LIVING WALLS
In our day, one of the fastest advancing social process is urbanization. As a result of this urbanization, the nature is being more and more destroyed. However, landscape architects have a very simple and esthetic solution to this problem: vertical gardening.
The vegetation for a green façade is always attached on outside walls; with living walls this is also usually the case. Also, some living walls can also be green walls for interior use. For living walls there are many methods including attaching to the air return of the building to help with air filtration. They are also referred to biowalls.
There are two main categories of green walls: green façades and living walls. Green façades are made up of climbing plants either growing directly on a wall or, more recently, specially designed supporting structures. The plant shoot system grows up the side of the building while being rooted in the ground. With a living wall the modular panels are often made of stainless steel containers, geotextiles, irrigation systems, a growing medium and vegetation. There are three types of growth media used in living walls: loose media, mat media and structural media.
Loose Media: Loose medium walls tend to be "soil-on-a-shelf" or "soil-in-a-bag" type systems. Loose medium systems have their soil packed into a shelf or bag and then are installled onto the wall. These systems require their media to be replaced at least once a year on exteriors and approximately every two years on interiors.
Mat Media: Mat type systems tend to be either coir fibre or felt mats. Mat media are quite thin, even in multiple layers, and as such cannot support vibrant root systems of mature plants for more than three to five years before the roots overtake the mat and water is not able to adequately wick through the mats.
Structural Media: Structural media are growth medium blocks that are not loose, nor mats, but incorporate the best features of both into a block that can be manufactured into various sizes, shapes and thicknesses. These media have the advantage that they do not break down for 10 to 15 years. They are also easily handled for maintenance and replacements.
When compared to usual gardening, there are many benefits of vertical gardening. One of them is that you can have various plants in much less space. Also, living walls have improved air circulation and less risk of plant diseases and pests. It is easier to tend and harvest. Thanks to transpiration process, plants on the walls can cool their environments. Above all, these plants provide oxygen. It is very important because air pollution is one of the essential problems in metropolises. Moreover, it requires less soil preparation and digging from the first day. Besides all these, looking at the green walls is very restful and soothing. These walls make you feel as if you were in an everlasting verdant forest.
I believe you all like this idea and wish that we had these living walls on our departments or dormitories. I wish, too. :)
