How to Turn a Bicycle Wheel Into a Rotating Vertical Garden

June 26, 2012 by

Take one decommissioned bicycle wheel, insert a felt soil pocket between the wheel spokes, grab some wood and some bits of hardware and you’ve got yourself a rotating vertical garden.

In Rethinking the Wheel, Vanessa Nevers, a graduate student in Landscape Architecture at the University of Oregon, guides vine growth in a spiraling pattern via the wheel’s free rotation.

To DIY, You Will Need:
• a decommissioned bicycle wheel
• a felt soil pocket inserted between the wheel spokes
• a wooden mounting panel
• 1 x 6? carriage bolt run through the panel and wheel
• 2 x radial bearings placed on either side of the wheel
• 1 x cap nut to lock all components in place.

1. Attach the wheel to a flat surface with a wood mounting panel.
2. Once  the panel is secured, place remaining items on to carriage bolt in this order:
–radial bearing
–bicycle wheel vessel
–radial bearing
–cap nut

Via Horticultural Building Systems and Lushe

17 Comments »

  1. grandparentsplus2 said:

    I love this and have to try it!

    — June 27, 2012 @ 07:33

  2. Kellie Walker said:

    Brilliant *and* beautiful. I’m sharing this with all of my gardening friends!

    — June 27, 2012 @ 09:25

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  5. Agen Bola said:

    Wow. Amazingly beautiful and thought provoking.

    — August 16, 2012 @ 22:42

  6. KPod said:

    OK, fine, but what the h-e-double hockey sticks is a “felt soil pocket” and where does someone acquire one??

    — September 14, 2012 @ 10:23

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  10. Mary said:

    Wow…what a cool idea

    — February 13, 2013 @ 13:04

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