High time to grow up

Clever garden designers have burst on to the green scene by thinking laterally – or vertically, in fact – when it comes to getting creative with small spaces.

“The dynamic quality about vertical gardens, is that you can create 110m2 of garden within a 10m2 floor space,” says Durban landscape artist Brendon Edwards. “Aesthetically, they provide very powerful imagery as you experience the whole garden immediately, unlike a conventional garden that one needs to walk through to appreciate the visual impact of colour and texture.”

The look and feel of a vertical garden can be designed to suit almost every need and taste of the user. No one green wall needs be the same.

The fundamental reason that this form of wall-scaping can be successfully created, says Edwards, is that plants do not need soil in order to grow.

“Firstly, a frame is built on the wall over which a waterproof membrane is fixed. Placed over this is an inert matrix, which acts as the soil into which the chosen plants are bedded, and through which a micro-drip irrigation system is woven.” The upside of this garden is that is that it does not have to be cleaned. The irrigation cloth is a micro-ecosystem that recycles through a biological process.

“Water and plant food are pumped through the system and filtered down to a gutter, from where the water is recycled. Over time, the garden becomes its own self-sustaining ecological environment,” says Edwards.

Apart from greening outdoor and interior walls the environmental benefits are impressive. This natural wall covering reduces heat-loss from the building, acts as a natural insulator, cleans the air around it and acts as a soundproof barrier.

As well as recycling the water through the irrigation system, excess water from air-conditioning units and grey water can be used to feed the living walls.

If you are keen to push the boundaries when it comes to traditional gardening principles and can’t grow out – grow up. Create a three-dimensional living piece of art that will add beauty and energy to any urban space. - The Mercury

The modern vertical gardens, also referred to as living walls, bio walls or green walls, can be entirely attributed to French botanist and artist Patrick Blanc. When he created his ‘mur vegetal’ collection, the green world sat up and took instant notice.

His numerous creations, which include the exterior of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris and the parliament in Brussels, prove that living in a city does not have to mean abandoning the natural world.

Blanc has helped to solve one of the biggest urban planning problems of modern times – how to find space for the greenery that we need to maintain our air quality and emotional health.