Who invented the green wall?

A contemporary living wall made using the Mini-Garden modular system

According to Erin Tharp's article on the landscapearchitects network, the very first green wall dates back to 1938.  That's when Professor Stanley Hart-White of the University of Illanois Urbana-Champaign patented his "Vegetative-Bearing Architectonic Structure and System"  Phew, I wouldn't want to pronounce that after a few glasses of elderberry champagne.

I rather think that green walls had been used in various forms before 1938 and that perhaps Prof Hart-White was the first to patent a system.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  An ancient green wall?

The modern day pioneer of green walling without a doubt has to be Pierre Blanc.  After much experimentation, Peirre has discovered a way of growing plants on a vertical surface. Rather than using climbers or trained trees, Pierre plants into a system of wire frames and geotextile membranes. Clever irrigation combines with hydroponics to keep the plants happy and healthy.  In this way, Pierre has designed and created some incredibly eyecatching green walls.

A green wall not only looks good, it helps to cool the building - and the area around it.  It provides wildlife habitat and it changes the appearance of a neighbourhood for the better.  I've not seen any research on it yet, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if a green wall could also reduce antisocial behaviour.

A living wall in Paris

Pierre Blanc has fuelled our imaginations but living walls do not need to be as big, sophisticated or expensive as this.

A simple modular system can be used to create a small living wall either indoors - say for growing herbs in a kitchen - or outdoors.

I like the look of this relatively inexpensive system from Mini-Garden and hope to be trialling it very soon.

This system was invented in Portugal.  It's original purpose was for growing strawberries in polytunnels.  But it has been beautifully adapted to suit gardeners, allotmenteers and green-wallers in any situation.

My green wall trial

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