Living walls, or vertical gardens, is a new trend that is sprouting up in Fort Lauderdale luxury homes. They are a fun modern way to add greenery to almost any available wall, indoors or out. Not only do these walls enhance the beauty of your home, they also offer the avid gardener more space for growing, and the plants help clean the air you breathe.
Creating Your Living Wall
Indoor living walls can go on almost any wall in your home, as long as that wall receives enough light for your selected plants. You can build shelves into the wall, or simply hang planters along the wall. Another option is to have a builder inset the walls with room for planting. Be sure to allow enough room for the fully developed root systems, as well as head room for each to grow to full height.
To keep water from dripping on walls and floors, line your planters with plastic. Since most plants don’t like their roots sitting in water, be sure to leave enough room between each plant’s root system and the bottom of containers.
Fill planters with potting soil, unless you’re using plants like cacti or orchids that require special growing materials. Then plant the plants of your choice. Keep your plants watered and fertilized according to their needs and you will have a thriving living wall.
Plants To Use In Living Walls
The best plants for living walls are those that don’t require a tedious amount of care. Succulents and cacti are ideal for living walls since they can survive long periods without watering. Orchids also work well, since they only need a small amount of water per week, but be sure your design accommodates the height of orchid plants. Tropical ferns are another easy care choice for living walls, plus they come in a variety of colors and textures. Try to choose plants that all have similar care needs, as it will be difficult or near impossible to vary the watering and fertilizing for the plants once situated on your wall.
Benefits Of Living Walls
Healthy plants inspire instant stress relief by softening the environment around you. They reduce noise and help to eliminate pollution. Have you ever walked by a garden and noticed the calming effect it has on you?