Over a year and a half ago, we put up our own Minigarden greenwall in our office reception area. This is what it looked like on the day it was built:
Our greenwall consists of 72 plants happily living in a space 160cm high x 194cm wide (approx. 5-1/4’ high x 6-1/3 wide).
Jason Rokosh at VERTLA designed and assembled our wall, including a lovely reclaimed barn-board frame around the wall. On the top, the frame jutts out to accommodate a fluorescent bulb that provides light to the entire wall. A submersible pump and tank were placed on the floor beneath the wall to provide water for the irrigation system that is integrated into the modules.
How Did We Choose Our Plants?
We chose our plants based on several considerations:
- Ability to withstand low-light because the only source of light in this area is the fluorescent bulb
- Toxin-removing properties
- Low maintenance
- Ability to provide a beautiful view of greenery throughout the year.
In the end, we decided to plant fern, silver pothos, spider plant, peace lily, philodendron, marantha, nyphthitis, and pilea.
A Growing Greenwall
Here is a photo of how our wall looks today:
WOW, right? It’s a full-on jungle in here! The growth is so thick that it’s creating a lot of shadows in the photo. Below is a shot of the wall from the side. You can see the vines of pothos trailing down the entire length of the wall, as well as the thickness of the peace lilies and spider plants:
The best part is that in the past year and a half, we have done very little to maintain and enjoy this wild growth.
Watering and Nutrition
Although we have an irrigation system in place that’s a cinch to operate (it’s basically plug and play to get the pump going), we do occasionally water the plants with this green-spouted guy here:
Yes, we’re talking about the watering can. Just a few touch-ups here and there once a week to the plants that are looking a bit thirsty are all we need to keep the wall growing and thriving.
We also feed the wall every month with one or two pouches of Minigarden Grow-Up Green natural plant supplement. This natural and easily dissolvable plant food is pre-dosed, so all you have to do is mix it with 1.25 liters of water per pouch and you’re good to go!
Take That, Winter!
Needless to say, our Minigarden greenwall is one of the favorite features of our office. It might be 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12°C) outside and snowy (which it is at this moment of writing!), but one look and feel of this greenwall always imparts a feeling of warmth and life, no matter how cold it is outside.
Got questions about our office greenwall? I’m happy to answer any questions you have! Just email me at susan@minigardening.com.
Happy New Year to you all!
