Even without drilling into the façade, you can still add green accents! You'll simply need to create flower bed borders or single planting pits in front of your facade. Sometimes you can also integrate suspended trellising cables (cables that hang down from the roof creating a curtain-like situation for the plants; rope system 0050 is a good example).
Of the well-known climbing plants, roses (both as shrubs or as high-stem 'standard' roses) are particularly suitable for base planting. Rose shrubs are climbing shrubs that grow tall with their rigid shoots and thorns in the wild. Stem roses are a good flowering solution to be planted in a bed for embellishing the base of a facade, since their stems and flowers develop on an already developed and straight trunk. Stem roses will need a stake or post, while bush roses can benefit from a cable system like our 1010. Refer to the climbing roses profile for more information.
In addition to roses, many from the group of perennial woody climbers ("climbing shrubs") are also suitable: firethorn, cotoneaster, espalier fruits, winter creeper, among others. These plants can eventually become 'wall' plants: you simply lean them against the wall and they will naturally adhere. Other climbing plants such as vines usually need support or a climbing aid (see photos above), i.e. a wire frame, free-standing stake mats or suspended ropes. From the large group of woody plants, however, many shrubby species are suitable for planting in front of walls, as shown in the photo examples below. “Trees in front of facades” are discussed further below.
‘Tree facades’ to combat the summer heat have a long tradition, especially in northern Germany. This is hardly surprising, as it makes sense to plant trees close enough to houses to provide shade. In times of climate change, this idea is being discussed again, with initial pilot projects underway in Munich and Bamberg (www.baumfassaden.de). If the trees are to grow very close to the façade, they are trained in the nursery to grow on one side, i.e. pruned asymmetrically. Unlike in the past, when lime trees were often used, today tree species are sought that require little or no pruning in order to reduce maintenance costs.
There are also frequent unplanned situations of this kind when espalier fruit trees are neglected and not pruned. This very often affects espalier pears (more examples), which have been grafted onto a vigorous ‘seedling’. This also results in façade trees, as the photos show!
With these plants, effects can usually be achieved more quickly than with the ones mentioned above; usually their flowering is more resplendent, and above all, long-lasting. For example, sunflowers are often used in northern Germany, whereas hollyhocks (hollyhock roses / "mallows") have a long tradition in the Baltic area. They often grow on their own in the pavement if you scatter a few seeds.. The choice of plants thus always depends on the location and the regional conditions.
In the field of 'modern architecture,' bamboo and grasses are becoming more popular for the base of wall gardens. They are often even evergreen!
Fassadengrün is a commercial supplier of stainless steel wire rope systems in Germany, Europe and overseas. Information about: Which plants are suitable, are climbing aids necessary, should they be made of wood or metal? Here at FassadenGrün you will find all the information you need from a single source.
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