One lone Sempervivum is blooming on the new green wall. Can you imagine how cool it will be when they all bloom next year?! The wall will transform completely when the sedum flowers. Some of the sedum will flower white, others red, pink and yellow. It will transform again in cold weather, because the folliage of some of the sedum varieties we chose will turn red, orange or purple in the winter.
We planted the wall in a pattern (you can start to see it in the bottom picture)- a "V" in the top of the panel to the left of the door and the woman from our logo in the in the panel on the right (not pictured because that side is still growing in).
The best vantage point is from in the parking lot. With a little distance (and a little squinting) you can start to see what the picture will look like as the sedum fills in.
This week, leading up to the "Official Green Wall Unveiling" Party, we will post plant features of all the sedum and sempervivum varieties we used. Then on Sunday August 29th stop by for the party, refreshments, and see the wall for yourself. The festivities start at 2pm.
Can you see the the "V" below?
Oh! That looks amazing! I work for a small botanical garden and we'll be installing one of these this coming year- I'll have to search your blog for a post-winter update and for more information- I'm in the 'research' phase.
ReplyDeleteI would like to construct a living wall as well! Waht kind of substrate did you use? I guess only mineral soil and did the mat already rot? Isn't it an ornganic mat? cheers
ReplyDeleteThe frame is constructed from two by twos and backed with rigid insulation and a vapor seal, so it could be hung on the building. Then we used plastic plant trays as the internal structure to allow drainage from top to bottom, and within the trays we used peat pots. We knew those would decompose, but by that time the roots of the plants would function as a structure of their own.
ReplyDeleteWe filled the pots with potting soil, stapled burlap around the frame, and the hardware cloth on to of that. There is also a drip irrigation system at the top. It was quite the project! But it has held up beautifully.
There are snap together systems available as well.
Good luck!
Thanks for the detailed answer! How does the plants grow so far? But as far as I now after Sempervivum flowers have bloomed it's going to die... So do you have to replant the gaps or is sempervivum able to fill the gaps in the wall with young plants? May I use some pics from your page for a school lecture? cheers
ReplyDeleteThe Sempervivum and creeping sedum are able to fill in as the burlap disintegrates. But the creepers seem to grow down - gravity! And we need to fill in some spots at the top.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, you can use our photos for a lecture.