gutters. Ideally, you should use the lightest soil mixture available. You can be sure that your newly installed garden will invigorate and add beauty to an otherwise dull area in your property!
You can also opt for a professional from Ultimate Roofing helping out. Contact us and see how we can help!