Not only façades, but also interior walls can be greened! This can be done with or without climbing aids. Sometimes ‘living walls’ with accompanying lighting are also installed…
Our topic is ‘facade greening’, a specialised area of “greening”. In this sense, we are again focusing exclusively on green walls, surfaces, objects, etc., in indoor spaces. Such indoor greening should, of course, be green in both summer and winter, i.e. ‘evergreen’.
Light is the be-all and end-all in these projects! Most climbing and hanging plants need it to thrive and therefore prefer to grow near windows or where there is plenty of artificial light. Unfortunately, locations are often still considered ‘bright’ even when they are actually too dark. This makes indoor greening problematic...
The plants recommended here are robust and resistant to pests. But the famous ‘trappings’ must be right and should be studied elsewhere, i.e. not on our homepage: temperatures, pot sizes, substrates, watering, drainage, fertilising, spraying... In addition, the leaves of indoor plants are never wet or washed by dew or rain! It may therefore be necessary to dust them, which is something to consider with taller plants.
Self-climbing plants with adhesive roots or adhesive feet, such as the climbing fig (Ficus repens), are an inexpensive way to green rough walls, e.g. exposed, unplastered brick walls in a café or similar. On light-coloured, smooth walls, however, trellises are preferred for aesthetic reasons, on which the climbing plants can then grow or be tied. Delicate wire ropes are particularly suitable for this purpose. The ‘Light’ and ‘Premium’ series from the FassadenGrün range are ideal for this purpose because their holders have a smooth shaft and look more elegant than holders with a threaded shaft.
Living walls are also suitable for indoor spaces, but usually only with strong lighting that imitates daylight. Cutting corners here is guaranteed to backfire!
An inexpensive alternative to living walls and vertical gardens are artificial plants or moss walls. The latter are made of real moss and, in addition to their aesthetic effect, can also absorb sound. Concerns that a moss wall will become a dust trap are rather unfounded due to its antistatic properties. Yes, there have been experiments with living moss, but due to the extremely high maintenance costs, this has not proven successful for interior greening. The market is dominated by ‘preserved’, ‘stabilised’ moss, which is ultimately dead and mummified. The amount of light is no longer an issue here, as such moss walls fit well in dark areas.
Many climbing plants can also grow hanging, both outdoors and indoors. They are often cultivated in a freely hanging ‘hanging basket’. Such ‘hanging plants’ are interesting for indoor façade greening because they can also be used to cover walls, objects or other surfaces.
By far the most uncomplicated plants here are the many varieties of golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum). They thrive in normally lit or slightly darker rooms and can also tolerate irregularities or gaps in watering. The tree friend (Philodendron) is somewhat more demanding in terms of light and watering.
Greenhouses have particularly bright light. Many plants thrive in this environment because it closely resembles outdoor conditions. On the other hand, greenhouses often become very warm, if not hot, and therefore need to be ventilated. If they are also heated strongly in winter, tropical vegetation can be cultivated. The humidity must also be kept high, e.g. by spraying mist, etc. All the butterfly houses and tropical houses in botanical and zoological gardens (zoos) follow this principle and attract millions of visitors every 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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