Vertical Gardening | 50 plants grown in just four square feet

Carol Yaw has seen the complete evolution of Charley’s Greenhouse & Garden; her husband, Charley, started the business in 1973, and it’s been growing ever since.

However, one thing Carol — who is senior merchant at Charley’s — says has remained constant is their commitment to efficiency and eco-friendliness.

A year ago, Charley’s began carrying the Garden Tower 2, which has helped them stay current and connect with a new generation of gardeners.

“We’re such a mobile society and moving around so much, that it’s a unit that you can take up and move,” she says. “And if you’re in an apartment, you can grow on the patio with it.”

The Garden Tower is a vertical plant growing and composting system, making it possible to grow 50 plants in just four square feet. The Garden Tower features 45 garden openings that surround a long tube running down the center of the system, which holds the vermicomposting system, plus space on the top for five additional plants.

The Garden Tower 2 has features upgraded from its original design, including enhanced nutrient distribution, stacking and nesting planting rings, 360-degree rotation for optimum sun exposure, removable compost tea drawer and screen, 100 percent recyclable BPA-free plastic, sturdy anchoring feet and a higher UV resistance.

“We see it as [having] so many possibilities because of the space it doesn’t take up, and what you can grow in it,” Yaw says. “I don’t know of anything [else] that you can put your kitchen scraps in and get organic fertilizer, get the tea from, and recycle the water.”

Yaw also praises Garden Tower Project for being in tune with modern consumers, and its ability to hone in on what gardeners need and desire. The product is perfect for customers who are innovative and creative.

“People look to us for new quality ideas for growing, especially because a lot of our customers grow their produce in the greenhouse, so this product really substantiates [creativity and sustainability],” Yaw says. “It’s made to last. Most [customers] want to extend their gardening season, so this is a kind of extension of the indoor greenhouse.”

The Garden Tower 2 is a winner of the Green Thumb Award’s Best New Product, and Charley’s also took it to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, where they received rave reviews.

“It attracted a great deal of attention,” she says. “It was great, and it brought new [customers] to us, and it’s continued to bring new people to us who didn’t know about us.”