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Green wall ideas


Living wall ideas: Creative ways to plant a green wall garden

(Image credit: Future / Alun Callender)

Looking for living wall ideas? It’s never been easier to create a living wall in your garden. 

Living, or green, walls, were once the domain of temporary, designer installations. Now, pioneering commercial sites, where tapestries of plants can be seen adorning the sides of prestigious hotels, shops and office buildings, have become the must-have decorative design solution for residential gardens.

Colorful, verdant and providing aesthetic and ecological benefits, they make use of vertical surfaces for planting. They are a particularly useful garden idea where space may be limited, but are worthy as an impactful design feature in their own right.

A natural and growing garden decor idea, in urban areas living walls can also help keep buildings cool and reduce noise pollution, as well as provide a habitat for wildlife, too. They also help keep rain water away from exterior walls and provide insulation.

To create these vertical gardens, plants are rooted into a structure which is then attached to an interior, exterior or freestanding wall.

Systems can range from something as simple as plant pots hung on a vertical wall, to highly sophisticated modular, hydroponic panels, where all the water and nutrient requirements of the plants are precision delivered and monitored electronically.

Living wall ideas

1. Make your living wall a focal feature

(Image credit: Future / Alun Callender)

Luxuriant and dramatic, these vertical garden wall ideas also help to insulate buildings, improve air quality and attract birds and insects to urban environments.

Here, modular panels are pre-planted with plugs on a support structure, which allows walls of all sizes to be covered with greenery.

2. Take it indoors

(Image credit: Future / Anthropologie)

This striking living wall, which includes the fern Asplenium nidus obtusifolia ‘Crispy Wave’, Peperomia obtusifolia, Pilea cadiereiand Fittonia, was created for Anthropologie by Biotecture, biotecture. uk.com.

Biotecture offers a sophisticated and highly precise, monitored irrigation system. Walls are pre-grown vertically offsite and installed semi-mature, creating instant visual impact.

3. Create a vertical attraction 

Garden designed by Stephen Woodhams, stephenwoodhams.com

(Image credit: Future / James Merrell)

A limited palette of carefully selected plants (Adiantum capillus-veneris, Asplenium scolopendrium, Carex Irish Green, Hebe pagei ‘Sutherlandii’, Heuchera ‘Marmalade’, Lavandula ‘Hidcote’, Polypodium vulgare, Polystichum polyblepharum, Soleirola solierolii, Uncinia rubra, Vinca minor Alba) are woven together to create texture and pattern.

4. Take inspiration from nature

Roof garden, John Lewis

(Image credit: Annaick Guitteny/Future PLC)

'There are lots of green wall systems on the market, but I think the units by Treebox are among the best. They are made up of deep pockets that provide plenty of space for compost and plant roots.

I would also advise installing an irrigation system to ensure your plants are well watered from top to bottom. In this wall, I have chosen a range of leafy and flowering plants, including heucheras, Helianthemum (rock roses) and thyme,' says garden designer Tony Woods.

5. Use the right planting system

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

Successful systems for living walls and vertical gardens need to provide an upright support, a substrate for plants to root into and a means of meeting all their water and nutrient needs, usually via drip-irrigation.

Many garden designers and all-in-one companies offer a range of solutions.

6. Pick the perfect spot for a living wall

(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford)

When considering how to plan a garden that incorporates a living wall, it's important to install your green wall on a sunny or partly-shaded surface, where the widest range of plants will thrive.

We suggest using leafy evergreens for year-round cover, such as Siberian bugloss (Brunnera), small ferns, heucheras and sedges, or plant lettuces, thyme, chives, marjoram and strawberries for an edible wall or sensory garden idea.

7. Use the best plants for your garden wall

(Image credit: Future / Amateur Gardening)

In colors ranging from dark burgundy to lime green and pink, the must-have Coral Bells (Heuchera) is ideal for sun or part-shade.

Its compact size means it will never outgrow its wall planter and the overwintering leaves provide continuous color. Just snip off old foliage in spring to make way for new growth. 

8. Opt for drought-tolerant plants

(Image credit: Future)

Carex is another excellent addition to a living wall. This drought-tolerant sedge has evergreen grass-like leaves and will provide color all year round on your wall.

It also produces dainty white flower spikes in spring, and will grow happily in the shadier areas at the bottom of a living wall, making it a good choice if you're looking for garden shade ideas, too. 

The striped Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’ is one of the best.

How do you decorate a living wall?

Where space is tight, planting vertical surfaces offers a great way to introduce color into you garden and is a handy idea for small gardens. Living wall units are an easy solution, covering surfaces with flowers and foliage to disguise fences, sheds, or even your bins.

Add pollinator-friendly flowers and your living wall will feed the bees, too, or try edible plants for fresh ingredients right outside your door.

What are the best plants for a living wall?

A large range of herbaceous perennials, grasses, small shrubs, herbs and even fruit and vegetables can be used on your living wall idea.

Be creative and experimental. Try including scented plants, seasonal flowers and bulbs, but check your chosen plants will suit the aspect, microclimate and conditions of your living wall.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

Living wall ideas to create a stylish vertical garden in your space

We're always looking for ways to make the most of our outdoor spaces. Living wall ideas allow you to embrace greenery on your vertical exterior spaces to create a lush wall of foliage.

As well as adding a personal, unique touch to your space, this planting style can fit in nearly anywhere. Whatever type of garden ideas you have - from a small courtyard to large lawn, living walls will make the most of your space.

'A living wall is a great way to introduce greenery into your home or garden and refresh a space, creating a modern and sophisticated look that will add interest and colour' says Marcus Eyles, Head of Horticulture at Dobbies .

Living wall ideas for gardens

Living walls are one of the hottest gardening trends to emerge in recent years, increasingly making their way into residential gardens.

Systems can range from something as simple as plant pots hung on the vertical frame, to highly sophisticated modular, hydroponic panels from which water and nutrients are delivered and electronically monitored.

1. Frame your foliage

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

While many living wall ideas take up large swathes of space - a framing technique will help even the smallest amount of greenery have impact. This is a great solution for smaller spaces, but also wrks well to help break up larger walls.

Pick a frame which contrasts with the wall behind to make sure the plants pop against the colour contrast,

2.

Switch it up with ease

(Image credit: Future PLC)

If you tend to change your mind easily, or like to keep things easy, consider an ad hoc solution like a trellis. Instead of a living wall structure, simply place large plants below and hang pots of foliage and flowers from the brackets for a great example of easy garden ideas.

This is an especially good idea if you tend to prefer flowers over foliage. In this case you can switch out the pots with seasonal flowers as and when required.

3. Add delicate flowers for colour and texture

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

While most living wall ideas heavily lean into foliage, a few floral details won't go amiss. Choose delicate blooms to add interest, texture and even colour, without overly distracting the eye.

Look to flowers like Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle) and Saxifraga x urbium (London pride). These lighter, more rambling flowers will also cope with the vertical planting method better than other types.

4. Cheat it with a tiled mural

(Image credit: Baked Tile Co.)

If you love the look of a living wall, but don't have the time to keep up maintenance, choose another option. Create a mural using botanical tiles to evoke the illusion of plants and foliage on your exterior walls.

Add some climbing plants to your outdoor wall decor ideas and you'll even create a 3-D effect without fully committing to a true living wall.

5. Create continuity with raised beds

(Image credit: Dobbies)

If you choose to have a small section of living wall, consider how to plan a garden to make sure the rest of the space ties in. Raised beds can be planted with similar or complementary foliage to the walls. The line will be slightly blurred between where the living wall ends and the beds begin, helping to create a sense of cohesion.

6. Choose a different kind of living wall

(Image credit: Future PLC/Howard Walker)

Plants aren't, of course, the only thing living in a garden. Support bees and bugs by including a vertical insect hotel to provide them with places to live. Your garden will thank you, too, as your flowers will be prime pollination targets from our buzzy friends.

7. Surround a courtyard with a vertical garden

(Image credit: Future PLC/Robert Sanderson)

Eve the smallest of outdoor spaces can accommodate a living wall. In fact for some small garden ideas it can help to make the space feel more ambient, with a feeling of being surrounded by nature. Vertical planting is favourable for concealing brick walls or enclosing fences that make an already compact space feel all the more oppressive.

The softness of planting helps to make a limited outdoor space feel enrich and closer to nature. Even a tiny balcony garden idea can feel more like a lush plot with a thriving living wall.

8. Welcome wild planting

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

Keep the look loose and on-trend for wild meadow planting by using unexpected plant species. Use an abundance of long grasses to add depth, while embracing climbing ivy to provide a thorough coverage.

Foliage plants such as heucheras and ferns should be tidied up by snipping off tatty leaves, as needed. Annuals, in particular, benefit from a liquid feed every couple of weeks in summer, although any display that’s in place for any length of time will need feeding to keep it looking its best.

9. Create a colourful planting scheme

(Image credit: Future PLC)

Incorporate colourful bedding plants to ensure your living wall is bursting with colour. When choosing flowering plants, as always, you’ll need to deadhead flowers to encourage new blooms later in the season and to keep the wall looking its best.

If you’re attaching your green wall to the side of a house, Dobbies recommend attaching a waterproof membrane to the wall before you begin, to prevent damp issues.

10. Take the hard work out with ready-made panels

(Image credit: Dobbies)

This planting trend can be brought to life in our own homes with a helping hand of pre-planted modular panels. This easy gardening idea allows walls to look blooming lovely with minimal effort.

'The Living Wall Planters can be easily fitted onto any solid area' explains Marcus from Dobbies. 'The walls can be built indoors or out, can be as large or small as you like, meaning it can be tailored to suit the size of your space.'

11. Keep it leafy with ferns and evergreen foliage

(Image credit: Future PLC)

Soften hard landscaping and exterior walls with a richly planted vertical garden. Pre-planted modular panels covered with assorted greenery including fern and other leaf based plants.

The living plant wall needs watering around every two- three days depending on climate (unless you’ve chosen to add an automatic irrigation system), more in summer - check by sticking a finger into the soil to see if the compost is dry.

12. Plant a living gallery wall

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tim Young)

Break with tradition and create a gallery wall outside by hanging plants in pots and frames – a brilliant budget garden idea to boost an outdoor space without breaking the bank!. This quirky approach to a living wall idea involves less gardening expertise and therefore requires less maintenance.

To recreate the look simply hang an assortment of planters, securely to one wall, to elevate your planting.

13. Encourage climbing plants to get the look

(Image credit: Future PLC)

Faux the look with a climbing plant idea to provide the lush coverage of walls without the need to put in an irrigation system. You simply need one well supported climber to establish itself and take over a whole.

'Supports for the climber will need to be placed before planting' advises Chris Bonnett from Gardening Express . 'Planting near a wall or fence can create a ‘rain shadow’, which means that rain does not reach plants’ roots.' So be sure to water thoroughly, as you would any living wall.

14. Take the look indoors

(Image credit: Future PLC/Georgia Burns)

Scaled down but still as stylish for indoors this characterful grey living room idea features a spectacular living wall of sorts. A striking gold frame is used to encapsulate two planters overflowing with lush ferns, to add a touch of nature beauty to the decor. Get creative and make your own by attaching wall planters to a MDF backboard then framing it.

You can create a living wall using a range of different systems, including wall planters where irrigated troughs are attached to walls; a live panel modular system where plants placed in small cups root into a mat behind or a panel of planting pockets, that is hung on a wall and simply topped up with water once a month.

How to make a living plant wall

1. Choose your space

You can build a living plant wall on any solid wall or fence – build straight on to the side of your house, a garden fence or even a sturdy shed. For indoors a custom made wooden wall allows you the freedom to move it from room to room.

Once you've chosen a structurally sound wall or fence, simply screw in rows of 2in BY 1in treated battens 38cm apart to fill the space. Checking with a spirit level as you go, to make sure they’re straight.

(Image credit: Dobbies)

2. Screw in the planters

Using an electric screwdriver and working from the bottom up, attach the plastic planters to the battens. Click and lock the planters into each other and build up your wall in staggered rows.

3. Get watering

Starting at the top, water your wall with a hose or watering can. The reservoir system is designed to keep plants watered for up to two weeks.

4. Green up your wall

Fill the planters with your chosen plants using 12-13cm pots. Either remove the plants from their pots and plant them straight into the planters. Alternatively to make changing the scheme really easy, place the pot directly into each planter – making sure the pot touches the reservoir base.

What plants should I choose for a living wall?

A range of herbaceous perennials, grasses, small shrubs, herbs and even fruit and vegetables can be used. Try including scented plants, seasonal flowers and bulbs. Seek advice from your local garden nursery about plants that will suit the aspect and microclimate of the wall on which they will be grown.

Plants to create a living wall:

Just a photo: 24 ideas for vertical gardening at home and garden

Green wall, panels of flowers or succulents, pots, beds and moss - how to decorate boring fences and blank walls

► Reminder: for more information about the project, see all shooting angles or ask the designer a clarifying question - click on the photo you like

Charles C Hugo Landscape Design

1. Divide into fragments
If a solid green wall seems too complicated for you, break the composition into several fragments. Using the photo as an example, the details of a large panel, consisting of a dozen containers, were dispersed across the facade as separate green “paintings”.

Where: Portland, USA
Designed by: Charles C Hugo Landscape Design

Vistafolia

Together with landscapers, they decided to cover the facade with wooden panels, on which they mounted backlighting and a green panel.

Where: London, UK
Project authors: VistaGreen

BlueGreen Landscape Design

3. Painting of succulents…
This green wall was arranged to show the color, texture and shape of plants. Containers have a built-in watering system that simplifies maintenance.

Where: Los Angeles, USA
The authors of the project : BlueGreen Landscape Design

Bright Green

4. ... and panel
. With enough light, occasional watering, and a little fertilizer, a wall of succulents will delight owners all year round.

Where: Detroit, USA
Designed by: Flora Grubb Designed Living Art with Bright Green

inovasis design

wide area) the designers have turned into a mini-garden. Some of the succulents were fixed in the pockets of the Corten steel panel. Coniferous trees, olives and thyme were planted along the long wall.

Where: Sydney, Australia
The authors of the project : inovasis design

Blooming Walls®

6. Colored pockets
Multi-colored pockets with plants were used instead of a partition in this garden. This vertical garden is easy to make even for beginner gardeners.

Where: Dublin, Ireland
Designed by: Blooming Walls®

Harrington Porter

Where: London, UK
Designed by: Harrington Porter

London Garden Designer

gardening.

Location: London, UK
Designed by: London Garden Designer

TerraTrellis

9. Living pictures
In this garden, the fence was decorated with creeping plants, and instead of traditional trellises, colored frames became a support.

Where: Los Angeles, USA
Project Creators: TerraTrellis

Promised Path Landscaping Inc

Where : San Diego, USA
Project authors:
Promised Path Landscaping Inc

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

11. Cover up siding
Plant wall panels can be used to mask boring siding. In this project, containers for a vertical garden decorated part of the wall, framing the window.

Where: Los Angeles, USA
Project Authors: Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

SEN Creative

12. Live wave
Plants, moving from the garden to the walls of the house, literally enliven the facades. For example, in this American project, the plants were not fixed to the entire wall, but created a picturesque wave crossing the surface.

Where: San Francisco, USA
Project was created by Mead Quin Design; plants Living Green Design

PAUL CREMOUX studio

13. Green Height
Vertical gardening is often used to cozy up a boring backyard or add privacy.

Where: Mexico City, Mexico
Designed by: PAUL CREMOUX studio

Jeffrey Erb

two floors.

Where: New York, USA
Designed by : Jeffrey Erb Landscape

Terrasses des Oliviers - Paysagiste Paris

15. Change View
Does the bedroom or kitchen window next to the terrace have a view of the wall of the neighboring house? Then a vertical garden is exactly what you need. One of the advantages of this type of landscaping is that it can be organized even in a very narrow area and bring plants to the height you need.

Where: Paris, France
Project authors: Terrasses des Oliviers - Paysagiste Paris

Starikova Design I Olga Starikova

16. Urban Terrace
A phytowall is a good way to add vegetation to an urban space. The atmosphere on this terrace in the apartment has completely changed after the green wall was installed here.

Where: Yekaterinburg, Russia
Designed by: Olga Starikova

Cheryl Ketner Interiors

17. For a boring wall
Various types of vertical gardening can be used on the balcony. Using the example from the photo, a blank wall was decorated with a panel with living plants.

Where: USA
Designed by : Cheryl Ketner Interiors

Alla Shumeiko

18. Hanging garden
Glazed balcony can be turned into a kind of hanging gardens. In this apartment, the landscaping of the balcony is dictated by the proximity of the neighboring house. Tall bushes or potted flowers would block the light. Therefore, we chose the option with hanging plants - now it’s like sitting in front of a window into the garden. The owner loves this place in the house very much and constantly changes the arrangement of furniture - he puts either a dining table or an armchair.

Where: Moscow, Russia
Project author: Alla Shumeiko

Natalya Lavrik Alla Polenova P-L-A-N

And on the wall of the hall they organized vertical gardening with live plants.

Where: Voronezh, Russia
Project authors: Natalia Lavrik and Alla Polenova, P-L-A-N

Irina Krasheninnikova

20. Moss panel in the bathroom
For this project (for budgetary reasons) moss already pasted on flexible plates was brought from Kazan. The panel was mounted on the wall with liquid nails (you can also use self-tapping screws). It must be remembered that such moss is dyed during production, so it is important that it does not fall under a direct stream of water. Here, the bath does not have a top watering can (it is located in the shower compartment): this made it possible to place the panel.

Where: Moscow, Russia
Project author : Irina Krasheninnikova

CaSA - Colombo and Serboli Architecture

21. Feel the rhythm from creeping plants, which, as they grow, will stretch along the ceiling.

Where: Barcelona, ​​Spain
Designed by: CaSA –Colombo and Serboli Architecture

Sally Wheat Interiors

22. Circles on the wall
In this garden, instead of the usual tapestries, curly, in the form of circles were used. As a result, the plants wrapped around the supports and created a repeating ornament.

Where: Houston, USA
Designed by: Sally Wheat Interiors

Land Mechanics, Inc.

23. For the lazy
If you are a novice gardener or summer resident who has no time to look after plants, try greening a fence or wall with mobile containers. It is easier to part with them if it turns out that the phytowall is “not yours”.

Where: Orange, USA
Designed by: Land Mechanics, Inc

Bestique

24. Rows of pots
An arrangement of individual pots or containers can also form the basis of a vertical garden. And it’s easier to choose for each plant its own type of soil or fertilizer.

Where: Oxfordshire, UK
Project authors: Bestique

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IN YOUR TOWN …

A green plant wall is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular decorations of any interior.

You can use completely different techniques and devices to make it. This is not as difficult as it seems at first glance - you only need to provide the necessary moisture and thermal conditions, provide the necessary level of lighting and take care of additional plant nutrition.

For example, the use of complex organic fertilizers significantly increases the level of vitality of plants, improves their condition during the growing season and increases the resistance of plants to adverse environmental factors.

Also, for ease of maintenance, especially in the case of a green wall of a sufficiently large size, it is advisable to use a drip irrigation system.

Today we will look at 10 ideas, many of which you can implement at home, in the office or in the country.

Green plant wall. 10 ideas

1. How to make this chic, incredibly stylish wall decor with plants? Make a composition of special hinged plastic pallets and place plants in them, giving them a sufficient amount of light and moisture.

2. A balcony is one of the most obvious places to build a living wall. There, the plants will feel especially good in the warm season. But if you live in a very cold climate or your balcony is not insulated, consider overwintering options for plants.

3. Lush green plants densely spaced on the shelves create the effect of a "living" green wall.

4. Use climbing or drooping plants to decorate the second floor railing in this way.

5. This is also the decoration of the railing, but with the use of hanging containers.

6. Special planters made of special woven or non-woven materials, which you can sew by hand, will not only decorate the wall, but can also become a kind of wall themselves.

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