Living Walls

Vertical gardens have been around since the time of Ancient Babylon with the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. About 25 years ago, Patrick Blanc, a French botanist brought back the concept of hanging gardens by making it a means to insulate homes and cleanse the air in communities.
The modern hanging gardens first made its appearance at the Museum of Science and History in Paris in 1988. The world noticed this groundbreaking re-introduction and paved the way for what is today called living walls.

Living walls first started gaining popularity in institutional and commercial spaces. Businessowners went for living walls to make known their commitment to saving mother earth.
Today living walls are finally being seen in many residential homes. The introduction of new and innovative products has made the installation of living walls more accessible.
A living wall is a wall completely wrapped with plants. A living wall may have vines or ivy crawling over it. It can also have potted plants hanging on it to form a vertical garden.

Living walls enhances the aesthetic beauty of your home. They add a lot of drama, too. Living walls can transform a boring space into impressive vertical gardens. Not known to many is the fact that living walls can also benefit a person’s overall well-being.

1. Impressive Appearance
The sight of plants growing in walls or any vertical space is always a beautiful sight. There are many colorful plants that can grow in vertical gardens adding beauty to your landscaping.

2. Cooler Environment
Plants promote a cooler environment because they release moisture into the air. When you place a seating area beside a living wall, you will feel cool even during hot days.

3. Improved Air Quality
Plants purify the air amidst pollution. Improvement in the quality of air as a result of the surrounding plants can enhance your cognitive abilities and alertness.

4. Enhances Outdoor Privacy
Incorporating living walls in your landscape design can separate areas in your outdoor space. Living walls can also block your neighbor’s view of your home while in turn providing you with an incredible view of a lavish vertical garden.

5. Continuous Supply of Fresh Herbs
If you want to grow your own herbs but have space issues, a vertical herb garden all solve the problem.

6. Promotes the Biophilia Hypothesis
The Biophilia hypothesis states that human beings possess an inherent tendency to search for a connection with nature. As such, having a living wall will lift your mood and make you more upbeat and alert.

7. Health Benefits
Being around living walls can reduce your risk of getting allergies. Living walls can also increase your resistance from developing the flu. The focus of children with ADHD is also enhanced when they live within living walls. Plants have also long been recognized as having psychological effects on humans but it is only
in the recent years that these benefits have been proven. Studies have shown that being around living walls promotes the feeling of calmness and therefore provides a relief from stress.

8. Noise reduction
Living walls can also block excessive noise from your neighborhood. This is so because vegetation has the capacity to naturally impede sound with high frequencies. The living wall structure on the other hand is able to block noise with low frequency. Living walls in effect function as added insulation through a layer of air between the wall and the plants.

9. Protects your Home
Living walls help reduce damages that may be caused by UV rays to the surface protecting your home from wind and fluctuations in temperature.

10. Increases the Value of Your Property
You can transform your living wall into a canvass to create your own unique designs. Now-a- days buyers are always searching for a home with beautiful outdoor living areas. A living wall is a focal point that can make your home one of the most sought after properties thus increasing its value.

In this system plants grow in moisture-retaining and breathable bags. These bags are often made from recyclable materials and are screwed directly to the wall. Plants can be watered manually or a drip-type irrigation system can be installed. This living wall is ideal for use inside the home or in an outside garden.

In this system plants are placed in individual pots. The plastic pots are held by a metal frame mounted on the wall. Plants can be watered manually or irrigation tubing can be attached to the metal frame. This living wall is ideal for indoor gardens.

In this system, plants grow in compartmentalized panels. A wall rack holds the panels which are separately mounted. Plants should be allowed to pre-grow horizontally during the first 8 weeks after which they can be installed vertically. An irrigation system needs to be installed and this type of living wall needs waterproofing. This living wall is ideal for outdoor gardens. You can grow any plant species on South Florida living walls. The only limitations are the
weights of the mature plants.