Here at Brooke’s Blooms we have ventured regularly into both external and internal vertical installations, with varying levels of difficulty and forethought. However, the consensus remains that the vertical trend is here to stay and will be intrinsic to a sustainable future.
The Brooke’s Blooms valued maintenance client, Jimmy’s on the Mall, boasts an incredible vertical-style garden located in the heart of the Brisbane CBD. The feature exhibits a proliferation of shade-loving plants that gives the outer façade an amalgamation of texture and colour.
In a modern world in which space is at a premium, the vertical garden seems an obvious antidote. There are a variety of benefits to the vertical garden in the cityscape. They:
- Soften the hard edge of the city skyline
- Reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings by filtering pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air
- Benefit those living and working in the city by improving the quality of the air
- Reduce temperatures
- Improve concentration and mood by reducing stress and inducing relaxation
Furthermore, given the right fore planing and setup, they are relatively low maintenance.
It is important to plan the vertical garden appropriately, and thus to choose the right plant selection. This is not only to counter the possibility of the wrong plant dying, but also to offer a mosaic of attractive colours. After all, aesthetics is a big part of the vertical platform.
Take Jimmy’s on the Mall as an example. Positioned between vertical high-rises, lighting is hardly at a premium. Therefore, the selection of plants is limited to shade-tolerant species. However, this does not suggest that the space is restricted, there are a large selection of large, leafy, colourful, and flowering options for the space. It simply comes down to careful selection and a good eye for placement. Furthermore, being situated in the subtropical city of Brisbane, the plants must be tolerant of hot humid summers.Jimmy’s on the mall exhibits the following selections:
- Spathphyllum (Peace Lilly) – an attractive shade plant and a favourite for indoor plant fanatics. Lush tropical green foliage with stalks of white flowers in Spring and Summer
- Neomarica Gracilis (Brazilian Walking Iris) –Lush green clumping perennial with beautiful white, yellow, and blue flowers inSpring and Summer
- Schefflera Arboricola (Madam de Smet) – A compact evergreen shrub with glossy, variegated foliage
- Anthurium Andreanum (Flamingo Flower) – another favourite for indoor plant lovers, the Anthurium Andreanum boasts large, glossy deep green leaves coupled with long stalks of dark red flowers
- Thaumatophyllum Xanadu (Xanadu) – A very versatile plant suited to shade, sun, and indoor planting. The Xanadu has deep green leaves with a distinct deep lobe
- Plectranthus Verticillatus (Swedish Ivy) – TheSwedish Ivy is a trailing plant with aromatic glossy, green, round leaves, with stems of white flowers appearing late in the summer through to early Autumn
- Philodendron Cordatum – A lovely trailing tropical shade-plant with heart-shaped emerald leaves
This careful selection of plants allows for a large spectrum of colours and leaf styles which gives the space the appearance of a living mosaic.
The vertical garden is not limited to buildings and cityscapes. It has become increasingly popular to include such features inside residential houses. With modern builds reducing the propensity for outdoor gardening, the vertical garden gives the homeowner an attractive and simple means to maintain an element of the natural. The vast improvement to indoor grow-lighting means vertical gardens can be installed and prosper even in the most difficult of locations.
It is without question the vertical platforms are the future of gardening. With an extensively high population density and a future punctuated by limited space, the vertical trend is a no brainer. It has gone beyond a fashionable trend into a very real and sustainable medium. Imagine the limitless potential of the idea – rather than walking the streets of a cityscape of hard edges we wander a green metropolis, a living breathing organism. It seems like the future of gardening is bright.
Get in touch with us here if you are interested in venturing into a sustainable vertical garden design. We would love to help you in your journey!
