What are vertical gardens? technique and characteristics
Vertical gardens are an evolution of green walls and vertical greenery. Vertical gardens make it possible to colonize new spaces inside and outside the architectural envelope with greenery.
vertical gardens make it possible to obtain benefits both on a single building scale (improving the comfort conditions of the interior spaces) and on an urban scale (also positively influencing the microclimate of the neighboring outdoor spaces and effectively transforming the closures of buildings into active elements favor of liveability and the abatement of urban heat islands).
The selection of plant species made by Best Landscape Design and the technological innovation of the plant containment modules allow us to create veritable gardens placed vertically, ideal for outdoor and indoor architecture. The vertical garden is created by us including irrigation and fertigation systems. With the possibility of adding adequate artistic and functional lighting systems for the correct development of plants.
The advantages of this technology from a bio-architectural point of view are innumerable. With positive effects on the livability of the environments and the environmental impact of the buildings. The plants used for greening are effectively pre-cultivated within the nursery structure. To provide an adequate vegetable choice.
The vertical garden is not a simple single-variety green wall. Inside live different selected species. This biodiversity allows suggestive chromatic restitution increasing the landscape value of the installation. The great variety of plant species present represents an added value not only from an aesthetic point of view but also from a functional point of view.
Multi-variety vertical gardens are more protected from specific parasitic attacks and are highly natural. Best Landscape Design has made the vertical garden one of its leading landscape elements.
The real challenge of this very particular type of garden is the purely landscaping one. We are finally able to interpret the wall as a horizontal cultivable surface.
With the help of specially designed and manufactured modules, we can manage the insertion of plants that are already “ready effect” on the wall.
For plants of immediate effect, we mean specimens of plant species that have a development of the crown such as to allow installations that are already mature. With a plant coverage of 97% at the time of delivery of the work. It is no longer necessary to wait for the plants to grow, the landscape effect is immediate. Without having to wait for entire vegetative seasons before being able to appreciate the colors and volumes of the plants inserted.
Vertical gardens are an effective tool for architects and designers in general. Which today can interpret all vertical spaces as surfaces suitable for the creation of a real garden. Planeta is, therefore, able to provide individuals and technicians with all the information useful for the construction of the vertical garden, from the project to its execution.
Best Landscape Design’s great experience has led to the development of specific programs on the management and maintenance of vertical greenery. Able to guarantee the regular development and good health of all the plants inserted. The research carried out by our technicians, with the help of green planners and artists, now allows us to think about the walls and walls of our homes in a different way. Even water can be present in a vertical garden. Enhancing the landscape composition and at the same time improving the mitigation and environmental control performance typical of this type of construction.
To concludes. The vertical gardens in their composition respond to the logic of the construction of the traditional garden. Even the lawn can be inserted and with it a great variety of mosses, lichens, and other compositional elements (rocks, ornamental trunks, and mulched areas).
Advantages and disadvantages of vertical gardens in the house for indoors and outdoors
Following in the footsteps of the large green walls created by Patrick Blanc, vertical gardens have become increasingly popular and popular, especially by those who love greenery but do not have the space necessary for a classic-style garden. At home, on the balcony or terrace, choosing to make a green wall is increasingly fashionable, especially since the advantages of a green wall are very high and, in principle, outweigh any disadvantages. And, in addition to the practicality and the possibility of being able to have a garden even when there is no space, vertical walls are perfect for creating an insulated wall, both from a thermal and acoustic point of view. Furthermore, regardless of the plants that are chosen, vertical gardens increase the oxygenation of the environment and create a filter against polluting dust. Of course, we must not forget the aesthetic advantage: the creation of a vertical garden allows you to cover the simple walls of your apartment, creating green solutions of particular beauty.
While the positive aspects of the green wall are numerous, the disadvantages in creating this particular type of garden are two: the high maintenance required and the costs. Maintenance is essential if you create a vertical garden according to the style proposed by Patrick Blanc: the plants placed side by side tend to overhang to collect as much light as possible so they must be continuously pruned and checked. In addition, the planned irrigation system requires high power, generating considerable energy consumption. To this, we must add the expense of fertilizers, essential to allow the plants to grow in perfect health even in the absence of soil. Finally, as regards the expense, we must not forget the costs for the construction of the load-bearing structure, ie for the aluminum skeleton on which the PVC net and the irrigation system rests. There is talk of costs that are around five hundred euros per square meter.
How to make a vertical garden
When talking about vegetable walls, one should not think of climbing plants such as ivy that cover the walls of a villa, creating a beautiful covering effect with a green and homogeneous mantle. Vertical gardens do not rest directly on the walls as the roots would ruin the structure. The realization of green facades according to Patrick Blanc instead passes through a support base, that is a real frame inside which the plants are inserted.
The frame is characterized by metal support that is fixed to the walls: this frame then has a complex structure made of expanded PVC, several layers of natural fibrous material, and a real irrigation system that allows the distribution of water and nutrient salts to the plant. In this way, the plants always remain detached from the wall of the building, so as not to damage the walls in any way.
How to make a vertical garden: the right technique to make it
As you can easily understand, creating a vertical garden can require different techniques depending on the structure on which it will have to extend. The technique used by Patrick Blanc, as already mentioned, involves the use of a structure fixed to the wall on which a series of support and power modules for the garden are inserted, as well as a real irrigation system to guarantee a correct watering of plants.
However, other techniques are used above all for smaller gardens: these are solutions devised by other botanists, gardeners, or simple enthusiasts, which allow obtaining a perfect result for certain types of environments, whether they are internal or external. A particular technique that can be used in the case of a vertical garden to be built on a balcony is to place a series of pots side by the side whose position allows you to create different shades and colors. It is an economical solution, which does not include particular irrigation or drainage systems but which above all ensures a high aesthetic impact.
You can choose to make the supporting structure yourself or to buy it. The increasing success of vertical gardens has given rise to a market of elements for their realization.
Therefore, in specialized DIY or gardening shops, it is possible to find walls equipped with pots and containers of various sizes and shapes ready to be fixed to the wall.
These are indoor or outdoor solutions, characterized by maximum simplicity of installation and often accompanied by useful advice on how to create your garden, choosing the most suitable plants based on exposure, average temperature, or other parameters depending on the area. where the garden is to be installed.
Finally, very simple and highly economical techniques are those that involve the use of pallets or jute bags to be attached to the wall with simple hooks and to be enriched with small plants, such as aromatic or medicinal ones.
Not just outdoor balconies: vertical indoor gardens
In addition to outdoor environments, plants are often used in the home to embellish the corners of the various rooms. When you have little space available, just like for vertical outdoor gardens, you can choose to create green walls at home, paying particular attention to both the type of plants to choose and, of course, the type of arrangement of the plants themselves. If the creation of a green wall in the style of Patrick Blanc may be too expensive a choice, you can aim to create cheaper solutions, making the most of the same characteristics of the wall, that is the dimensions and the presence of any particular architectural forms.
The main difference between the structures that give life to indoor vertical gardens and those used for open environments is that the former must fit best into the context of the room, i.e. they should be in style with the furniture and with the intended use. the room. If the vertical garden is to be inserted in a rustic kitchen, for example, the solution with pallets, that is, with pallets, can still be very practical. You can also choose to varnish the wood to achieve the color that best matches that of the furnishings or particular accessories.
Conversely, if you want to create your vertical garden in a modern environment, where steel and glass are the masters, the choice of materials with which to create your green wall must be different. It will be possible to purchase ready-to-use elements, such as grid structures made of metal on which to attach the different vases, necessarily characterized by a modern design and materials. Or you can focus on glass vases, to be attached to the wall using pins or hooks. In this case, it is better to use expanded clay balls instead of the ground, to improve drainage and the aesthetic appearance of the garden itself.
The creation of the vertical indoor garden is strictly connected not only to the decor of the room but also to the type of walls. For example, if you have stone walls, with tiles, with wooden or other panels, you need to select the right containers for the plants to be sure of aesthetic continuity. The choice of plants is also fundamental: a very bright room, for example, can focus on plants with light or darker leaves depending on the type of effect you want to create. In the case of a dimly lit room, however, it is better to choose plants with lighter leaves, also aiming for flowering plants, to give an extra touch of color to the environment.
What plants to choose for the vertical garden
Patrick Blanc also used up to three hundred different species of plants for his vertical gardens. Naturally, it was a question of creating a very large surface, namely a Mur Végétal that covered entire multi-story buildings. When creating a vertical home garden, you must necessarily reduce your expectations and, above all, aim for easily cultivable species suitable for the type of climate in which you live. Finally, it must be specified that the choice of plants for vertical gardens also depends on the type of structure used for the garden.
It is one thing to create a large professional Mur Végétal, characterized by an automatic drainage and fertilization system, another to have to create a small green space of a few square meters that is easy to manage and maintain.
For this reason, the most suitable plants for DIY vertical gardens are those with high resistance, preferably evergreen to guarantee the garden an annual beauty. Furthermore, it is always better to focus on native plants, that is, coming from the geographic or climatic areas of the place where the green wall is created: in this way it will be possible to have the certainty of greater resistance to temperatures, both winter, and summer. . Apart from the native species, the types of plants that ensure lasting success are the fat and semi-fat species. Creating a garden with this type of plant means not having to use energy for maintenance, given that they are highly resistant species, which use little water and which, with a minimum effort, can guarantee a high impact. aesthetic.
If you have more time to devote to your green wall, you can instead focus on flowering plants. By always choosing species with high resistance, you can be sure of a limited commitment: pruning and cleaning will be necessary when the flowers wither but you will not have to worry too much about real interventions on the plant. Among the flowering plants most exploited for vertical outdoor gardens are geraniums, begonias, or impatiens. Also of great aesthetic impact is aptenia cordifolia, a semi-succulent hanging plant with characteristic fuchsia flowers that is very easy to care for.
The choice of plants is also connected to the type of support that can be created. If you do not want to invest in specific structures for supporting vases or other containers to be attached to the wall, you can make use of jute bags, bottles, plastic trays, or other containers that can be easily fixed to the wall with hooks or nails. In this case, the dimensions of the container become fundamental for the choice of the species. If you have small containers you should focus above all on aromatic plants or succulents, which can be associated to create particular compositions. However, by aiming at small pots and containers, it will be possible to increase the selection of species to be used for the realization of one’s green wall.
At home, more constant temperatures allow you to choose even more delicate plants. For example, orchids are widely used, especially in modern and essential contexts. If, on the other hand, you want to create a wall more similar to those proposed by Patrick Blanc, the choice must be above all among the evergreen species. The most popular species are those that are commonly used as houseplants but which can find a new interpretation in the vertical position. For an evergreen vertical wall, you can therefore use plants such as Aglaonema Crispus, with a silver-green color, Syngonium, with leaves characterized by light streaks, or Sansevieria liberica with tapered leaves. They are plants that in addition to guaranteeing a particular beauty to the wall, guarantee an air-purifying effect not only due to the high emission of oxygen but also because they can absorb formaldehyde and other pollutants from the environment. All of these plants are highly hardy, need little water, and have low maintenance.
Last tips for creating DIY vertical gardens
Those who have little space available on the balcony but do not want to give up having a garden at home can choose to create a green wall. Of course, if the costs of installing a Patrick Blanc-style vertical garden can be prohibitive, cheaper but still impressive solutions can be found. To create a do-it-yourself vertical wall it is necessary to make use of a little imagination, some easily recoverable tools, and a project that allows you to create a colorful, elegant garden that can best harmonize with the context.
Ideas for creating a vertical garden
Use old frames for the Mur Végétal
One of the simplest ways to create a vertical garden is to recycle old frames of paintings or photographs, choosing above all those in wood or plastic materials and trying to avoid metal ones. First, a coat of waterproofing paint must be applied to the frame – especially the wooden ones. To create your garden, you will need to insert a wire mesh inside the frame, with meshes of such size that you can easily insert the bases of the selected plants. Subsequently, it will be necessary to cover the net and the roots of the seedlings with well-pressed soil.
The ideal plants for this type of solution are succulent and semi-fat ones. The former can be a perfect choice for small paintings, the latter for larger frames. However, it must be remembered that semi-succulent plants are often hanging: therefore they will need to be pruned often so as not to weigh down the frame too much. Creating different frames to be placed side by side and to be set up with different species will allow you to create a wall full of color, for a vertical garden that is easy to create and at low cost. This type of solution is particularly suitable for creating a vertical garden on a balcony: in fact, it requires little space and, above all, it can be modulated in size and extension using frames of various sizes, so it can also be used for very small balconies.
Plastic bottles and containers: a recycled vertical garden
In recent times, the increasing attention to the environment has led to the choice of recycling as a solution to various problems. Among these, that of creating a low-cost vertical garden with a high environmental impact. If you do not have the financial resources to give life to a green wall according to the dictates of Patrick Blanc, you can follow a much simpler but equally efficient path from the point of view of aesthetic remains.
You can choose plastic bottles or containers to be transformed into practical and light vases to be fixed to the walls. Among the most suitable containers, there are certainly trays for industrial ice cream. By fixing the trays to the wall with pressure hooks, you can create interesting vertical garden solutions in which, to the colors of the plants, you can also add those of the trays themselves, to be placed on the wall to create elegant colors. In the case of bottles, they can be positioned vertically, creating small vases simply by cutting the bottle in half, or horizontally.
Regardless of how the bottles or plastic trays are used, you must always remember to make small holes in the base to allow excess water to escape, avoiding stagnation that can cause the plants to rot.
But which species to use for this type of garden? The solutions can be many, since both the trays and the plastic bottles can guarantee a large space for decorative, hanging, or medicinal plants. However, woody bushes whose weight may not be compatible with the strength of the pot made from plastic bottles and containers should be avoided.
Vertical gardens with pallets
Pallets are among the most used materials for the construction of vertical gardens of varying sizes. Their wooden structure and the alternation between the axes and the empty spaces have made these materials for transporting a perfect element for recycling, which can be used in different contexts. Making a vertical garden with the pallet is very simple but you must always remember, once its construction is completed, to close the rear part to ensure greater support to the ground and, at the same time, longer life for the garden itself.
The pallet can be attached to the wall at different heights depending on the aesthetic or space requirements, with nails and hooks, or placed on the ground. Depending on the aesthetic needs and characteristics of the balcony, it can be left natural or painted in different shades to brighten the balcony with different colors.
Finally, an important detail to take into consideration for the construction of a garden with a pallet is given by the dimensions of the wooden planks that make it up and above all by the distance between the various axes. According to the different spaces, wall gardens can be created with plants of various types. The most suitable, in any case, is always the fatty or semi-fatty species, medicinal or aromatic plants.
If the pallet is attached to the wall, it is necessary to consider the hypothesis of choosing hanging plants, able to cover large parts of the walls with their color.
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