You’ve probably seen many photos showing walls covered with plants, like the one we posted on Facebook recently of a bathtub that looked like it was sitting out in the garden–but it wasn’t. It is sitting next to a “living wall,” a design trend that is growing in popularity among architects, interior designers and landscape artists. But what is a living wall? Let’s take a look.
What is a Living Wall?
Green design used to mean creating buildings that have a low impact on the environment. But now the term encompasses the current “living wall” or “green wall” trend, wherein walls are covered with plants. This article, Vertical Gardens or Living Walls – Martha Stewart Home & Garden, by Martha Stewart magazine gives an overall excellent explanation of what comprises a living wall. But to put it simply, it is a vertical wall covered with plants, which are not rooted into the ground, but into the structure fixed on the wall.
This is a perfect example of a self-contained living wall that is framed and filled with succulents. Stewart recommends succulents for green walls as they have slow-growing, shallow roots, and require little water.
Here is a more elaborate sample of a green wall using various types of plants. One great reason to have more plants, indoor and out, is that green plants can filter the unhealthy toxins in the air. Plants that are really good at removing toxins include: azalea, bamboo palm, chrysanthemum, spider plant, aloe vera, English ivy, elephant ear Philodendron, golden pothos, and peace lily.
Living Large Outside
The trend isn’t just for a small patch of wall inside a home that may not have a garden, such as an apartment or condominium. In the example below, the living walls are on the outside as well as on the inside. Korean architectural firm Minsuk Cho designed this building for the Ann Demeulemeester store in Seoul. Cho’s design uses geotextiles that are planted with a herbaceous perennial to cover the walls.
Does it Save Energy?
As TIME magazine online explains, living walls do not necessarily cut down on a building’s energy use. If done correctly, they can cut down on heating and cooling costs, but, according to TIME, not as much as a green roof can. Living walls can be costly as well. The green walls can cost more than $100 per square foot, as opposed to the $15 to $40 per square foot for a green roof. Costly drip irrigation and monitoring systems may be needed as well, to avoid the walls drying up.
Upwardly Fertile: The Rise of the Vertical Garden – TIME
Make Your Own Green Wall
Now that you know what a living wall is, here’s how to make your own, from wikiHow: How to Make a Living Wall: 7 Steps – wikiHow
But you can also just stack some potted plants in an old armoire, or on rows of shelves, and voila! You’ve got a to-go living wall.