Vertical gardens are nothing new, but in today’s fast paced world where much of our time is spent indoors, they offer a reprieve from inorganic architecture. You can find living walls or vertical gardens everywhere, from shopping malls to new and renovated commercial buildings, where they offer a visually organic break from concrete and brick in metropolitan areas.
If you have considered adding one to your commercial space or residential patio, they are an exciting and versatile addition that provide many benefits. From cooling the space to providing carbon filtration (and improved air quality), to edible walls for culinary aficionados, our team can help you design and build the perfect living wall for your space.
What Are the Benefits of a Living Wall?
There are many practical advantages to installing an indoor or outdoor living wall, as part of your home or business interior design. We know that some plants help cleanse, filter and improve air quality, and this is true for living walls which can increase the oxygen levels and reduce carbons inside, or around the patio area.
Privacy is another benefit that homeowners and businesses achieve, when they decide to build a living wall. Putting up a fence can create an eye sore but transforming that fence into a vertical garden transforms the privacy barrier into something that enhances your enjoyment instead.
In any patio area, temperature and moisture control is important for comfort. A vertical garden or living wall can help moderate temperatures by absorbing UV energy, rather than reflecting it. The plants will thrive when placed as a sun block and privacy screen on an outdoor patio.
If you incorporate mosquito repellent plants such as citronella, lemon balm, catnip, marigolds and basil. Other plants such as lavender and peppermint provide a gentle aroma, while naturally repelling flying insects. Our goal is to always provide natural solutions that reduce the chemical load on the environment and for the health and wellness of our clients. The living wall is an effective strategy to deter pests.
Are They Difficult to Maintain and Care For?
When you first consider installing a living wall, you may be concerned with the maintenance required to care for matrix of plants in the vertical design. Green walls are low maintenance, because they are built with an automatic irrigation system that is also water efficient.
There are two types of living walls that can be designed. Outdoor walls may have peat or other soil compartments that sustain the root system in a modular living wall system, that is split into sections. Plants are rooted in an organic substrate, and as roots mature and die, they provide natural nutrients for the new growth that pushes up and outward to the exterior of the wall.
The technology for modular systems is very complex and allows for different types of plants that have unique moisture requirements. Ongoing recycling and irrigation keep the organic composting process in action, to ensure healthy growth and regeneration of the root systems.
For indoor living wall applications, there are other considerations. Modular systems with soil are not recommended, as there can be soil born pathogens that can impact the air quality. For residential and commercial living walls that are designed for indoor spaces, a hydroponic (or no-soil) design is used.
In the hydroponic soil-less system, a porous material takes the place of the soil and plants are rooted into that material, which distributes moisture and nutrients. This also helps reduce the weight of the wall and keep it light for vertical installation.
Hydroponic lightweight living wall modular systems can also be installed on the exterior of a home or commercial building. With constant water availability through a hydroponic or drip system, this type of living wall is very low maintenance. Smart sensors can also be installed to report on moisture levels and UV lighting systems, to help monitor the health of the living wall and report on any malfunction in the irrigation and hydroponic systems.
Pruning and Harvesting Living Walls
One of the trends right now for both interior and exterior living walls, is to plant a matrix of fresh herbs that can be used for a variety of purposes. From edible flowers that can be incorporated into salads, to fragrant herbs like cilantro and parsley.
Oregano and thyme are fragrant but not too overpowering for an indoor space and will trail (or travel) and spread themselves quickly across a living wall. Basil and sage are good for adding more fullness to the wall with their broad leaf textures. Some people even choose to incorporate delicate lettuce greens and edible chards.
The lowest maintenance required for a living wall is to plant local ivy, which will thrive with almost no effort on a vertical garden. However, there are many creative applications that suit both residential and commercial spaces. Building a wine bar? Consider creating a living wall of quality grapes that can be harvested. Concord grapes are hardy in the Alberta climate zone, and look beautiful throughout the spring, summer and fall season.
One of the good things about an edible wall, is that pruning becomes habitual; every time you want to cook or grill with fresh herbs, you will be maintaining the growth cycle of the herbs. You’ll find any reason to incorporate the delicious (and healthy) home grown herbs in your cuisine, and it is a great conversation piece when entertaining guests or family.
Restaurant owners can revitalize a dining room or bar space, by incorporating an interior living wall and vertical garden. Entice customers with the smell of fresh and aromatic herbs and incorporate a vertical water element with the living wall, to create the experience of a fresh and green oasis for your guests. They look spectacular when installed under a skylight or large natural light source as well.
Prune and serve your guests dishes that incorporate some of the herbs grown via hydroponic and UV lights indoors and create an unforgettable culinary experience for them. An ambiance worth sharing with family and friends.
At Pure Landscape Design and Construction, our professional Landscape Architect will help you determine the best type of living wall and vertical garden irrigation systems for your needs. Our creative team will help you explore colorful and refreshing ideas to help you rejuvenate your indoor or outdoor space.