A vertical garden is also referred to as a green wall.
This is either free standing or can be a wall that is part of a building that is completely or partially covered with vegetation. It has a growing medium that could be inorganic or soil. Where the vegetation is normally attached on the wall, it is referred to as a living wall
Types of vertical gardens
and are made of stainless steel, irrigation systems, geotextiles, the growing medium and the vegetation.
Three types of growth media are used in vertical gardens: mat media, loose media and structural media.
Loose media:
Loose media can either be either ‘soil in a bag type’ or ‘soil on a shelf type’ systems. Once the medium is packed on a bag or shelf, it’s then installed on the wall. For these systems the media should be replaced once every year on the exterior or every two years on the interior.
Mat media:
This system is either in felt mats or coir fibre mats. The mat media are thin even when made in multiple layers and therefore would not support a heavy root system from mature plants of more than 3-5 years. These systems are most suited for interiors.
Structural media:
This comprises of blocks that are not loose and are not mats but combine the best features of both. The blocks can be made into various shapes, sizes and thicknesses. The main advantage is that they can last for 10-15 years and be manufactured for low or high water holding capacity required for the plant selected. Other specifications can also be modified to suit the specific plants and the blocks are easily maintained and replaced.
Green facades in Vertical Gardening:
Some of the popular plants in Vertical gardening include, Actinidia, Campsis, Celastrus, Clemantis, Hedera, Heuchera, Lonicera , Wisteria among others.
