15 Incredible Vertical Gardens

Vertical gardens help bring greenery to cities. Also check out these vertical farms and mobile gardens.

By Brian Clark Howard

Print
Comments
0
Share
living wall vertical garden in siam paragon mall in bangkok
PSeangsong/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Siam Paragon Vertical Garden

With the dream of bringing lush greenery to urban spaces, and reimagining the concept of the "built environment," architects have been establishing vertical gardens (aka living walls) all over the world. The plants in vertical gardens help absorb toxins in the air, regulate moisture, reduce reflection of light and heat, and they may even be used to grow a little food. They also add beauty and interest, and can have a calming effect on spaces.

Contemporary vertical landscaping was invented by Patrick Blanc, a French botanist who developed the idea after studying tree- and cliff-dwelling plants in the tropics. Blanc has made many installations around the world, including this terraced work in the Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok. Read on to see other innovative examples of this growing trend.

vertical garden by patrick blank on musee du quai branly in paris
Irma Schoonderwoerd/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Patrick Blanc's Paris Wall

Patrick Blanc's living wall for the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris has become a world famous tourist attraction. Blanc's vertical gardens are composed of three parts: a metal frame that can attach to a wall or be free standing, a thin (and waterproof) PVC sheet and a layer of tough polyamide felt, which conducts water evenly and supports plant roots. An automated system applies water from the top, which is fortified with nutrients to feed the plants.
living walls as art
The Blue Girl/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Living Walls as Art

Vertical gardens can provide living palettes for art that beautifies and refreshes. With thousands of types of plants to choose from, there is a rainbow of possibilities.
galeries lafayette berlin living wall vertical garden
blondepowers/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Galeries Lafayette Berlin

Vertical gardens can also be used as unique advertisements, such as this Patrick Blanc creation for the Galeries Lafayette in Berlin.
Patrick Breen/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Madrid Living Wall

Living walls can also be massive public works that serve as artistic and natural focal points, such as this big vertical garden in Madrid.
Julio Rodriguez Payan/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Mexico City Vertical Garden

Living walls can also be shaped into graphic patterns, such as this representation of Quetzalcoatl in Mexico City.
Missouri Botanical Garden/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Missouri Botanical Garden

Living walls are also starting to appear in formal settings such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, where they delight visitors.
Diamondboa/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Pure Yoga Wall

Advertising Pure Yoga on 86th Street in New York City, this vertical garden helps soften the concrete streets of the Big Apple.
wolfcat_aus/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Melbourne Center Shot Tower

A vertical garden flourishes under the world's largest glass cone in the Melbourne Center in Australia, right next to the historic shot tower (also the world's largest). Shot towers were used to produce perfectly round ammunition by dropping the molten metal down several stories. Today Melbourne Center is a bustling shopping and office district.
Bloom Studios/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Smart Home Garden

Green designer Michelle Kaufman has wowed thousands of visitors to her Smart Home in Chicago, at the Museum of Science and Industry. The home is designed to bring healthy living to the city, and includes small vertical gardens as screens.
Ursula Haigh/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Starbucks Living Wall

Living walls come in many shapes, sizes and colors. They can work well indoors or outdoors, such as on this Starbucks on 4th Avenue in Seattle. According to Patrick Blanc, when properly installed, vertical gardens require little maintenance.
square(tea)/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Taiwan Vertical Garden

Vertical gardens are spreading around the world, from Europe to America and Asia, including this beautiful example in Taiwan.
Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture/Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Green Walls

Walls are a plentiful, but often overlooked, opportunity for increasing green infrastructure. There are two main categories of green walls: green facades and living walls. Green facades are made up of climbing plants either growing directly on a wall or, more recently, on specially designed supporting structures. The plant shoot system grows up the side of the building while being rooted to the ground. In a living wall the modular panels are often made of stainless steel containers, geotextiles, irrigation systems, a growing medium and vegetation. Living walls share many of the benefits of green roofs and can also function as locations for urban agriculture or urban gardening.

Pictured: Vancouver Aquarium Green Wall

Jill Clardy/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

Living Wall Kits

Smith & Hawken displayed these gorgeous vertical garden kits at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, promoting a DIY take on the concept. You don't need massive surfaces, or famous designers, to plant your own.
lyrebirdcreate/Flickr
Back Next
View Thumbnails

DIY Hanging Garden

Create your own mini Hanging Gardens of Babylon with a simple pouch planter. It's rabbit proof!
Restart Slideshow

Related Links