"Full greening" refers, as you would expect, to full-surface coverage of a facade with climbing plants. This greening choice is supremely ecological. While some plants can cover an entire facade without the need of a climbing support / trellis, it is also possible to attach grids and trellises to the wall.
Full-surface greening can actually improve the microclimate in summer, especially in densely populated urban areas. Birds and insects welcome the extra room ~ so you are indeed supporting biodiversity / animal protection / wildlife conservation when you fully green! The vegetation filters out particles like dust or exhaust fumes and reduces ambient temperature through evapotranspiration. However, it usually takes 3 to 10 years for the greenery to truly cover the planned areas.
Covering a facade with a climbing plant is generally a simple affair with very low initial costs; costs arise when the plants reach the roof and need routine trimming. And depending on the plant, a considerable amount of foliage must be disposed of in autumn. Structural damage is quite possible when certain vigorous climbers go unchecked. Overgrown growth (with potential little critters) reaching towards windows has also been known to provoke the ire of residents / tenants.
Self climbers (plants with adhesive 'organs' that climb naturally) almost never need a support, so they can be used to cover the facade at low cost. This is especially true for ivy, which keeps its leaves all year round. Boston ivy and Virginia creeper are usually fast-growing and have bright red autumn leaves, though in winter are less impressive…
Leave the facade un-greened in some places to create contrast and maintain a facade's elegance. This creates an exciting contrast between the green and non-green areas!
Most climbing plants need climbing support to completely cover a wall. In the past, the classic full greening was done with espaliered grapevine because greeningwas seen and valued in terms of yield. But grapevines need regular care, and specific know-how is required (which we offer in our climbing plants section). Larger green areas can also be created with climbing roses, for example, and team up well with clematis and other annuals.
For classic, ground-based greening (where plants grow from the ground), professional greening including plants, climbing aids and installation costs from around 50 euros per square metre of greenery (as of 2020). This minimum value applies, for example, to retaining walls and flood and noise barriers. However, in the case of difficult substrates, e.g. insulation, and at great heights, this value can increase to 300 or even 400 euros per square metre. For ‘living walls’ or ‘shelf construction’, on the other hand, 300-400 euros is the lower end of the cost scale. Maintenance costs are added separately.
Here you can see green facades with a wide variety of plants in various states of care, with and without trellises, and at different times of year.
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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