A vertical garden, popularly known as a green wall or living wall, is an innovative greenery design that grows plants vertically, creating a fauna haven in your apartment. While overcoming the challenge of limited space in metropolitan areas, vertical gardens also add beauty, increase air quality, and improve biodiversity in your apartment.
Vertical gardening has increasingly gained popularity in the past decade due to its myriad benefits, multifunctionality and aesthetic appeal. In addition to transforming the ambience of your urban living quarters, these fascinating eco-designs also offer an expressive palette of vibrant, natural colors and textures that reinvigorate a space. But how exactly can you introduce this piece of nature to your apartment?
1. Vertical Garden Design: Choosing the Appropriate System
The choice of vertical garden system depends on the plants you wish to grow, available light, and the extent of care you’re willing to provide. There are three common types of vertical gardening systems: pocket gardens, panel systems, and freestanding walls.
Pocket gardens use a series of stacked vertical pockets made out of canvas or felt material, which are ideal for succulents, trailing varieties or even herbs. Panel systems have a pricier upfront cost, but they offer excellent support for various plant types including veggies and larger plants. Freestanding walls, on the other hand, use pots or containers attached to a frame, providing ample versatility to change plant arrangements.
2. Suitable Plants for Vertical Gardens
Choosing the right type of plants is essential for the prosperity of your vertical garden. When selecting plants, consider the amount of sunlight that reaches your garden, the climatic conditions of your region, the nature of the root system (whether it’s deep or shallow), and the plant’s compatibility with the chosen system.
Common choices for indoor vertical gardening include ferns, bromeliads, philodendrons, succulents, and edible herbs. Pothos, air plants, and snake plants are also excellent choices due to their air-purifying qualities and low-maintenance characteristics.
3. Maintenance and Upkeep of Vertical Gardens
Unlike traditional gardens, vertical gardens require specialized care and maintenance to thrive. Always ensure the plants receive the exact amount of sunlight to grow, erring on the side of less sun since most indoor plants can thrive in low-light conditions. Similarly, establish an efficient watering system that prevents waterlogged pockets while ensuring every plant gets sufficient water. Regularly prune and trim your plants to maintain a neat appearance and keep pests at bay.
4. Advantages of Vertical Gardens
Relaxation and wellness factor: Plants are known to create a calming ambience, reducing stress by releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Vertical gardens can boost your apartment’s air quality and contribute to overall wellbeing.
Space-saving: For urban dwellers, a vertical garden is a practical solution to bring nature inside without needing a large space.
Soundproofing: Plants can absorb frequencies within the 500 Hz to 2,000 Hz range. Therefore, a vertical garden can reduce noise in your apartment, promoting a more serene environment.
Improved aesthetics: A vertical garden is a natural work of art that can completely transform your living space. The vibrant range of colors and textures create visual interest, significantly enhancing the aesthetics and feel of your space.
5. Case Studies: Famous Indoor Vertical Gardens
Sainte-Justine hospital’s Centre of Excellence, Quebec, houses a living wall known as the “Tree of Life” that consists of over 3000 plants representing 12 species.
Another notable vertical garden is the one inside Wheelock Place in Singapore. This impressive living wall adds a splash of green to the urban cityscape, improving air quality and aesthetics.
Indeed, vertical gardens have the power to radically transform urban living spaces, both aesthetically and functionally. They are the epitome of brilliant, space-saving design that allows you to enjoy the benefits of nature in any part of your living quarters. Undeniably, vertical gardens are an invaluable addition that can seamlessly blend the indoors and outdoors, providing a captivating spectacle of nature right inside your apartment. Whether you are an experienced gardener or a green novice, there is a vertical garden that suits your needs and preferences.
