It is officially al fresco season and those lucky enough to have gardens are taking to the great outdoors. What if your plot is not up to scratch, though? Perhaps it’s time to think about vertical planting or a living wall? We spoke to leading architects and landscape gardeners who shared why this is a growing gardening trend and revealed expert tips for taking your planting to new heights.
Adam Shepherd, Tapestry Vertical Gardens
‘I’m always led by the plants – they’re my inspiration. I let them guide both the feel and the aesthetic of a living wall, and I’m drawn to planting that’s exuberant and dynamic. This particular vertical garden receives plenty of sunshine, so I knew I could bring in a rich mix of sun-loving plant varieties, from violet-blue perennial geraniums to hardy, flowering fuchsia ‘Genii’ and Hydrangea paniculta.
The wall is the central jewel in a layered crown – it’s integrated into a corten-steel water feature that sits within the garden without dominating.’ tapestryverticalgardens.com
Adolfo Harrison, Adolfo Harrison Landscape Studio
‘This leafy living wall disguises the existing garden room tucked behind it, distorting and enlarging the outdoor space owned by a family in East Dulwich, London. As it was already a small garden, planting directly into the fabric of the building allowed us to create the depth you get from greenery without losing more footprint.
The wall surrounds two round windows – or eyes – and a central pink door, and we wanted these to remain the focal points, with the foliage adding form and texture. Some of the plants we used include Japanese forest grass, Chinese rice-paper plants, pohuehue, fuchsia ‘Hawkshead’, soft tree fern, and Japanese maple.’ adolfoharrison.com
Robert Maxwell, Maxwell & Company
‘The primary use for this garden is entertaining, so we allowed for hardscape [the tiling on the floor]. But, working with landscape company Randle Siddeley, we wanted the space to feel verdant. Our answer was a living wall, which offers abundant texture. It’s visible as you move around the house, providing a connection to the garden that can’t be achieved with beds and planters.
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To ensure the effect lasts yearlong, we kept the planting mainly evergreen. The palette is deliberately restrained, with white accents from Japanese anemones and hydrangea paniculata flowers.’ maxwellandcompany.co.uk
Wilson Tang, Sonelo Architecture
‘As the south-facing edge of the extension, this living wall serves as a seamless threshold between the garden and the interior of this home in Melbourne. It is made from a reinforced cement-panel base marked rhythmically by vertical timber columns painted in Dulux’s “Cottage Green”.
From the garden, the climbing vines, such as star jasmine, that grow along its trellis infill are designed to look like upright topiary – we took inspiration from the gardens at Levens Hall in northern England and their geometric yet soft effect.’ sonelo.com.au
Daniel Bell, landscape designer
‘The brief was to create outdoor “rooms” – not fully enclosed, but layered, connected spaces – on the rooftop of Ryder Court, a London office building. We partnered with PAD Landscapes to design and install the city’s first double-sided green wall, which features more than 50 plant species, including hebes, rock roses, lavender, shrubby honeysuckle, Mexican fleabane and cape jewels.
The idea was to create, along with a visually strong scheme, habitats that support urban wildlife, from insects to tits, wrens and robins. Up this high, weight was a constraint, but the vertical garden is the lightest in London at just 25kg per square metre.’ danielbellverticalgarden.com
