Living Walls: The Next Step in Landscaping

The new frontier in Landscaping is the area of Garden Walls. Living Walls offer a way to increase the number of plants available in a space and can transform an ordinary wall or fence into something beautiful. Green Walls help reduce the amount of pollution in the air, as well, making them a useful addition to small gardens and patio areas, particularly those in more urban spaces.

Planning for Living Walls

A Live Wall requires careful planning, due to weight considerations and design. A single square foot of a Green Wall can weigh up to 40 pounds when wet, which puts considerable strain on the structure. Due to this, it is vital to check the weight restrictions for the wall you plan to use and also to look at the specs for the garden wall products.

Wall Planters range from bags that hang from the wall to actual boxes and everything in between. Which style you plan to use will depend on the design for the wall. A larger space may require different planning, due to the weight of the soil and plants, than a small square will. The types of plants to be used will also affect decisions as to which planting systems to use.

The design of the wall should be drawn up ahead of time to ensure the best placement of plants for color and texture. This will allow for proper placement of the plants early on, rather than changing things around once the plants have grown.

Which Plants to Use

The best plants for use in Green Walls are those which will cover the supports or planters. These include very leafy plants and hanging ones. Anything that works in a hanging basket will usually look good on a Live Wall. Many landscapers have had great success using succulents, as well.

Caring for a Living Wall

Garden Walls require a bit more care, due to the fact that they are functioning with minimal soil. This means that they will usually need to be watered more frequently than those planted in a flower bed.

Irrigation systems are the best way to handle this type of landscaping, particularly in larger projects. The manufacturer of the wall planting system should offer recommendations for irrigation which can easily be integrated with the system.

Garden Walls are becoming a big part of the Landscaping industry and more businesses are looking for Green Walls to use in offices or Living Walls for the side of building to add a more eco-friendly look to the area.