This document outlines the benefits and methods of vertical gardening, highlighting its aesthetic, environmental, and health advantages. It details various types of vertical gardens, including living walls and green veneers, and presents popular systems and plants suitable for urban settings. Additionally, it offers DIY inspirations and resources for creating vertical gardens in limited spaces, particularly in densely populated areas like New York City.

1. Vertical Gardening &
Green Walls
Gil Lopez
GreenBridge Seasonal Outreach Assistant & Instructor
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Spring 2015

2. Lesson Plan
• Why Vertical Gardens?
• Types of Vertical Gardens
• Vertical Gardening Systems
• Plants for Vertical Gardens
• Other Vertical Growing Methods & D.I.Y. Inspiration
• Resources

3. Why Vertical Gardens?
Aesthetics
Create living
works of art.
Indoor Air Quality
Purify your air.
LEED® Credits
Gain points.
Building
Protection
Shield from sun,
rain and thermal
fluctuations.
Energy Savings
Cut electricity bills
by up to 20%.
Health &
Wellness
Reduce stress and
enhance wellbeing.
Property Value
Marketable green
feature.
Acoustics
Dampen noise
pollution.
Sustainability
Make your
world greener.
http://www.greenovergrey.com/green-wall-benefits/overview.php

4. Space Saving!!!
We live in one of the most densely
populated cities in the world. NYC residents
have little access to private green space so
we must make the most of very square inch
we can. One way to do this is to reconsider
the vertical spaces in the urban environment.
Form walls and fences to fire escapes and
stair railings. What vertical spaces do you
have access to that could be a little greener?

5. Types of Vertical Gardens
• Living Walls
• Green Veneers
• Indoor
• Outdoor

6. Living Walls
Living walls (AKA green walls) are self
sufficient vertical gardens found on exterior
or interior walls or other vertical elements.
The plants are rooted in a structural support
which is fastened to the wall itself. The
plants receive water and nutrients from
within the vertical support instead of from
the ground.

7. Green Veneer
A support structure that allows vines to row
up or onto a vertical element to screen it.
Roots and soil are not housed in the wall but
rather on the ground or in separate planters.

8. Living Wall/Green Veneer
Hybrid
This product by Turnesol demonstrates how
the two vertical garden typologies can be
effectively blended.

9. Indoor Vertical Gardens
Living Wall (Wooly Pocket) Green Veneer (Jakob Wire)

10. Outdoor Vertical Gardens
Living Wall (FloraFelt) Green Veneer (Greenscreen)

11. Living Wall Systems
• Wooly Pocket
• FloraFelt
• Optigreen Wall Garden
• Gsky Plant Systems
• Hydroponic

12. Wooly Pocket
Our Living Wall Planter are totally modular. Create living
walls of almost any size, indoors and out. Calculate how
many wall planters you’ll need by dividing the width of
your wall area by 18” and height by 13”. Use our box as a
horizontal template to help you mark holes. Example: Four
planters cover a 36” W and 26” H wall area.
Living Wall Planter dimensions are 13” H x 18” W x 8” D.
Each planter holds 0.50 ft3 of soil volume with a maximum
weight of 50lbs. Planter hooks to back of Water Tank for
easy plant exchange. Planters come with hardware: self
tapping #8 screw & poly ribbed insert.
http://www.woollypocket.com

13. FloraFelt
Create Custom Vertical Gardens
Explore the 2-layer Cut and Staple method made famous by
Patrick Blanc.
Use Grow Felt by the yard to make custom sized pockets
and free-form shapes.
Use 7-inch Grow Strip with custom 6 x 6 inch wire grids to
create extremely robust vertical gardens.
Or use the pre-assembled Florafelt Pro System Modular
Unit to make any size living wall.
Engineer mega-scale plant walls.
http://www.florafelt.com/

14. Optigreen Wall Garden
The “Wall Garden” system solution is a facade-
mounted greening system on a substrate basis
without ground connection. The core unit of
the Optigreen “Wall Garden” system solution is
a high-grade, substrate-filled aluminum cassette
system (Optigreen Facade Element) that can be
delivered filled and, upon request, ready-
planted. The horizontal suspension rails must
be bolted onto the substructure before the
prepared facade element can be attached to
them.
http://www.optigreen.co.uk

15. GSky Plant Systems
GSky’s three Green Wall systems are the Pro
Wall System, Versa Wall System and the
Basic Wall System. Each product is unique in
terms of design flexibility, installation
location versatility, plant selection variety,
desired size, cost, coverage time-line, and
system components.
http://gsky.com/

16. Stacked Hydroponic Systems
Hydroponic growing systems are a way of
growing plants without soil using nutrient
solutions applied directly to the roots of
plants. These systems have may variations.
There are several which accomplish the look
feel and other virtues of vertical gardens as
discussed in this presentation.
WindowFarms
Indoor R&D.I.Y.
hydroponic growing system
NFT Hydroponic
(Nutrient Film Technique)
Outdoor installation

17. Green Veneer Systems
• Trellising
• Masonry and Wood Walls
• GreenScreen
• Jacob Wire

18. Trellising
A simple garden trellis can be used to create
the verdant effects of a green veneer. The
larger the trellis the more area the vines will
have to sprawl out and provide coverage.
This is most effective with twining, tendril
and climbing vines.

19. Greenscreen
greenscreen® is a three dimensional, welded
wire trellising system. The distinctive
modular trellis panel is the building block of
the greenscreen® system. Rigid and
lightweight standard 3" thick panels are 4'
wide x 6', 8', 10',12’, or 14' tall.
http://www.greenscreen.com

20. Jakob Wire
Specializes in the manufacture of stainless
steel wire ropes from 2 mm to 28 mm.
Webnet and Wire Rope products are often
used to create both indoor and outdoor
green veneers.
https://www.jakob-usa.com/

21. Masonry & Wood Walls
Natural walls can be a perfect place for
suckering vines to unfurl their leafy
coverings. Be careful to maintain the walls
on a regular basis and don’t let the vines
overtake the structure.

22. Plants for Vertical Gardening
• Tropical Understory Plants for
Interior Living Walls
• Air Filtering Plants
• Alpine Plants for Exterior Living
Walls
• Vines for Green Veneers
• Annuals vs Perennials
• Native, Naturalized & Invasive Plants
• Espaliered Trees

23. Tropical Understory Plants
for
Interior Living Walls
The Understory layer, or strata, of tropical
rainforest vegetation lies between the
Canopy layer, where there is plenty of
sunlight, and the Forest Floor layer, where
there is almost none. This layer of the
rainforest produces many popular house
plants. Zebra plants, Ferns, Philodendrons
and Prayer plants are among some of house
plants from this layer that do well in dimly lit
conditions.
http://www.tropical-rainforest-facts.com/Tropical-Rainforest-Layer-Facts/Tropical-Rainforest-Understory-Layer-Facts.shtml

24. Plant Selections for
Improved Indoor Air Quality
& Interior Living Walls
A NASA study has demonstrated that some
plants have the ability to improve indoor air
quality by removing volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). This is known as
phytoremediation of the air. These plants
employ a range of techniques to accomplish
this feat including: Phytosequestration,
Phytoextraction, Phytostabilization,
Phytotransformation, Phytostimulation,
Phytovolatilization, and Rhizofiltration
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Clean_Air_Study

25. Alpine Plants for
Exterior Living Walls
Alpine plants are plants that grow in the alpine
climate, which occurs at high elevation and above
the tree line. Many different plant species live in
the alpine environment. These include perennial
grasses, sedges, forbs, cushion plants, mosses, and
lichens. Alpine plants must adapt to the harsh
conditions of the alpine environment, which
include low temperatures, dryness, ultraviolet
radiation, and a short growing season.
Adaptations include: Low to the Ground,
Cushions and Mats, Evergreen Foliage, Red
Leaves, Thick, Waxy Leaves, Fuzzy, Curled Leaves,
Slow Growth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_plant
Delosperma Yellow Ice, Iberis Snowflake
Phlox Candy Stripes, Sedum Dragon's Blood
Mazus Reptans, Veronica Christy

26. Vines for Green Veneers
• Twining
• Tendril
• Clinging
• Running
• Evergreen
• Deciduous
• Flowering
• Fruiting

27. Vines for Green Veneers
Twining Vines Tendril Vines
• Twiners, such as
honeysuckle,
climb by winding
around supports.
These can quickly
cover a trellis,
arbor or wall
screen.
http://www.finegardening.com/types-climbing-vines#ixzz3c1pcOrlQ
• Some vines, such as
sweet peas, have
tendrils that twist
around a support.
They also grow quickly
and support
themselves given a
structure to cling to.

28. Vines for Green Veneers
Clinging Vines Running Vines
• Some plants such as
English ivy (Hedera
helix) climb by aerial
rootlets. These can
grow without any
support on masonry,
wood and other
natural surfaces.
http://www.finegardening.com/types-climbing-vines#ixzz3c1pcOrlQ
• Some plants use
hooks to grab
toeholds on a
support and climb
skyward. Others
like tomato have no
way of holding on.
You’ll want to
weave them
through a trellis
occasionally or tie
them to a support.

29. Evergreen
(& semi-evergreen) Vines
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout
the entire year. Evergreen vines are problem
solvers in the garden and can be used for vertical
gardening for year round foliage. Some other uses
include: Green winter color, for spring or summer
flower color, food for birds and butterflies, to
mask or soften unsightly structures or views, for a
privacy screen, to decorate a trellis, fence, arbor or
pergola, to help prevent erosion on a slope, as a
fast-growing ground cover, to create shade.
Unfortunately there are not many evergreen vines
that grow in our climate zone. Lonicera sempervirens
Trumpet honeysuckle
Native, semi-evergreen, twining,
flowering vine
Hedera helix
English Ivy
Evergreen, non-native, clinging vine

30. Deciduous Vines
Deciduous plants lose their leaves seasonally
(most commonly during autumn). There are
many deciduous vines that are suitable for
exterior green veneers.
Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Boston Ivy
Native, deciduous, clinging vine
Wisteria frutescens
American Wisteria
Native, deciduous, flowering, twining vine

31. Flowering Vines
Flowering vines, whether evergreen or
deciduous, can add a colorful pop to your
vertical garden, drawing the eye up and
attract pollinators.
Morning glory
Annual
Growing on chain link fence
Clematis
Native, perennial vine
Growing on an arbor

32. Fruiting Vines
Fruiting vines, whether evergreen or
deciduous, can add utility to your garden by
producing food for yourself or for birds and
other fauna.
Tomato
Annual, fruiting, running vine.
Grape
Deciduous, perennial,
fruiting, tendril vine.

33. Annuals & Perennials
Annual Plants
• An annual plant is a plant that completes
its life cycle, from germination to the
production of seed, within one year, and
then dies. Summer annuals germinate
during spring or early summer and mature
by autumn of the same year. Winter
annuals germinate during the autumn and
mature during the spring or summer of
the following calendar year.[
Perennial Plants
• A perennial plant or simply perennial
(from Latin per, meaning "through", and
annus, meaning "year") is a plant that lives
for more than two years. The term is often
used to differentiate a plant from shorter-
lived annuals and biennials. The term is
also widely used to distinguish plants with
little or no woody growth from trees and
shrubs, which are also technically
perennials

34. Native, Naturalized & Invasive Plants
Native Plants Invasive PlantsNaturalized Plants
A plant that is a part of the balance
of nature that has developed over
hundreds or thousands of years in
a particular region or ecosystem.
Note: The word native should
always be used with a geographic
qualifier (that is, native to New
England [for example]). Only plants
found in this country before
European settlement are
considered to be native to the
United States.
A plant introduced with human
help (intentionally or accidentally)
to a new place or new type of
habitat where it was not previously
found. Note: Not all non-native
plants are invasive. In fact, when
many non-native plants are
introduced to new places, they
cannot reproduce or spread readily
without continued human help (for
example, many ornamental plants).
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ct/technical/ecoscience/invasive/?cid=nrcs142p2_011124
A plant that is both non-native and able to establish
on many sites, grow quickly, and spread to the point
of disrupting plant communities or ecosystems.
Note: From the Presidential Executive Order 13112
(February 1999): 'An invasive species is defined as a
species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the
ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose
introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or
environmental harm or harm to human health.' In
contrast to item 2) of the Executive Order, which
includes plants invasive in agricultural settings, the
Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group lists
non-native plants as invasive only if they invade
minimally managed (natural) areas.

35. Espaliered Trees
There are several varieties of trees that take
well to shaping in this way. Espalier requires
annual pruning and care to maintain proper
form.

36. Other Vertical Growing
& D.I.Y. Ideas
• Hydroponics (indoor and outdoor)
• Planted Pallet Walls
• DIY Wooly Pockets
• Planter/Container Wall
• Green Cloaking

37. DIY Vertical Garden Ideas
Gutter Garden Retaining Walls
• Storm gutters, PVC
pipe or other
horizontal troughs
can be hung on a
wall and planted in
to achieve vertical
interest on an
otherwise blank
wall.
http://www.finegardening.com/types-climbing-vines#ixzz3c1pcOrlQ
• Some garden
designs incorporate
retaining walls.
These often have
nooks and crannies
where alpine and
succulent plants
can be tucked in to
soften the edge in
your garden space.

38. DIY Vertical Garden Ideas
Conglomerate Green Wall Milk Crate Innovations
• Many size and shapes can come together to create a
impressive display
• These readily available containers can be lined with a landscape
fabric, stacked and planted for an interesting garden-on-the-go.

39. DIY Vertical Garden Ideas
Pallet Garden Wall Soda Bottle Garden Wall

40. Walls of Pots
Using many pots or other containers

41. Moss Graffiti
By mixing a slurry of moss material…
Ingredients:
One or two clumps (about a small handful)
of moss
2 cups of buttermilk
(You can substitute with yogurt or beer)
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp. sugar
Corn syrup (optional)

42. Green Cloaking
This is a fairly new idea which suggests that
a vine covered support suspended above a
roof can act as a light weight, inexpensive,
quick and easy alternative to an extensive
green roof.
Algae Skin
A very new green
building innovation
Cloaking Lab Study
Researchers test the vines ability to
capture rainwater, reduce interior
building temperatures and clean the air.

43. Resource Pages
• Plant lists:
• Definitions: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ct/technical/ecoscience/invasive/?cid=nrcs142p2_011124
• http://www.scotscapelivingwalls.net/plant-list.html
• http://www.greenscreen.com/Plants_main.html
• http://www.florafelt.com/plants/
• Alpine Plants - http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/flowers-adaptations-alpine
• Benefits
• http://www.greenovergrey.com/green-wall-benefits/overview.php
• Considerations for Advanced Green Façade Design:
• http://www.greenscreen.com/direct/Considerations/AdvancedGreenFacadeDesign_CEU_F12.pdf