10 Reasons to Have a Living Wall in Your Home
Want to spruce up a boring wall, save on space and create privacy? It’s time to try a vertical garden
Laura Gaskill
3 October 2015
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
When you live in an urban area, any sort of greenery can be hard to come by – but vertical gardens offer a wonderful way to refresh your living space, inside and out. From boosting privacy to enhancing small outdoor areas, here are 10 reasons to love this surprisingly versatile garden feature.
Disguise a bland wall
A small patio hemmed in by high buildings can feel restrictive, especially if the walls surrounding it are less than attractive. Consider adding a vertical garden for a double-duty solution. With row upon row of plants stretching as far as the eye can see, it doesn’t just cover up the offending wall, it creates a focal point.
A small patio hemmed in by high buildings can feel restrictive, especially if the walls surrounding it are less than attractive. Consider adding a vertical garden for a double-duty solution. With row upon row of plants stretching as far as the eye can see, it doesn’t just cover up the offending wall, it creates a focal point.
Make a small outdoor space feel more expansive
Plants blur the boundaries along the fence lines in this walled city garden, creating a more open feeling. Try adding a mixture of potted plants, greenery in large planters and climbing plants to create layers of lush green in your own urban garden.
Plants blur the boundaries along the fence lines in this walled city garden, creating a more open feeling. Try adding a mixture of potted plants, greenery in large planters and climbing plants to create layers of lush green in your own urban garden.
Create an invitation to the outdoors
Planting a vibrant vertical garden in an outdoor room that’s visible from inside the home is a wonderful way to encourage indoor-outdoor flow. The lush foliage beckons you outside, making even a small routine (like drinking your morning coffee) more likely to happen out in the fresh air.
Planting a vibrant vertical garden in an outdoor room that’s visible from inside the home is a wonderful way to encourage indoor-outdoor flow. The lush foliage beckons you outside, making even a small routine (like drinking your morning coffee) more likely to happen out in the fresh air.
Bring the outside in
Create your own verdant sanctuary indoors with a lush green wall in the bathroom. Mossy plants do well in the humid conditions of the bathroom and create a soft, spa-like backdrop for soaking in the bath.
Steal one of these simple tips for bringing a little of the outside in
Create your own verdant sanctuary indoors with a lush green wall in the bathroom. Mossy plants do well in the humid conditions of the bathroom and create a soft, spa-like backdrop for soaking in the bath.
Steal one of these simple tips for bringing a little of the outside in
Add life to urban exteriors
An exterior wall covered top to bottom in vertical plantings is delightfully unexpected – just imagine walking home along a row of plain brick and stucco facades and happening upon this living wall of green. Your visitors will certainly never have trouble finding your house!
An exterior wall covered top to bottom in vertical plantings is delightfully unexpected – just imagine walking home along a row of plain brick and stucco facades and happening upon this living wall of green. Your visitors will certainly never have trouble finding your house!
Stand in for art
When framed and hung on the wall, a vertical garden can become a one-of-a-kind display that will get guests talking. Succulents with a sculptural shape, or those with delicate, trailing tendrils, are especially well suited to this project.
Discover more ways to create an outdoor feature wall
When framed and hung on the wall, a vertical garden can become a one-of-a-kind display that will get guests talking. Succulents with a sculptural shape, or those with delicate, trailing tendrils, are especially well suited to this project.
Discover more ways to create an outdoor feature wall
Create your own green view
Lacklustre vista? Plant a vertical garden outside your window to make it an eye-pleasing one. If too-close neighbours are an issue, consider hiring a pro to construct a support for a vertical garden that ‘floats’ in front of your windows, sheltering your view.
Lacklustre vista? Plant a vertical garden outside your window to make it an eye-pleasing one. If too-close neighbours are an issue, consider hiring a pro to construct a support for a vertical garden that ‘floats’ in front of your windows, sheltering your view.
Form a living privacy screen
Looking for something a bit different from the usual fence or hedge to give your outdoor space a more secluded feeling? A vertical garden planted on a support (either stationary or even on a gate) can give as much or more privacy, while also extending your garden.
Looking for something a bit different from the usual fence or hedge to give your outdoor space a more secluded feeling? A vertical garden planted on a support (either stationary or even on a gate) can give as much or more privacy, while also extending your garden.
Plant without taking up floor space
When even a few pots would trip you up in a narrow yard, let your plantings creep up the wall instead. Vertical gardens can include anything from succulents to edibles, depending on available light and the type of wall planter you choose, so let your imagination run wild.
Take a tour of some of these edible gardens from all around the world
When even a few pots would trip you up in a narrow yard, let your plantings creep up the wall instead. Vertical gardens can include anything from succulents to edibles, depending on available light and the type of wall planter you choose, so let your imagination run wild.
Take a tour of some of these edible gardens from all around the world
Cool our cities and refresh our spirits
With their endless expanses of concrete and pavement, cities are usually lacking in the fresh greenery department, which can contribute to higher temperatures in warm weather. But if more buildings put their facades to work with vertical gardens – like the exterior walls of the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, shown here – we could begin to cool and refresh our urban areas, making them more pleasant and comfortable for everyone.
TELL US…
Do you have a living wall in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
With their endless expanses of concrete and pavement, cities are usually lacking in the fresh greenery department, which can contribute to higher temperatures in warm weather. But if more buildings put their facades to work with vertical gardens – like the exterior walls of the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, shown here – we could begin to cool and refresh our urban areas, making them more pleasant and comfortable for everyone.
TELL US…
Do you have a living wall in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
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Here are a few photos of the living walls that we have done over the years, check out our profile for more inspiration or our website for living wall ideas
Great applications to consider to help filter out sounds of neighbors and traffic as my area becomes more densely populated . Inspiring subject. Excited to learn more . Thanks