Image credits: Greenwall Company
With the rise of indoor plants has come the rise of green walls. Whether they’re used to add character to a dull inside space or to invite greenery to a small backyard, living walls have become something of a mainstay for modern homes. But, like indoor plants, keeping them alive proves a challenge for the non-green thumbs among us.
We enlisted the help of Mark Paul, founder of The Greenwall Company, to share his top tips and tricks on choosing, installing and maintaining the perfect green wall. From picking the perfect location to selecting plants, Paul’s advice is a must-read for anyone considering a green wall or green roof.
When it comes to selecting the best option for greening your home, the first thing you need to consider is what look and feel you are trying to achieve. Then you should engage an expert to assess the best planting options, irrigation set up, light access and the environment where the wall or roof will be installed. Working with a horticulturist and an experienced designer will ensure your installation will last the lifetime of the home and in most cases can be moved with you.
Don’t get an artificial green wall! Artificial green walls are made from plastic, a quick fix to provide the appearance of greenery in a space and require dusting on a regular basis. However, as they are made of plastic, artificial walls actually do more harm to the environment than good due to the production and use of plastics. On another note, the artificial walls collect fibres and dust, which means artificial walls are a fire hazard in the home. In some cases, dust builds up and static electricity is generated from walking across synthetic carpet — this has resulted in a number of cases where the plastic walls become highly flammable.
Do install a living green wall or green roof! After getting professional advice on what will work best for the space you have, installing a green wall offers a number of incredible benefits, including aesthetic appeal, improved air quality, noise level reduction, energy cost reduction. Green walls are low maintenance, do not require a lot of space and have great physical health, stress-reducing and general psychological wellbeing benefits due to their aesthetic appeal.
Do consider location. When installing a green wall, considering the location of the installation is paramount. For example, you need to consider lighting based on aspect and whether your green wall is outdoors or indoors. If you live in a high-rise building and you’re planning an outdoor green wall, your plants will need to be very wind resistant.
If you get professional advice before installing your green wall and choose the correct plants for the location you have decided to install it, there is not much to it. Green walls do not require much maintenance in order to keep lush and flourishing as they have an automated irrigation system installed within them and maintain themselves, meaning there is no need to water them. Trimming the plants back every so often is the only maintenance they require to keep healthy.
For selecting plant species, it comes back to location, location, location. You need to consider lighting based on aspect and whether your green wall is outdoors or indoors. If you live in a high-rise building and you’re planning an outdoor green wall, your plants will need to be very wind resistant.
Indoor: A great way to bring the outside in. These soil-less vertical gardens are low maintenance and with access to power and water are run on automatic irrigation systems. However, they do require adequate lighting.
Outdoor: Great for outdoor areas where space is a premium or if there is an unsightly area that needs covering. Green walls can help reduce overall temperatures of a building, improve the quality of air and reduce noise levels.
Eco Pillows: Lightweight gabions are pre-planted and strategically placed on the surface of the roof. Not only do they create a unique aspect to the home but they are also proven to reduce stormwater runoff and provide greater insulation for a building, prolonging the life of the roof membrane and reduce noise penetration.
Pseudo green walls: An economic way for homeowners to green a space. Rather than applying pre-planted panels, individual pots are secured to the desired space. These look just as good when grown out and are a great option for awkward spaces.
Moss walls, contrary to popular belief, are actually not living! For most moss walls, the moss is sourced from the arctic circle, coated, glued and sprayed with acrylic colours. As a result, moss walls do not provide any of the environmental, health and wellbeing benefits to having living plants in the home. On the positive side, they are generally very cheap to install and are good collectors of dust and fibres. Dusting is required and they can be as flammable as artificial green walls.
Of course! Green walls are soil-less vertical gardens grown on the surface of built structures and are designed to mimic the growing conditions found where green walls occur in nature. For those who don’t garden, it is a great solution for some beautiful greenery in your home as it is very low maintenance.