PlantsOnWalls Vertical Gardens and Living Walls

Beverly Hills Private Residence design by PlantsOnWalls

2011-12-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

PlantsOnWalls worked closely with the client's designer to create this living wall design. The architect used dramatic up-lighting to highlight the floating orchids amidst a wild jungle of tropical flora. Waves of bright light loving plants flow naturally from the end wall of this sunlight west atrium. The system's frame and felt are both black to shadow into the background. Chinese evergreen and near black ficus waive up from the base and flow into the red undersides of calathea matching foliage of bromiliads. From the ceiling drop ferns amongst the temporal dancing display of orchids an occasional spray of lipstick vine.


Custom living wall installation for a private residence in Beverly Hills, California by PlantsOnWalls Vertical Gardens, San Francsico

Custom living wall installation for a private residence in Beverly Hills, California
by PlantsOnWalls Vertical Gardens, San Francsico

Computer Rendered Living Wall Design

2011-12-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Designers at PlantsOnWalls use computers to create rendered designs to gain client approval prior to installation. Anyone can make use of image layout software like Adobe Illustrator or other presentation layout interfaces can use transparant (.gif) images of plants to create layers of repeated images which result in semi-realistic views that represent how a planted vertical garden might feel when complete. Multiple concepts can be presented and approved prior to installation.

Living wall design rendered design by PlantsOnWalls Vertical Gardens
for a private residence in Beverly Hills, California. PlantsOnWalls.com

PlantsOnWalls designer Chris Bribach worked closely with the client's designers to decide upon this final rendered design to be 16' wide by 11' high. An overlay is placed upon the design to corresponds to the specifications for of the vertical planters' pocket grid. Bold lines highlight the 18 panels used to achieve the full size of this custom living wall design. See: FLORAFELT Custom Sizing Guide

Living wall rendered design (grid overlay) by PlantsOnWalls vertical gardens

The grid is then used to create the final layout during installation. The plants were Root-Wrapped by the greenhouse and placed into boxes. The living wall kit and plants were transported to the job site. In two days PlantsOnWalls installed the living wall kit and plants to create a living tapestry that resembles a window that looks upon a rain-forest. The 2-1/2 minute video below shows how the entire installation was done.

Living wall plant choice design by PlantsOnWalls Vertical Gardens
for a private residence in Beverly Hills, California. PlantsOnWalls.com

Custom Designed Fern Filled Window Well

2011-12-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

PlantsOnWalls created a stunning custom living wall installation for a private home on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. The clients wanted an exciting and fresh way to mask the bare retaining walls of their master suite's sub-level patio. The open-air indirect light was perfect for a variety of ferns. We fitted 234 root-wrapped plants into the felt pockets, transforming a utilitarian patio into a vibrant space bursting with lush greenery. The client was delighted and remarked on how it recalled childhood forest memories.

Floraframe Living Wall Kits filled with ferns for a private residence in San Francisco.
Custom design and installation by PlantsOnWalls.com

Before

City of Long Beach Sustainability Proposal

2011-12-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

David Magdangal
City of Long Beach, Office of Sustainability
333 W. Ocean Blvd. 13th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
Office: 562.570.6356
Email: David.Magdangal@longbeach.gov

Florafelt F12 - Fresco, Texas

2011-12-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

Hi PlantsOnWalls,
Thanks for your help earlier today when I called. I was able to plant my system this afternoon. Attached are the pictures. I am hoping to keep 75% of the system "evergreen" all year and change out the annuals as the seasons change. It will probably be trial and error for a while to reach success. :)
Debra
Frisco, TX

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Living Walls

2011-12-01T13:35:00.001-08:00

Just finished planting them and put them in the python exhibit. Here is a photo...

John Brueggen
Director
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
999 Anastasia Blvd.
St. Augustine FL 32080
(904) 824-3337
JBrueggen1@aol.com
www.alligatorfarm.us

Marcée Cretarolo of SFO Landscaping

2011-11-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

PlantsOnWalls;

I was excited to see the photo of my Terminal 2 installation on your gallery. ( page 2) I have had good success with your product and would recommend it to others. People are curious and interested about how it works.

Best Regards,
Marcée Cretarolo

SFO Landscape

650 821 5970

Marcee.Cretarolo@flysfo.com

Sycamore Elementary's Living Wall Project

2011-11-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hi PlantsOnWalls;

I am following up on my promise to give a shout out to PlantsOnWalls on my blog for your help with starting our school garden at Sycamore Elementary in Danville. Check it out. www.vitalandwell.com/blog It was a very successful 7 week program that will repeat in the spring. The kids had a great time learning and the parents, teachers and principals love the beautiful living art of plants on the wall outside the multi-purpose room.

Please feel free to link our blog to yours or make mention of it on your website on how our Elementary School is using your products. I am happy to be a reference to any callers you get on how we implemented the living wall at our school.

Best wishes,

Angela Stanford

Planting the Living Wall

What a fun time the 5th grade gardeners and I had this week planting this vertical garden of live color outside the Multipurpose Room on the Sycamore Valley Elementary school campus.

wrapping up pansy roots with a black, felt "diaper"

The smiles on the kids faces were priceless as they wrapped up their pansies and climbing jenny into these black felt squares that we laughingly called “black diapers.”

plants "diapered" and ready to plant

The felt holds the roots securely together and holds in moisture when the plant is tucked into it’s pouch on the vertical wall.

Tucking plants in pouches on the wall

The kids tucked their plants into the 48 felt pouches on the wall and learned how to water them with hose using the “shower” setting on the nozzle. Each pouch needs a drink to the count of of 3. All members of the club will take turns watering the living wall as well as the Earthboxes according to a schedule set up by Mrs. Lawrence, our 4-5th grade science teacher and my partner on this wonderful project.

School garden outside MPR

As we hung the living wall units, we realized we can also water the Earthboxes with the water that drips out of the bottom row of pouches. This is an excellent lesson of water conservation which Mrs. Lawrence and I will discuss next week!

Along with planting our vertical garden, the kids also fed the worms in the Worm Cafe with their apple cores and banana peels from lunch and checked on their radishes and spinach growing in the Earthboxes.

The green radish tops are in full view, but the spinach is not quite as far along. Just a few sprigs of green have poked their heads through the soil so far.

A big shout out to PlantsOnWalls (www.plantsonwalls.com) in San Francisco for their generous support with our Living Wall project.

Floraframe Recirc-33R: New Design Theme

2011-10-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Plants used from top right: Breynia Hawaiian-Snowbush, Bridal Veil, African Violet, Tradescantia Bolivian, Palm Cycas Revoluta, Caladium (red), Cissus Ellen Dancia Oak Ivy.

FLORAFRAME at DES Architecture

2011-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

DES Architecture/Engineering main lobby now hosts a living wall that is bringing cheer to their offices. The system is on display for clients interested in hosting their own living walls for their upcoming projects. The Floraframe Recirc-24 unit demonstrates the "plug & play" ease of integrating plants into their designs.

DES Architecture offices in Redwood City, California display a Floraframe Recirc-24 in their main lobby.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom Gets New Living Walls

2011-10-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

The South-East facade received new custom sized living wall kits to complete the wrap-around frieze that is to be filled with a planting design. The new kits were done in matte grey galvanized frames with recycled grey Florfelt panels. The kits were custom sized to fit perfectly between the columns. In the next weeks the plumbing will be connected and the living walls will be filled with plants.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom's new living wall kits are installed.

Fern Spa - Los Altos Hills

2011-10-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

We checked up on the install for our client in Los Altos Hills today. Installed only weeks earlier, the ferns were shooting out some fresh new growth. There was a quiet hush in the space beneath the floating ferns bursting with life.

PlantsOnWalls custom vertical garden installation for a private residence in Los Altos Hills, California.

Bath Crashers features PlantsOnWalls video clip

2011-10-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Bath Crashers uses a PlantsOnWalls Florafelt Vertical Garden Planter to add a living wall to a bathroom makeover. First they build a wood frame, plant up the wall, then insert it into a recessed area in the walk-in shower.

Bath Crashers uses PlantsOnWalls Planters

2011-10-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bath Crashers used PlantsOnWalls FLORAFELT vertical garden planters for the "Terrible Terrarium" episode 309. Here is the final result that sets plants as a central focal point or their walk-in shower room.

Bath Crashers episode 309 uses PlantsOnWalls FLORAFELT Vertical Garden Planters to create a living wall.

Los Altos Hills Private Residence

2011-09-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

PlantsOnWalls created a fern paradise for this private residence in California's Los Altos Hills. Two Floraframe Living Wall Kits measuring 192" wide by 87" high were mounted to the existing masonry walls to create homes for 504 ferns. The remaining landscape was planted by San Francisco's Living Green Landscape Design. This open atrium has bright indirect light which is the perfect environment for ferns.

PlantsOnWalls custom vertical garden installation for a Los Altos Hills Residence.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom

2011-09-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

PlantsOnWalls Showroom is at 1190 Bryant in San Francsco at 10th Street across from Costco. Stop by and have a look at our living walls. Tel: (415) 658-5498.

New Zeland Designer uses Florfelt Planters

2011-09-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

Simon Chamberland of Sustainable Partners in Auckland, New Zealand is using PlantsOnWalls Florafelt Vertical Garden Planters to create beautiful living works of art. Contact Simon to learn more about his designs or if you are interested in having a living wall designed and installed for you down under. Email: simon@sustainablepartners.co.nz

FLORAFELT Vertical Garden Panels by Sustainable Partners, New Zealand

Tropical Jungle for a San Francisco Live/Work Space

2011-09-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

This San Francisco private residence installed very large vertical gardens in their industrial design home. The living walls have brought new life to her live/work industrial design space. After two months the custom installation by PlantsOnWalls shows vigorous new growth. The two living walls are home to 492 tropical plants that look as if a jungle is just next door.

PlantsOnWalls custom vertical garden installation for a private residence in San Francisco.

Floraframe Recirc-33 in Copper

2011-09-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

The Floraframe Recirc-33 comes constructed of solid copper and includes black cover felt planting pockets and roller wheels for vertical gardening on the go. Shiny copper will naturally tarnish to a modeled brown with green highlights. Plants are automatically watered daily by pump and timer from the 18 gallon tank below. Fill your portable vertical garden with 33 of your favorite plants to create a stunning display of living art. Order yours today from our website at PlantsOnWalls.com.

PlantsOnWalls Floraframe Recirc-33 in copper.

Fern Walls, Los Altos Residence

2011-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

PlantsOnWalls created two fern walls for a private home in the hills of Los Altos, California. The client's open air courtyard had shaded bright light which is the perfect environment for ferns. Two Floraframe Living Wall Kits 96" wide x 99" high were each filled with 144 ferns (total 288 plants). 6" potted plants were Root-Wrapped and inserted into the pockets to create the lush designs over the koi pond and existing landscape designed by San Francisco's Living Green.

PlantsOnWalls vertical garden installation for a Los Altos Residence: Floraframe Living Wall Kits.

Florafelt Custom Installation

2011-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

Rock & Rose, a San Francisco landscape design company, used PlantsOnWalls Florafelt Vertical Garden Planters to create vertical garden elements among core tin steel water elements for this San Carlos home. Florafelt planters cover the vertical forms and planter boxes are integrated on the top. Landscape designer Tim O'Shea from Greenworks Landscape will complete the living walls using a variety of grasses and California natives.

Florafelt vertical garden planters used by Rock And Rose Landscaping for a custom installation.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom Facade

2011-09-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Daniel trims up the year-old vertical garden on the facade of PlantsOnWalls showroom at 10th and Bryant in San Francisco. The living frieze is made from a Floraframe Living Wall Kit that is 192" wide by 51" high and planted with a variety of succulents and California natives. Visit PlantsOnWalls showroom at 1190 Bryant St. in San Francisco, tel (415) 658-5498 or visit PlantsOnWalls.com to learn more.

Floraframe Living Wall Kit 192" x 51" for PlantsOnWalls Showroom vertical garden display in San Francisco.

Florafelt A-Frame Vertical Garden

2011-08-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

On the street in front of our PlantsOnWalls showroom we've planted our new Florafelt A-Frame Garden with beautiful miniature dahlias. The freestanding garden is made from two Forafelt vertical garden planters that are manufactured back to back and open out and create a freestanding vertical garden. The A-frame garden is a great concept for anywhere vertical gardening. A sign can be easily mounted to the top to create a sandwich board style street sign to attract attention. Each morning open, the A-frame garden is pulled to the sunny sidewalk and watered. The light-weight design is easy to fold together and store inside at night.

Florafelt A-Frame Vertical Garden Sandwich Board Sign at PlantsOnWalls Showroom.

Florafelt A-Frame Vertical Garden Sandwich Board Sign at PlantsOnWalls Showroom, San Francisco.

VIDEO: Daniel Rossomano shows how easy it is to fill the Florfelt A-Frame Garden with miniature dahlias. He quickly inserts 24 root-wrapped plant starts into the felt pockets. The garden will be used as a sandwich board sidewalk sign for PlantsOnWalls showroom in San Francisco. Daily it will be brought to the street and watered. Each night it will be folded and brought inside for safe storage. These unique vertical garden planters can be purchased online at www.PlantsOnWalls.com

SF Foliage Living Walls - Over a year old..

2011-08-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Our living walls at San Francisco Foliage are now over a year old. We approached SF foliage in May of 2010 to collaborate in testing our system in their greenhouse using their plants, see: SF Foliage Living Walls. Now over a year later the walls, mostly unattended to, have taken on a life of their own. We are very thankful for their generosity in donating the plant material early in our development. They have been an excellent resource for gorgeous and unique plants and their staff is extremely knowledgeable about offering advice on plant choices.

Low-light Tropical Living Art

2011-08-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

A mix of low-light tropical plants can be grown in areas where artificial light will keep them growing green. In nature these plants are found on the forest floor where they thrive in minimal lighting conditions. A variety of philodendrons including pothos, Exotically patterned manterra, Chinese evergreen, spath, and a rugged bromeliad happily grow in this Floraframe Recirc24. This pivotal centerpiece for this traditional home is powered by a single 50 watt spot light from above. A pump and timer move water through the system daily. The 5 gallon tank is topped off every couple weeks and small amounts of organic plant food is added occasionally.

FLORAFELT Garden Panels - Living Fence

2011-08-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

This San Francisco backyard used Florafelt Vertical Garden Panels to create a lush living wall for it's compact deck space. Ferns fill the full-shade side of the fence while sun tolerant choral bells and coleus grace the middle zones. Sun loving iris and daises fill the right corner that gets full sun in summer.

A living wall was chosen as the best way to hide the backside of a neighbors fence. The wall is made with seven F24 and seven F12 modular planter panels to create 19 foot wide by 6 foot high garden. The rigid Florafelt planters come with hanging tabs on the top corners which make them easy to hang anywhere. For this installation eye hooks were placed along the top of the fence every 32" (the width of the planters) and 6 foot chains were hung down. The planters were then hung on the chains using S hooks.

Once the irrigation tubing was connected and tested, 252 plants were root wrapped then inserted into the felt pockets. A hose timer keeps the system moist 2 times daily for 5 minutes. Just enough water seeps from the soaker hose which wicks water down into the panel. Roots find their sweet-spot in the moist felt. Plant food is injected in the watering system. Plants thrive in this semi-hydroponic state. Some soil in the system integrates complex microbes into the system that breakdown nutrients and balance pH.

The entire wall can be installed and planted the same day with 4" to 6" plant starts for an instant grown-in effect. Automatic irrigation lets you forget about it as it grows, other than the pampering you may desire to give to your garden. Root-wrapped plants are easy to arrange and change for seasonal color, or just change of heart.

Floraframe Recirc 24

2011-08-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ken from San Francisco installed a Floraframe Recirc-24 over his video monitor to create a fresh experience for movie watching. The wall-mountable vertical garden system was filled with ferns, tropicals and orchids and is watered automatically by a timer. The self-contained unit is lightweight and easy to mount to any type of wall.

Floraframe Recirc 24 vertical garden system by PlantsOnWalls.com

14th Street Studio

2011-07-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

The designers at a private live/work studio in San Francisco wanted to add a jungle to their space..

The owner inspects his new vertical garden installation.

Daniel of PlantsOnWalls places the final plants in the vertical garden system.

Custom Floraframe Living Wall Kit with matte finish galvanized frames and black cover felt. An additional custom safety drain tray was installed to protect the wood floors in this interior space. Both the frame and safety trays direct runoff to behind the wall and outside.

John from PlantsOnWalls and Chuck Learned (visiting) installed the air-gap wall spacers to the existing concrete wall. The Floraframe edge channels, waterproof vapor barrier, and Florafelt vertical garden planters will be attached to the spacers.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom

2011-07-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

PlantsOnWalls just finished their new showroom displays. The planted walls use Florafelt Vertical Garden Planters framed in their Floraframe Living Wall Systems. The large living wall on the right was created with the plants that were moved from the year old living wall that was in the main room. They were arranged differently because they were originally planted using Root Wrappers. The roots only grow out a little bit on the back of the felt diaper. They can be pulled away and placed in new panels to create an entirely new arrangement. As the plants grow in you can learn better ways to arrange the foliage. This makes it easier to explore and learn more about vertical gardening without having a degree in botany.

PlantsOnWalls Vertical Garden Systems. Floraframe Living Wall Kit 128" x 51" at PlantsOnWalls Showroom.

Tropical vertical garden living wall kit at PlantsOnWalls Showroom in San Francisco.

Neon pothos, bird-nest ferns, philodendrons and other tropical grace a PlantsOnWalls Living Wall Kit at their San Francisco Showroom.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom, 1190 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, Tel: (415) 658-5498.

Atrium Garden

2011-06-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

David from Burlingame longed for a tropical garden. He lacked the large yard space so he used a vertical garden to create home to over 200 plants to fill his sun-filled atrium with life. Chris and Daniel from PlantsOnWalls used their Floraframe Living Wall Kit system to create 3 custom copper framed living walls to fill the open wall space. The excessive bright light allowed for a wide variety of plants including herbs and strawberries. The entire installation is watered and fed by automatic irrigation and excess moisture neatly drains into a floor drain in the space.

SF Foliage Root Wrapping Demonstration

2011-06-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Daniel Rossomano is at SF Foliage in San Francisco teaching the staff how to divide and Root Wrap 6" potted plants for vertical garden installations.

Floraframe Recirc Roller-Base

2011-06-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

The Floraframe Recirc now has a freestanding companion. Simply slide in your living wall unit into a wheeled box that includes a storage bin for the wires, timers, food, and pruners. The wheeled unit makes it possible to position your living wall where it will grow it's best. Two Recirc units can be placed back-to-back in the single roller base for a two-sided green divider. Mobile vertical gardening anywhere. See: Floraframe Recirc

Pacific Coast Building Conference

2011-06-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

West Coast Green asked PlantsOnWalls to display five fully planted Floraframe Recirc-33's at their lounge and lecture area for the 2011 Pacific Coast Building Conference. The lighted panels demonstrate how green elements can become an essential element in buildings. Significant numbers of plants in a building not only look spectacular but also filter VOCs from the air and they absorb significant amounts of carbon, making them a carbon-negative building material. This and other topics will be covered at their presentation space over the course of the conference. See: West Coast Green Salon

Patio Paradise

2011-06-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

A living wall was created for a patio garden in San Francisco. Ranging from shade to full sun, the plant design results in a varied mixture from end to end. From left to right (shade to sun): ferns, coral bells, coleus, day lilies, and daisies. A wide variety of plants including annuals can be used in the pockets because they can be changed out seasonally.

Population Hair Salon

2011-06-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

Population Hair Salon spruced up their environment by adding some fresh foliage to their living wall. Salon owner, Brian, is a big-time plant lover whose clients delight in it green growing presence. The jungled salon is located at 537 Divisadero Street in San Francisco, TEL: (415) 440-7677. Swing by for a fresh new look.

Fern Wall for Urban Bistro. Burlingame, California.

2011-06-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

Visit Urban Bistro in Burlingame, California to view their luscious living fern wall designed and installed by PlantsOnWalls. It's a delightful experience and their dining patio is fabulous. Urban Bistro, 270 Lorton Ave, Burlingame, CA 94010, (650) 347-7687

Floraframe Recirc 24

2011-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Floraframe Recirc 24 is an easy plug-and-play way to grow living walls anywhere. This display of philodendrons photos, manterra, begonia and other tropicals automatically waters itself from it's 5 gallon tank. A pump and timer waters the framed living wall panel once a day for 30 minutes. The water basin can be topped off once a week. A light fertilizer solution keeps the plants fed and healthy.

Floraframe Recirc 24 at PlantsOnWalls Showroom.

Living Facade

2011-05-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

A wild collection of sun-loving succulents, sedums, shrubs, perinnials, and California natives are growing like crazy on our Living Facade test garden at our PlantsOnWalls Showroom at 10th and Bryant in San Francisco. PlantsOnWalls.com

PlantsOnWalls Custom Floraframe Living Wall Kit 160" x 51" at PlantsOnWalls Showroom.

Floating Tropcial Garden

2011-05-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

A year later, the floating tropical garden at PlantsOnWalls showroom is bursting with life. The tropical vertical garden has been watered and fed using an automatic drain-away system. Bright indirect light is the perfect setting for thriving tropicals. Come visit our showroom at 1190 Bryant Street in San Francisco to learn more about how we create these delightful low-maintenance ecosystems. PlantsOnWalls.com

Floraframe Living Wall Kit 128" x 51" at PlantOnWalls showroom, 1190 Bryant Street, San Francisco.

SFO Terminal 2

2011-04-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Designers at San Francisco Airport's new Terminal 2 used PlantsOnWalls Florfelt living wall panels to create sloping displays in their planter boxes. Full-pocket panels were trimmed to fit the odd shapes and filled with tropical plants. Decorative mosses were hot-glued to the felt to fill around the edges.

Learn more: Florafelt Living Wall Panels

Daniel Rossomano is one of the creators of the Florafelt living wall systems.

Urban Bistro - Burlingame

2011-04-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ferns float over delighted mom's and children on another beautiful day in Burlingame California. Urban Bistro's open front patio features a 14 foot wide living wall 10' above the floor. The vividly fresh ferns fill the space with natural delight.

The living fern wall was installed by PlantsOnWalls originators, Chis Bribach and Daniel Rossomano. 193 fully-grown Ferns were transplanted from 6" pots into felt wraps then fit into the felt pocket panels that cover the wall. Water wicks through the felt from the top to the bottom so each plant gets its moisture and nutrients.

Newly open for business, Urban Bistro is part of a larger chain from San Francisco called Soup Kitchen, a downtown popular lunch venue. Classy Burlingame now has an elegant Urban Bistro with excellent service and an incredibly tasty menu. Have a uniquely green experience with your salad.

Urban Bistro, 270 Lorton Ave Burlingame, CA 94010. Tel (650) 347-7687

Fern Wall Installation Slideshow

2011-03-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

Chris Bribach and Daniel Rossomano install a PlantsOnWalls Custom Living Wall Kit (17' 9" x 8' 0") for the new Urban Bistro's buildout in the high-end shopping district of Burlingame. To see a slideshow that demonstrates how to install a PlantsOnWalls Living Wall Kit.. click here

Urban Bistro: Fern Planting

2011-03-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Daniel began the fern wall planting of 320 ferns onto the Florafelt panels. Nine varieties of ferns were placed in the wall to determine the rough layout. Daniel and an assistant pre-RootWrapped the plants at the greenhouse before arriving on the installation site so we could focus solely on creating a masterpiece. In a half-day we had the entire wall planted including some re-arranging to get it just right. Come visit the fern wall at Urban Bistro's open air patio located off Burlingame Ave, at 270 Lorton in Burlingame, California map. Grand opening March 25th.

Urban Bistro: Living Wall

2011-03-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Soup Kitchen opens a new Urban Bistro in the high-end shopping district of Burlingame just south of San Francisco. Their open air covered patio area is shaded with lots of bright light which is perfect for a living wall of ferns. The nearly completed build-out made us ready to install a living wall kit 17' 9" wide by 8' 0" high. The Florafelt full-pocket panels with black cover felt and painted black galvanized frame nearly cover the entire left wall of the space. Panels are made ready to receive the 320 root-wrapped ferns to be installed the next day. To learn more about living wall kits click here.

Large Living Wall Irrigation

2011-03-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

Providing water and nutrients for a large living wall requires some basic elements:

- A stable always-on water connection. One that will not ever be turned off by accident. Living walls need constant watering, sometimes daily. A washer connector hose will be connected to a 3/4" hose valve dedicated to the living wall. Consider housing the components in a utility locker.

- Relyable valve and timer. Use professional and simple systems. One valve is usually all that is needed to water the entire wall. Zones can be applied to various exposures over the face of a living wall.

- Water filter to remove chlorene and mineral deposits. Chlorene will kill natural microbiology in the soil necessary to break down complex molecules into food for the plant. Mineral buildup in the felt will affect pH levels and clog watering lines.

- Food Injectors provide a steady flow of nutrients to the plants. Organic based fertilizers are more gentle and encourage microbal growth near the roots that also absorb and break down toxins from the air. A specificly deluted plant food of any type is injected at a perscribed ratio. Accurate injectors operated by water flow are very relyable.

- Pressure Regulators are necessary to keep the water pressure even in the top and bottom rows of soaker hose in the living wall. Without them, more water will flow to the lower levels leaving the top level high and dry.

- Brackets to mount it to the wall.

For More Information See : PlantsOnWalls: Care and Design

Easy Container Combos

2011-03-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

Great book that describes exactly how to combine vegetables and flowers to make beautiful combinations. She explains everything to make it easy. She describes how to plant in hanging baskets similar to growing in living wall panels. Amazon.com: Easy Container Combos

Patric Blanc's Drew School Install

2011-03-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

Patric Blanc just installed a huge living wall for the new addition to the Drew School in Pacific Heights of San Francisco. We went by to have a look. Here you can see how he uses the PVC board with layers of felt stapled to hold plant starts. We could hear water trickling from the horizontal tubing covered in felt. This collection of California native plants seemd to be doing just fine even though there was the tinest bit of felt to hold onto. This system is a total recirculating hydroponic system that requires a nearly constant flow to keep plants moist. He uses a drain away system with a mild plant food solution added. The construction crew at the building site were doubtful, but Blanc's botanical wizardry will shine through in the end. See more pictures: click here

Population's Living Wall Update

2011-03-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

It's been 6 months and Population Hair Salon's tropical living wall installation is looking great. To see the how-to installation video: click here

Wood-Framed Succulent Wall

2011-03-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

Scott Saarheim of Vallejo, California posted this photo of his vertical gardening handy-work on our Facebook page. We congratulate him on his beautiful display of succulent varieties framed with a handsome crafted wood frame. The Florafelt panel neatly holds the colorful specimens in place.

Florafelt Full 12-Pocket Living Wall Panel by Scott Saarheim. Vallejo, California. PlantsOnWalls.com

Tomatomania at Cornerstone

2011-03-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

Potter Green invited PlantsOnWalls to create living wall displays for the Tomatomania springtime festival event at Cornerstone in Sonoma, California. Daniel Rossomano demonstrated how to root-wrap a patio tomato that can be grown along side flowers and herbs in the Florafelt vertical garden panels. To learn more click here.

Florafelt Full 24-Pocket Living Wall Panel at Potter Green. Cornerstone, Sonoma, California. PlantsOnWalls.com

Los Altos Atrium by Living Green of San Francsico

2011-03-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Landscape designers from Living Green of San Francisco created living walls in the courtyard of thier clients home in Los Altos using two custom-sized PlantsOnWalls Floraframe living wall systems. They used small plant starts to build living tapestries within the compact sun-filled atrium.

Designers from Living Green, San Francisco, install a vertical garden using the Floraframe living wall system.

Custom Floraframe Living Wall Kit. Design by Living Green, San Francisco.

Floraframe Living Wall Kits for a private residence in Los Altos. Design by Living Green, San Francisco.

PlantsOnWalls Showroom Update

2011-02-27T17:36:00.000-08:00

After 4 months growing, our outdoor full-sun low-water living wall at PlantsOnWalls showroom needed some punch. Daniel adds Alyssum to areas that needed some fill. Alyssum are a California native and will burst out with vivid white flowers. Check it out at 1190 Bryant St. (at 10th) in San Francisco.

Colonie Restaurant in Brooklyn

2011-02-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

Woodland Landscapes installed a PlantsOnWalls Living Wall Kit for Colonie Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. The living wall measures 12' wide x 6' tall and provides herbs used by the kitchen.

Colonie's owner, Tamer Hamawi, mentions how they plant to grow herbs that can be harvested for cooking in their new open-counter experience/lifestyle restaurant.

COLONIE from Karl Junkersfeld on Vimeo.

Living Wall for Ondeego

2011-02-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ondeego of San Francisco ordered a living wall planted up with low-light tropicals to add life to their meeting room. The Floraframe Recirc-24 was mounted to the raw concrete wall and filled with 24 plants. Now they are inspired by green.

Floraframe Recirc-36 in Ferns

2011-02-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

Green goes wild with a collection of ferns installed in a self-watering living wall. The Floraframe Recirc-36 is on display at the green house showroom of San Francisco Foliage. learn more

Floraframe Recirc-36 in paint grade galvanized frame painted textred black. Includes pump, tank and timer with 36 planting pockets covered in black coverfelt and root wrappers. Can be planted full grown in as little as an hour. buy online

Carolyn Morton Installation Video

2011-02-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Carolyn Morton and C&G Home Repair install a PlantsOnWalls Living Walls Kit to create a gorgeous living wall. They show us from box to wall how the vertical garden goes up..

Living Walls from Carolyn Morton on Vimeo.

Fern Love

2011-02-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

Ferns grace the cool northwest shady walls of a San Francisco balcony overlook. Two Floraframe 32x51 Living Wall Kits are planted with varieties of ferns.

Vertical Gardens and Livng Walls by PlantsOnWalls.

Green Scene Interview

2011-02-08T09:03:00.001-08:00

Floraframe Recirc 2x24

2011-02-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

Fill rooms with plants with the Florframe Recirc 2x24 double-sided freestanding living wall system. Create a room-divider with a towering wall of foliage. Add 24 plants to each side using root wrappers then fill the tank with water. An automatic pump and timer keeps the plants watered so you can sit back and watch them grow. Buy Online: Floraframe Recirc 2x24

Floraframe Recirc-24

2011-02-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

The Floraframe Recirc-24 is a self-contained living wall unit that holds 24 plants. The automatic vertical garden is self-watered with by pump and timer that lifts water to the top of the recycled PET plastic felt panel where it slowly wicks water and nutrients to each plant. The final effect is a beautiful living wall you can just sit back and enjoy. Learn More about: Floraframe Recirc Systems.

Succulent Signage

2011-01-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

PlantsOnWalls Mini-Pocket Panels are used to grow succulents and sedums as a living background for Vox Green Design and Construction's signage in Mountain View, California.

Interview by Murrye Bernard

2011-01-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Murrye Bernard is a freelance architecture writer in New York City. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and is a LEED Accredited Professional. A native of the South, her perception of space, color and texture was undoubtedly shaped by the humid backdrop of cotton fields and deteriorating downtowns.

Murrye’s work appears regularly in publications such as Architectural Record, Eco-Structure and Architectural Lighting. She also serves as a contributing editor for eOculus, the newsletter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter and previously edited two newsletters for the AIA National Associates Committee.

Recently, Murrye was selected by the New York Times Company’s About.com as a contributing writer on the topic of Green Home Renovations.

--- INTERVIEW ---

Murrye Bernard: Living walls are no doubt beautiful, but are they practical for the average homeowner in terms of cost and maintenance?

PlantsOnWalls: There are many types of vertical gardens and living walls out there. Our primary goal was to make this accessible to the home gardner and landscape designers. We developed vertical garden panels with an array of pockets that plants can simply be placed in and grown in their original soil. The felt acts as a water wicking method to evenly distribute water to the roots while allowing the soil to breathe.

MB: How do these systems benefit the environment and contribute to making a home more 'green'?

POW: Living Walls decrease energy transfers through walls and can absorb solar gain on sun facing walls. The micro-biology in plants absorb toxins and filter the air which reduce air handling costs. Growing food locally saves enormous resources while teaching children to interact with nature and learn about horticulture.

MB: The goal is usually to keep water away from the surface of a wall, so applying plants vertically seems counter-intuitive when it comes to preserving a home's structural integrity and avoiding mold. How are surfaces water-proofed to receive a living wall system?

POW:The best way to protect a structure is to provide an air gap between the living wall and the building. Within the breathable air space plants and mold will not grow. Our Florafelt Vertical Garden Panels have a lightweight plastic backing board that is channeled to breathe preventing condensation on the back side. Our Floraframe Living Wall Kits provide mounting spacers that support the panels away from the wall which allows for air circulation.

MB: You offer several products - living wall kits (Floraframe), vertical gardens (Florafelt) and even a Root Wrapping System. It is it feasible for an adventurous homeowner to install these products himself? Which systems which work better for interior vs. exterior applications?

POW: The average homeowner can easily hang the Florafelt Vertical Garden Panels outdoors from the provided tabs at the top. Such a simple installation can grow herbs, vegetables, or flowers in the full sun, or ferns or mosses or annuals that thrive in shade. Interior installations are made simple with our freestanding Floraframe Recirc Systems that are framed and have a tank to recurculate water or the Florframe Living Wall Kits that can be installed and connected to internal water and drainange systems in the home for automated watering.

MB: What types of plants thrive in living wall systems?

POW: Choosing the right plants for the right spot is key. High sun exposure offers the use of rugged sedums, succulents, and cacti varieties. In Shaded areas there are countless varieties of ferns and shade-loving plants that will thrive. Part-shade offers opportunities to use varieties such as grasses, flowers, herbs and vegetables. Interior spaces are great to grow tropicals that thrive in the low-light and warm conditions where you'll find common house plants. We have tried everything from cuttings and seeds, to woody shrubs and found budding new growth to emerge from our living walls. Finding the right balance between watering, feeding and light can create a harmony that all gardeners seek to create.

MB: Tell me about a residential living wall project that you've completed and what made it successful in terms of the design and location of the wall (can be interior or exterior).

POW: One of our first residential projects was the installation of a fern wall. About two years ago we planted a variety of ferns in our vertical pocket panels. We choose ferns because we had a full shade location outside that received bright indirect light. We used a Floraframe Living Wall Kit 64" x 51" and used a Water and Nutrient Kit to provide a steady flow of moisture and nutrients. We set the timers to run for 1 minute every day and used organic based Maxsea fertilizer. The ferns filled in the entire panel with lush growth completely covering the panels themselves. It has been a successful low-maintainance living wall that flourishes with delightful beauty every day. We offer design and installation services to designers and architects, a line of products to DIY vertical gardeners, and resources for vertical garden industry professionals. See: PlantsOnWalls.com

MB: ....and if I left anything important out, feel free to address.

POW: The origin of vertical gardens began in nature where nutrient rich water flows over rock faces supporting plant life. In the 1970's Paris, Patric Blanc explored the use of synthetic materials to re-create natural vertical habitats. His hydroponic installations, he has proven the success of vertical plantings in a wide variety of locations. In recent years a number of systems have emerged in the market that have problems with binding roots, are highly complex, heavy and expensive. Our experience with vertical growing led us to develop a system that is light-weight, waterproof, quickly installed and movable. Our goal is to provide a vertical growing system that both engineers and ordinary gardeners can use. By creating a modular panel system with an array of pockets made from recycled PET plastic felt we've created a way to include soil which allows for a more people-friendly way to grow. Not uncommon from simple container gardening that we are all familiar with.

Murrye Bernard
freelance writer
www.murrye.com

How To Plant A Vertical Garden Living Wall: Floraframe Recirc-36

2010-12-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

Daniel Rossomano demonstrates how to plant a Floraframe Recirc-36 living wall vertical garden self-watering planter system for Potter Green at Cornerstone Galleries, Napa Valley, California. Buy Online

FLORAFRAME RECIRC 36

2010-12-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Floraframe Recirc-36 shown with paint-grade metal coated with brown texture coat and planted with tropical varieties. The complete unit is now on display at Potter Green's showroom in the Cornerstone Gallery Collection, 23586 Arnold Drive (Hwy 121) Sonoma, CA, tel (707) 996-8888.

Buy Online

Plants On Walls Showroom

2010-12-20T23:52:00.000-08:00

Plants On Walls Showroom is located at 1190 Bryant Street (at 10th, across from Costco, in SOMA), San Francisco, CA 94110. Contact us to schedule a visit and tour: info@plantonwalls.com or call (415) 658-5498.

Vertical Gardens ~ Living Walls

2010-12-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

by Trevor Smith

The concept of a garden is rising to new heights, literally, as we look up rather than down for new gardening opportunities. Referred to by many different names — vertical gardens, living walls, or green walls — this relatively new form of gardening is taking root in many locations across the globe.

The concept was first demonstrated more than 15 years ago at a garden festival in France, by Patrick Blanc, a French landscape designer who had studied plant aerial growth habits in the tropics. Blanc’s hydroponically-grown plant mosaics soon appeared on prominent buildings world-wide.

Less than a decade later, living wall “systems” were being manufactured by many companies and have become readily available in the past few years. The initial interest in vertical gardens was focused on urban gardening, where traditional garden space is limited. But the beauty and versatility of vertical gardens is now drawing interest from gardeners beyond urban centers. In addition to the aesthetics, some of the benefits of vertical gardens include: lowering the temperature of buildings; air filtration; shielding building materials such as brick and concrete from heat extremes; reducing noise; creating wildlife habitat; providing edible gardening opportunities; water management when used in conjunction with storm-water and grey-water systems; and offering a more visually appealing living environment.

Originally, vertical wall systems were designed for hydroponically-grown plants, but the new systems are made up of modular planted panels that use combinations of growing medium. Individual growing cells are angled to ensure planting medium is stable while allowing maximum light exposure for plant material. Many systems provide 4” deep cells, while other systems offer deeper cells to accommodate wider plant material options. Plant options for vertical gardens include everything from grasses and groundcovers to shrubs and strawberries.

When and how plant material is irrigated is a primary concern in vertical wall installations. Systems are typically designed for efficient water use and the growing medium has been formulated to allow good drainage and aeration while retaining enough moisture to minimize irrigation cycle times. But careful attention must be paid to this area of vertical wall design, to avoid over-watering one section of the planting while under-watering another section.

Most vertical wall systems are irrigated with a drip line, but some are hand-watered. It is important to check to ensure that there is enough water going through the system to irrigate all panels and to carefully regulate the irrigation by setting up the daily watering on timers. Most frames have drip pans and catch basins for indoor applications, while outdoor applications are free-draining. Another consideration when designing vertical wall gardens is the full saturation weight of the installation.

I have used both the panel vertical wall systems as well as the “Woolly Pocket” systems. I find that most commercial soil mixes tend to be light and drain very quickly by design, but by adding biochar to the soil mix, you don’t need as much fertilizer. You will find that there is a lot of variation in the bagged soil mixes for these systems.

The modular panels can be interconnected and provide great flexibility of installation, allowing the designer to create an unlimited variety of sizes and shapes. These systems are designed for use in both interior and exterior applications. Panels are constructed of various materials, including new and recycled polypropylene as well as natural materials such as coconut fibers. Some systems are exclusively designed for mounting directly on a vertical surface while others are mounted on a stand-alone frame. Most can be easily removed and re-installed for maintenance.

There are many new residential applications for vertical walls. They can be used in place of potted plants. “Picture walls” are vertical walls used as art such as this example that I designed and installed at a private residence in Mission Hill, MA.

Some culinary enthusiasts are installing vertical gardens in their kitchens for year-round herb gardening. I have also created another innovative indoor design by constructing a wall-mounted panel to be used as a headboard.

Outdoors, vertical wall systems can be used ornamentally when mounted on walls or fences, or, free-standing installations can be planted with perennials or annuals and serve as portable urban or suburban screening on balconies, decks, or patios.

Vertical garden systems are designed to be used year after year, but special consideration will have to be made in colder climates where panels will need to be taken down or will have to be insulated to avoid winter damage. For example, in the Northeast where I practice, a wall of thyme and strawberries will either have to be brought indoors for winter or will need to be wrapped and allowed to go dormant. Plant material will have to be carefully selected in these cold climates, especially for large outdoor installations.

In addition to these ornamental installations, I envision very practical vertical gardening applications as well.

What if we take a vacant urban lot and fill it with free-standing panels, or create A-frames for use as a community garden? It doesn’t matter what the lot was before, with these systems you can control the soil and water. If the lot is sold, you can just brake down the panels and move them to another location.

I will be displaying some of my other vertical gardening designs at GreenFest Boston, Boston City Hall Plaza, August 19 – 21, 2010. GreenFest Boston is the region’s largest multicultural environmental festival.

A living wall is more like container gardening than a perennial bed, when it comes to managing water and nutrients. But it gets planted like a perennial bed and, like a perennial bed, the wall will be different in subsequent seasons. Just like any perennial bed, it is not a ‘set it and forget it’ landscape element. It is going to need to be tended to – things will die and need to be replaced. Success with living walls requires thought and maintenance. You are going to have to find the rhythm in your wall.

Trevor Smith is the owner of Land Escapes, a full service ecological landscaping company in the Boston area that specializes in Garden Design, Eco-Rain Recovery, Water Features, and Living Wall Installations. Trevor is also the Vice President of the Ecological Landscaping Association. You can reach Trevor through his website: www.everydaygetaway.com.

FROM: Vertical Gardens ~ Living Walls

AUGUST 15, 2010

How to Make a Living Wall -wikiHow

2010-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

originated by: beerbrewingchronicles.com, Miss Bossy Britches, Maluniu, Flickety

A living wall is a vertical arrangement of plants and other organisms that naturally removes toxins and unhealthy contaminants from the air that we breathe. Living walls can be complete ecosystems or simpler configurations of plants that thrive in and help to decontaminate urban environments. Many living walls are indoors, but they can also be outdoors, such as on the exterior walls of buildings.

1 Decide if the living wall is to be set up indoors or out.. An indoor living wall will help to remove toxins from the air. Indoor air can be very high in pollutants and toxins, and given that most people spend the majority of their time indoors, this can impact on your health dramatically. Outdoor living walls can help to improve the exterior environment, but may be primarily used to reduce energy costs during the summer months. Also consider what an exterior living wall will look like during the winter. Indoor living walls can be relatively small and simple, while outdoor walls may be very large and cover a large area of a building. Also, indoor walls will be easy to water and take care of, while outdoor walls will complicated, and perhaps require special building permits and permission from members of the community. A simple exterior living wall may consist of a climbing plant that grows up a wall from the ground. However, it may take a decent amount of time for this type of living wall to grow and become established.

2 Choose the appropriate plants and other organisms. Living walls are primarily composed of plants that absorb and filter out airborne toxins. All plants are able to remove toxins, but some plants are better at filtering out such harmful substances than others. The plants that are especially good at removing toxins include: azalea, bamboo palm, chrysanthemum, spider plant, aloe vera, English ivy, elephant ear philodendron, golden pothos, and peace lily. Different plants can remove different types of toxins, so use a variety of plants. Choose plants that are well adapted to the environment that they will be living in. Account for light intensity (indoor, outdoor, shade, full sun), available water, humidity and temperature. Other organisms that can be used include soil microorganisms and aquatic animals. Soil microorganisms also help to remove toxins, so fertilize the soil with natural, microbe-rich fertilizers. Certain aquatic animals such as fish, amphibians, and mollusks that consume algae and such can help to make a living wall a complete, essentially self-sustaining ecosystem.

3 Build a structure for the living wall. The living wall will be primarily vertical, but can have a bottom area that serves to house additional plants and an aquatic area. A simple structure can consist of a series of shelves. An array of plant containers can also be attached to a wall or hung from the ceiling. A more complicated structure may consist of a vertical wall and a horizontal base. A reinforced layer of growing medium intact with living plants may be hung vertically on a wall that has been waterproofed with plastic sheeting. In this instance, the plants will grow out horizontally from the vertical growing medium. Be sure to align the structure so that every plant will obtain adequate light once situated, and that every plant can be watered properly and easily. This may involve staggering the shelves or containers in some manner, perhaps somewhat horizontally. The vertical wall should be permeable to some extent so that air can pass through it. At the very least, air should be able to freely pass of over or past the wall. Also keep in mind that the growing medium must be somewhat permeable to air (so should not too dense or completely watertight), as the roots of plants require some oxygen. Air should circulate through or over the wall so that the airborne toxins can be absorbed and removed. If making a large or complex wall, an irrigation system (such as a drip irrigation system) should be part of the wall. Walls that consist of a vertical layer of growing medium should be watered with an irrigation system, and water will most likely need to be supplied from the top so that it can trickle down to the bottom. It may be important to use many small plants, and perhaps just mosses, for the vertical wall. The base of the wall may contain larger plants and an aquatic area.

4 Set up an air re-circulating system. If the wall is indoors, the contaminated household air must be circulated over and ideally through the living wall. This will enable the wall to absorb the toxins from the air, as well as help to ensure that the plants remain healthy. If air is actively drawn through the wall, the living wall can be referred to as a biofilter. One box fan can be used to circulate air, or a more complicated system of fans and ducting can be used.

5 Arrange the lighting for the plants. Plants require light, so make sure that they receive enough artificial or natural light. If possible, place the living wall near a window or skylight that receives direct sunlight. Natural light can be supplemented with artificial light. Regular incandescent light bulbs will not provide adequate light for the plants, but essentially any fluorescent light will work. Regular compact fluorescent bulbs can be focused or directed towards the wall to provide high-quality artificial light. There are also other, more specialized grow lights that are used for plants. A timer can be used to turn artificial lighting on and off during the day and night. Be conscientious of the animals that may live in the wall, and provide them with shade and hiding places.

6 Situate the plants in the living wall. The plants may live in soil or a hydroponic medium. If the wall is to be a primarily self-sustaining ecosystem, it should be much easier to use soil as a planting medium. The wall may be partially hydroponic, but be aware that hydroponic chemical plant nutrients may destroy or disrupt the non-hydroponic component of the living wall.

7 Water and fertilize the plants. Different plants have particular water and fertilizer requirements. Over-watering and under-watering can result in unhealthy plants, and perhaps harmful mold growth. Use living, organic fertilizers to introduce beneficial microorganisms to the wall. If animals are living in the wall, be careful not to contaminate their immediate environment and water and food supply with potentially toxic fertilizer. Use fertilizer sparingly, as it can easily kill the plants and other organisms that make up the living wall.

HISTORY

A living wall is a vertical arrangement of plants and other organisms that naturally removes toxins and unhealthy contaminants from the air that we breathe. Living walls can be complete ecosystems or simpler configurations of plants that thrive in and help to decontaminate urban environments. Many living walls are indoors, but they can also be outdoors, such as on the exterior walls of buildings.

FROM: How to Make a Living Wall - wikiHow

PlantsOnWalls Showroom Planting

2010-12-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a close look at the planting for our showroom's facade (from left to right). This full sun exposure gave us the opportunity to try out a lot of things. (2 months growth)

Plants were chosen based on full sun and windy conditions. We based the planting on succulents and sedums but also tried other things. We planted many cuttings from a friend's local garden including rosettes, ice-plant and aloe. More things we tried include euphorbia, procrosma, geraniums, grasses, rosemary, thyme, native california plants including sage, wild strawberry, and a redwood tree that's intended to bonsai.

A variety of starts, cuttings and rooted plants were added to each root wrapper to allow for natural domination to create the design. A couple weeks after the installation we moved some things around and added sedums to an area. Root wrappers make it really easy.

We used full-pocket panels (12 F-12s) with one pocket trimmed off the top to fit between the windows. The galvanized living wall kit frames the panels to finish the edges, float the panels from the building, and collect the dripping in the bottom tray. Soaker hoses are threaded through the top of the pockets every 4 rows down and connected in the top tray where there is room to access tubing. The 1/4" line is connected to a hose connector inside the building and operated by a digital hose timer and connected to a water filter and food injector. Short cycles fairly often keep the moisture absorbing felt at optimum moist/dry cycles.

Swing by the PlantsOnWalls Showroom at 10th and Bryant in San Francisco SOMA and watch it grow.

Global Green Fashion Show

2010-12-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Josiah Cain for Design Ecology used Plants On Walls vertical garden panels for the Global Green fashion show December 13th, 2010 at the W Hotel in San Francisco.

Vox Sign Installation

2010-12-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

We filled 300 mini pockets with succulents and sedums for Vox Design's living wall sign. We first installed the living wall kit then the sign company installed the floating letters. We then returned to install the plants. This installation is located on the highly visible main street in downtown Mountain View, California. If you're in the area swing by and have a look. Vox Design Group, 421 Castro StreetMountain View, CA 94041, (650) 694-6200. Contact Plans On Walls for custom installations: info@plantsonwalls.com or call (415) 658-5498.

Fern Wall

2010-12-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

The fern wall on my back patio gets more and more lush as it matures. It also begins to build a more natural character as the plants find their place. This wall goes largely ignored because it is on automatic watering systems. Ever since I began using a food injector, the plants really began to burst out. This wall has been growing for nearly two years now.

Instant Ivy Towers

2010-12-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

For Executive Hotels in Vancouver, Canada, Joel Franske plants the vertical pocketed walls with ivy varieties. The install consists of 5 - Floraframe Living Wall Kits, 64" x 195 each. Using a total of 40 - 24-pocket panels; that's a total of 960 planted pockets.

Trish O'Sullivan Living Wall Design

2010-11-17T21:22:00.001-08:00

Looking closer at Trish O-Sullivan's living wall design for the Nate Berkus Show set you can see how she made flowing areas that cross into each other. When the plants grow in and you stand back it makes it look like your looking through the window onto a terraced hillside. Contact Trish to help with your living wall designs. Trish O'Sullivan design group, eco floral design, New York City. (917) 328-4893

Executive Hotels & Resorts, Vancouver, Canada

2010-11-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

Joel Franske, landscape designer, installs 5 FLORAFRAME Living Wall Systems (64" x 192") for Executive Hotels, Vancouver, Canada. Total 426 square feet.

Living Wall In 2 Weeks

2010-11-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

The living wall at 10th and Bryant is already growing in after 2 weeks and gets a sign. Swing by and have a look.. 1190 Bryant Street in San Francisco.

Plant Food Injector

2010-11-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Living walls need to be fed because they have very little soil. Eventually the roots will reach into the felt for moisture and this is where we can offer them nuturents too. We've devised a simple plant food injector that adds a bit of dissolved nutrient into the watering system with each ebb and flow of the automatic watering system. We've done this by clipping the hose from a standard pressure sprayer and added a simple 1/4" barbed splice connector. This is then connected to the water source hose. When the water system comes on its pressure adds water into the canister where it combines with the plant food concentrate. When the system turns off the pressure in the tank forces water into the hose where it waits for the next irrigation cycle. In time the water will become clear and you will know to add more plant food to the container. Be sure to use water solluable fertilizers so you don't clog your emmiters.

This is one we installed for Population Hair Salon in San Francisco. Stop by and have a look. They love to show off their lovely living wall. http://www.populationsalon.com/

Environmental Charter High School

2010-11-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

La Loma Development installed a 21' x 4' living wall kit for Environmental Charter Highschool in Los Angeles. The school hosts numerous eco projects mingled amongst their classroom and learning areas. The students are to begin planting the vertical garden panels in the coming weeks. http://www.echsonline.org/

Raphael Restaurant

2010-11-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Raphael Restaurant on Ventura Blvd in Studio City, Los Angeles doubled the size of it's street front living walls during their current expansion. There are now over 60 feet of living walls that face the street. The partitions are double sided to create a living wall experience for their outdoor eating areas. The felt panels absorb sounds from the busy street nearby. Raphael Restaurant, 11616 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA (818) 505-3337

James Snidle Gallery

2010-10-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

A custom Living Wall was installed on the facade of James Snidle Gallery. The custom living wall measures 15'-6" x 3'-9" and uses the Full-pockets panels. A wide variety of drought-tolerant full-sun type plants were placed into the 126 pockets. Plant choices include succulents, grasses, woody shrubs, herbs, and california native plants. Come and visit the living wall to see how it grows in. James Snidle Gallery, 1190 Bryant (at 10th Street in SOMA district), San Francisco, CA 94103.

Shippan Show House

2010-10-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

A Plants On Walls living wall was installed at the Shippan Show House in Stamford, Connecticut. Victoria Lyon, an Old Greenwich designer, and Robin Horton, an Old Greenwich resident who runs a creative consultation and design firm and writes the blog “Urban Gardens,” teamed up to design the greenhouse and two garden rooms off of the garage. One of the features includes a vertical growing wall by Plants On Walls.

West Coast Green Convergence

2010-09-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Plants On Walls shows a 20' x 7' tall tropical vertical garden display for the 2010 West Coast Green Convergence in the main lecture hall. Also revealed, the Plant Habit, a compact self-watering garden. The display will remain for the duration of the event from Sept 30 to Oct 2 in the Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason, San Francisco's waterfront convention center. http://westcoastgreen.com/

3x3 Mini-Pocket Living Wall Kit

2010-09-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

After 3 Months the succulents have bloomed and are beginning to complete fill the living wall.

Original Installation on June 18th:
Large Succulent Wall - Planted
Large Succulent Wall Installation

Sustainable Industries Forum

2010-09-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

The living 4 wall panels that were growing at Snidle Gallery in San Francisco were transported to the Saint Regis Hotel 5 blocks away to be displayed for the Sustainable Industries Forum. The mature living wall has been growing for 9 months. The 30 pound panels were supported by pipe frames to create a living backdrop for Buro Happold Consulting Engineers. After the one day exhibition the panels were returned to the sunny windows of the gallery.

A Simple Plant Food Injector

2010-09-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Vertical gardens have very little soil so they will need constant feeding. Here is an example of how you can keep your vertical garden fed with a very simple and low cost feeding injector made from a simple plastic bottle.

I use digital timers to water the wall. I like to use the Orbit Digital Hose Timer. I have two different walls being watered from this spigot. The fern wall shown here likes to be constantly moist so I water it very 6 hours for 2 minutes. The feeding injector will add liquid food into the system each time it is watered. To achieve this I use a soft plastic bottle laid on its side and connect it to the irrigation tubing. The plastic bottle's tip is cut and a 1/4" irrigation tubing is connected to the bottle. The T connector connects snuggly into the pointed end.

The container is then filled with liquid plant food. I like to use MaxSea Fertilizer because it is a natural seaweed based fertilizer that is gentle and does not have salt buildup as does with chemical fertilizers. Also it is very low cost. I dissolve a 1/4 teaspoon in this bottle to make a liquid food concentrate.

The bottle below is shown with the irrigation system on. Notice how it puffs up. Water from the irrigation tube enters the flexible bottle where it mingles with the concentrate solution.

When the irrigation system turns off a bit of the solution then enters the line. Here the bottle is shown having flexed back after inserting some of the nutrient solution back into the tubing.

The bottle is clear so you can monitor the concentration in the bottle. This is also good because the plants will get a rest between feeding cycles. Larger containers can also be configured in the same way to create longer feeding cycles. The system can be set up any way to best suit your feeding needs.

Population Hair Salon

2010-09-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Population Hair Salon in San Francisco has a 3x2 Full-Pocket Living Wall that measures 8 feet wide by 8 feet high behind their hair washing stations. It is filled with lush tropicals and is automatically watered by a hose timer located outside. The felt panels wick water to the plants and excess water drains into the bottom metal tray. A small copper pipe channels water outside to a floor drain. The living work of art is a focal point for the business and conversation topic for customers. Visit Population Hair Salon which is located at 537 Divisadero Street in San Francisco NOPA district. (415) 440-7677 www.populationsalon.com

LED Lighting

2010-08-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

We used a FEIT Performance LED 16w flood bulb (Replaces 75w) to provide lighting for this interior Floraframe Full-24 Pocket Panel filled with Tropical Varieties. We are testing to see if the light provided by the bulb will be sufficient to allow them to continue to thrive. This wall has been growing under a 50W hallogen bulb for 9 months up to this time.

Gilman Succlent/Sedum Living Wall Panel

2010-08-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

Laura Gilman sent in this photo of their Mini-pocket panel with galvanized frame. After 4 months the succulents and sedums have gone wild. See original planting: http://plantsonwalls.blogspot.com/2010/07/gilman-succulent-garden-1-month-later.html

Blue Field

2010-08-18T21:45:00.001-07:00

This photo was sent in by Lee Tearney of Alameda California. He has created a minimalist vertical garden masterpiece using Plants On Walls Full-pocket Panels. This is a stunning use of Lobelia erinus ‘Laguna Tm Sky Blue’ to create a beautiful display of color.

Population Hair Salon

2010-08-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Population Hair Salon on Divisadero Street in San Francisco (NOPA area) asked Plants On Walls to create a lush green jungle experience for their hair washing area. As the clients lean their heads back they will be enveloped in the tropics. Owner, Brian approves of the installation that was completed in one day prior to their soft opening. The entire system is on self-watering drip and drains to a floor drain on the back patio. Daniel Rossomano designed the arrangement of lush deep green bromeliads, ferns, pothos, and exotic ficus. Visit Population Hair Salon at 537 Divisadero St (between Fell St & Hayes St) San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 440-7677 www.populationsalon.com

VIDEO: Living Wall Installation - 3x2 Full-Pocket Living Wall Kit

Floraframe in Los Angeles

2010-08-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

Lianne Gold of Neptuna Gallery hosted the display of our newest Floraframe 36-Pocket at her store front on Abbot Kenny Blvd, in Venice Beach (Los Angeles) California. The streets were flooded with visitors for the First Friday where shops are open late and the latest trend of gourmet food trucks line the sidewalks. The living wall display of colorful tropicals by Daniel Rossomano made it's short appearance at Neptuna before being transported to LA Tropicals greenhouse showroom where it will be on view for designers and interior-scapers in the Los Angeles Area. LA Tropicals, 9919 Springland Drive, Whittier, CA 90601. Tel: (562) 695-6698

Buy Online: http://plantsonwalls.com/floraframe.html

Modern Eden: The Garden Show

2010-07-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

The gallery show art opening was a delight where Chris and Daniel answered questions about our Floraframe installation. The living wall will be on display at Modern Eden Gallery at 403 Francisco Street, San Francisco in North Beach until August 14.

The Garden Show at Modern Eden

2010-07-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

A Floraframe was installed by Chris and Daniel at Modern Eden Gallery for the upcoming show entitled The Garden Show. This vertical garden features a mini aquarium housing a small beta named Dew Drop. Come visit the installation and art opening on Saturday, July 17th from 6-9pm. Modern Eden, 403 Francisco St.,San Francisco, CA 94133, (415) 420-2898, www.moderneden.com

4-Pocket Herb Panel

2010-07-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's wonderful to have the convenience of fresh herbs on my patio, especially by the grill. They like to be watered every 3 days or so and I use a little MaxSea fertilizer in the watering can. MaxSea is a natural seaweed based fertilizer that is gentle, easy to use, and very inexpensive, and you only need just a little. The herbs are in root wrappers so I can change them out when I need to. You get used to the watering so it doesn't drip off the bottom too much. Mostly the felt absorbs the water they need and herbs tend to like dryer soil. Growing here from top to bottom: Rosemarry, Sage, Oregeno, and Thyme.

Full 4-Pocket Panel with Cedar Frame

2010-07-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

It's wonderful to have the flowers on my deck. I get direct sun on them so they are doing great. I water them about every 2 days and use a little MaxSea fertilizer in the water. It will drip on the deck if I water too much, but after a while you get used to just adding a little water and it will rarely drip. Because it is outside I don't worry too much. I used root wrappers to plant the pockets so I can easily change out the arrangement as I like and the cedar frame makes a nice finish. It's nice to have flowers without all the messy dirt and pots on my patio.

Floraframe: After 5 months

2010-07-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

This Full-24 Pocket Floraframe has been thriving and evolving over the last 5 months. It's only light source is a 50-watt halogen flood bulb about 3 feet from the panel that is on a timer on daily for 8 hours. It's water is sourced and drained into a toilet's fresh water holding tank (in the room just behind the panel). A small fountain pump connected to a plug in timer waters the panel twice a week for 15 minutes. All of the plants are using root wrappers and the plants are fed with MaxSea fertilizer once a month, manually added by watering can. You can definitely notice when food is added how the plants burst out with new growth. It has been a delight to watch the panel grow and add and occasionally change plants around.

Ultimate Green Building Material

2010-07-11T11:26:00.001-07:00

Plants On Walls vertical garden panels are a green building material that offers a multitude of positive environmental solutions.

- A Plants On Walls Full 12-Pocket Panel releases 1.6lb of carbon per panel in their manufacture. CO2 Calculation for the manufacture of a Full 12-Pocket Panel: Panel Weight (7 lbs) X Recycled PET Plastic (.23 lbs CO2 per lb of material) = 1.61 lbs of CO2 per panel. Recycling saves 90% of the CO2 released by making plastic. From: CO2 List

- Because the panels are extremely light weight and efficient a reverse carbon impact is possible from its lifecycle of hosting living plants. Living plants absorb carbon in the air through photosynthesis which offset the CO2 produced in manufacture. This in turn reduces global warming effects.

- Further carbon emissions are reduced by creating energy savings in buildings. In designing a Green Infrastructure west facing walls are covered with plants that create a cooling effect within the building. As plant material grows and regenerates itself the surface of a building is protected from sunlight deterioration. Together the living wall reduces cooling costs and extends the life of building materials, which saves money.

- Interior use has enormous health benefits because interior air is filtered and renewed with oxygen from the large number of living plants that thrive in a living wall. A NASA Study extensively has researched the use of house plants indoors.

- Water savings by maximizing efficiency: Growing food crops in vertical panels maximizes land use and hydroponics recycles water. Further efficiency can be obtained through Aquaponics that uses living fish to create food for plants offering a multitude of harvestable solutions.

- The felt used in Plants On Walls vertical garden panels is made from 100% recycled PET plastic water bottles. PET Plastic is highly durable, UV-tolerant, non-reactive and non-toxic. The panels can be reused indefinitely or completely recycled.

Floraframe Total System

2010-07-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Floraframe total system includes the 24-Pocket Panel with galvanized frame and water tank, pump and timer. Shown here with a variety of tropical plants at Succulence Nursery in San Francisco.

Full Tropical Walls at SF Foliage

2010-07-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

These two vertical gardens are on display at SF Foliage in San Francisco. Each living wall measures 5-1/2' wide by 8' tall. The walls were originally planted in May of this year. After two months the walls have grown in with very little attention. Today we re-arranged the plants slightly to make some design improvements and add some fresh color.

Gilman Succulent Garden: A Month Later

2010-07-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

We visited the the Gilman Succulent Garden after a month. The sedums and succulents have filled in and are becoming more complex and lush. The felt pockets are hardly visible at this point.

Project visit: July 7th, 2010

Original Planting on May 27, 2010.

Close up images showing new growth.

New: Full 4-Pocket Panels

2010-07-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

The new Full 4-Pocket Panel with Cedar Frame.

The 4-Pocket Panels come with nylon tabs at the top edges for simple mounting.