Vertical Garden: What You Need to Know
A vertical garden is more than simply adding plants to a wall. It is about creating a living green space that enhances its surroundings while improving the comfort and atmosphere of the area. To achieve the best results and ensure that your vertical garden lasts for years, there are several important factors to understand before getting started. In this article, we cover the fundamentals of vertical gardens, from the different systems available and plant selection to irrigation and proper maintenance.
AuliMai, Landscape Architect
7/31/20262 min read
CREATING A VERTICAL GARDEN
Vertical gardens have become increasingly popular in recent years. This can be seen in the growing demand for vertical garden installations in public and commercial buildings. Shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants in several major cities are among the properties now incorporating vertical greenery into their spaces.
Several local governments in Indonesia have also introduced vertical gardens as part of public green spaces or Ruang Terbuka Hijau (RTH).
There are several types of vertical garden systems available. In general, there are two common installation methods:
1. Vertical Garden Using a Felt Pocket System
This system uses a specialised, durable vertical garden felt that may come with ready-made planting pockets or as sheets that need to be sewn to create individual plant pockets.
Geotextile fabric is commonly used for this type of vertical garden system.
2. Vertical Garden Using Rows of Pots
A vertical garden using rows of pots generally requires more supporting framework, but the installation process is relatively straightforward.
This system also makes ongoing maintenance and plant replacement easier because individual pots can be accessed and replaced when necessary.
There are several important factors to consider when creating a simple vertical garden:
1. Supporting Structure or Frame
Consider the type of supporting wall, the height of the installation, and where the vertical garden will be positioned. These factors will influence the structural requirements of the supporting frame.
The larger the vertical garden area, the stronger the supporting structure needs to be. For larger or more complex installations, consult a structural specialist to determine the appropriate frame construction for your vertical garden.
Common frame materials include wood, reinforcing steel with a minimum diameter of 12 mm, reinforced concrete for larger areas, aluminium, or light-gauge steel.
2. Calculate the Number of Plants Required
For every 1 m² of vertical garden, a minimum of 36 pots is generally required when using the row-of-pots system.
For a felt pocket system, the number of plants depends on the size of the planting pockets. As a general reference, use a minimum of 36 plants per m² when the pocket spacing is approximately 15 cm.
3. Calculate the Irrigation Requirements
Ideally, a vertical garden should use a drip irrigation system with pipes and perforated irrigation tubing.
Manual watering can still be used when the vertical garden is low enough for all plants to be reached comfortably.
For a drip irrigation system, an ideal coverage distance is approximately 3 metres. Using regulated nozzles to help distribute water evenly can therefore be a practical solution.
If the available water pressure or flow rate is too low, a water pump can be used to help deliver water to the upper sections of the vertical garden.
VERTICAL GARDEN COST
Building a vertical garden is different from creating a conventional garden.
It requires specific knowledge and experience in selecting the right growing medium, choosing plants that can thrive with a limited amount of planting media, designing an appropriate supporting structure, and carrying out regular maintenance.
For these reasons, the cost of installing a vertical garden is generally higher than the cost of creating a conventional garden.
The final price will depend on the complexity of the installation as well as the structural, planting, and irrigation requirements described above.
As a general reference, vertical garden installation costs can exceed IDR 2,000,000 per m², although the actual price may vary depending on site conditions and project requirements.
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