Of the many trends that have been seen in urban design, the living wall is one that garners a lot of interest. Also called vertical gardens or green walls, a planting system is built into the wall of a property, or a freestanding wall, and a variety of plants are added. An irrigation system may be built into the wall itself, and while some maintenance may be required, these vertical gardens are typically designed to be as low maintenance as possible.
Living walls are popular with commercial building owners and have become increasingly popular in major cities like London, where space for planting and greenery can be severely limited. Even if you don’t have any external space for planting, which is not uncommon in London and other cities, you can still enjoy the benefits of planting and natural outdoor space.
As well as looking beautiful, green walls can also improve air quality, reduce heating costs, and reduce noise pollution inside the building. A green wall can even increase the value of your property, when it comes time to sell, and you obviously don’t require a lot of space. Another beneficial use of a green wall is to introduce planting to a small outdoor area, leaving you free to fill your yard with seating, eating, and meal preparation items.
For those that don’t have outdoor space, a living wall offers obvious benefits. It means that you can enjoy natural planting despite not having any garden space. Although the choice of plants and shrubs that you can choose may be limited, there is still a decent selection to choose from. Short of converting the roof to a roof garden, or filling the balcony with planting, there are few other ways in which you can enjoy this type of planting if you don’t have a back garden.
Green walls help both the local and global environment. The addition of a vertical garden also offers improvements to your overall living condition. The planting provides a natural barrier against the cold, which means that you can greatly reduce heating costs during winter. Not only does this mean that you cut your gas or electricity spend, but it means that you can enjoy cleaner and more natural air, and that you will reduce your carbon footprint, therefore helping to do your part for the environment. External noise levels are also reduced by the introduction of a living wall, so you don’t have to pay for additional glazing or for soundproofing to enjoy a tranquil and peaceful surrounding.
There are other benefits to green walls too. They can liven up a drab neighbourhood, that would otherwise be full of flats and bare walls. They typically add value to a property, and some systems can be set up so that they do not require any ongoing care or maintenance. You can simply sit back and enjoy the planting that is been installed on the outside of your property.
Garden Club London specialises in urban garden for London property owners. Whether you have a commercial and residential building, want urban gardening, rooftop gardening, or the design and installation of a living wall, they can provide the design and implementation.