Living Walls, also known as plant walls, green walls or vertical gardens, are becoming an important trend in designing spaces over the last few years. Integrating living art into inside and outside spaces is beautiful, and also has a number of other benefits and purposes. Here are some of the frequently asked questions I receive:
• What does a living wall add to your home?
When designing spaces, my goal is to bring the beauty of the outside and inside harmoniously together. Living Walls are an ideal way to achieve this vision.
Living Walls can help express the personality and style of a home. They can be beautiful with a simple clean design, or be highly intricate and deeply captivating.
Living Walls can change the feeling of a space in two ways: visually, through color, texture and artistic beauty, and functionally, through air purification, sound insulation, and by controlling room temperature.
• What are different ideas for creating one? ie all-over greenery, potted plants on the wall, etc.
There are many options and ways to bring living walls into the home. Some systems are DIY and easy to install, and can be of varying sizes and shapes. Just be mindful to install as per instructions to avoid complications from any excess water.
Some systems have pockets, some have trays, and a large space can even be covered by simple planters hung together. For larger Living Walls, a reputable professional installation might be a good option and may also provide ongoing maintenance and care.
The frame of a Living Wall can be a key part of the design element. We have created Living Walls using reclaimed wood that provides beauty and sustainability.
Another option instead of a “Living Wall” is a framed piece using preserved layered moss pieces. These are beautiful, require no care at all, and look beautiful for years.
• What should you consider about upkeep & irrigation?
Living Walls are typically watered using hidden drip irrigation systems that are drip-free, or capture excess water in a reservoir. To keep costs down some systems allow for hand-watering, but can be more difficult to maintain. Some systems can recycle the water which reduces the frequency for watering.
Work with your local nursery to determine the appropriate fertilizer for your specific plants on your Living Wall. With proper watering, pruning and fertilization and the right placement for sunlight, Living Walls can thrive for years.
• What are ideas for greenery that will hold up year-round?
Each region can accommodate year-round green walls. You can work with an installer to identify the right plants and location for year-round living walls. Some great greenery ideas: pathos, ferns, coleus, moss, succulents or air plants.
• Where is the best place to put it?
From a design perspective, Living Walls can be tastefully placed in almost any room and look beautiful. Many people overlook hallways and entryways as an opportunity for Living Walls to bring life to a space.
From a logistical perspective, the best place to put Living Walls depends on the plants selected. It is ultimately a matter of choosing the right system and the right plants for the location you select. It’s probably wise to keep your Living Wall away from direct air conditioning or heating vents.
If you are one of the few homes that actually has some free space in the kitchen, a Living Wall could be a wonderful accent and culinary resource! Imagine having fresh basil, mint, thyme and parsley right at your fingertips!
• What should you consider about sunlight?
Living walls can thrive in locations of abundant sunlight, partial-sun or without much sunlight at all, and truly depends on the plants that are chosen. Typically, 4-6 hours of natural sunlight a day is sufficient.
If you do find that natural light is not available, there are UV lights that can be purchased and installed nearby.