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Do you love nature and would like to surround yourself with plants, but don't have enough space to fit all the pots? The solution may be easier than you think: arrange everything in vertical!
Whether it's the living room of a small flat, the conference room of a large company or the lobby of a hotel, having an indoor green wall helps us live more in harmony with ourselves and our surroundings.
But how can we do it?
Let's find out together!
Contents:
- What is a green wall?
- Why have a green wall at home or in the office?
- How to create an indoor green wall?
- What plants are best for a green wall at home?
- Seven indoor plant care tips.
- The KalaMitica Magnetic System green wall: magnetic pots for an original and minimal green wall.
1. What is a green wall?
Also known as living walls or vertical gardens, green walls are vertical structures with various types of plants or other greenery.
For some time now, architects and landscape architects who are sensitive to environmental sustainability have been looking for innovative solutions to integrate outdoor greenery into their projects.
So, plants have been used to cover the outer walls of a building for both ornamental and environmental purposes.
In this regard, we quote a phrase by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, to understand how much of his attention in designing and building was directed towards nature:
“Study Nature, love Nature, stay close to Nature. It will never fail you”.
However, plants can also elegantly decorate an indoor environment: in this article, we will talk about indoor green walls.
2. Why have a green wall at home or in the office?
Why should you make a living wall indoors?
Not only for purely aesthetic reasons, but also because plants can help us improve our quality of life, for example by providing excellent sound and heat insulation.
However, that's not all. For a long time we have been hearing about purifying the air in indoor environments with the help of plants.
It was even NASA that first addressed the issue, as they found that astronauts who lived for long periods of time in space stations - a totally hermetic environment - suffered from the lack of air exchange.
They discovered that certain plants, which normally live in the lower parts of tropical forests, had the ability to absorb pollutants from the air and transfer them to the soil.
Therefore, these plants were used to remove air pollution, thus improving the air quality.
Now you may say, “Our houses are not space stations!”
You are right, but in our daily lives, we can also be exposed to harmful substances, in particular the so-called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
Although we may not be aware of it, many things release VOCs in indoor environments: detergents and cosmetic products; solvents, glues and paints; working tools such as printers and photocopiers; cigarette smoke.
It is not uncommon, therefore, for many of these toxic substances to be present in our homes and offices, but fortunately, plants come to our aid!
That's why it's good to have them in our homes and offices: they release oxygen and absorb pollutants, we couldn't ask for more!
3. How to create an indoor green wall?
There are many beautiful and functional solutions on the market for creating a vertical garden at home, with different types of structures, panels and pots.
Some of them even make use of automated irrigation and lighting systems, thus requiring the intervention of qualified professionals.
Others, on the other hand, allow you to create green walls in a simpler and more economical way: panels made of felt or jute with pockets for plants; pots of different materials and sizes with hooks on the back; cachepots by KalaMitica Magnetic System, which we will see in more detail at the end of this article.
DIY lovers can create a green wall using pallets or recycled materials such as old bottles and used plastic containers.
Whatever you choose, your indoor green wall will need a bit of passion and knowledge to remain beautiful and thriving over time.
But don't worry, it's not that difficult! All it takes is a little passion, some good advice on plants, the correct amount of light and water, and that’s all!
So let's take a closer look at the real stars of the show, plants!
4. What plants are best for a green wall at home?
The choice of plants for your green wall will not only depend on personal taste, but also and above all on the climatic and environmental conditions in which they will be placed, such as temperature, light and humidity.
In general, therefore, choose easy-care plants that require minimal attention and can adapt to different environments: we recommend some of those that, according to the scientific studies mentioned above, help to improve air quality.
Pothos
Let's start with the king of green walls, Pothos.
There are many varieties, with mottled or uniform leaves, but they will certainly give you a lot of satisfaction in your indoor green walls.
They have a good ability to purify the air and are strong, long-lasting plants that do not need much care: they like humidity, but do not require daily watering.
As they are cascading plants, we recommend that you place them at the top of your green wall.
Chlorophytum
Commonly referred to as Spider plant, this is an easy-to-grow plant with excellent properties for indoor air purification.
It likes light, but it is advisable not to expose it to direct sunlight. Water sparingly, but keep the soil fairly moist.
Sansevieria
This plant also adapts very well to indoor cultivation, as it does not need much attention and only needs water when the soil is completely dry.
It can grow quite tall, so we recommend placing it at the bottom of your green wall.
All varieties will help absorb pollutants in the air, but we particularly recommend the Sansevieria Cylindrica, which is elegant and perfect for modern, minimalist environments.
Nephrolepis
Also known as Boston fern, Nephrolepis is a houseplant that can give great satisfaction with the beauty of its leaves.
With its beautiful bright green colour, it fills in nicely anywhere on your wall.
Like all ferns, it doesn't like direct sunlight and needs moist soil to thrive.
Tillandsia and Succulents
Tillandsia (Air Plants), like cacti and succulents in general, are very easy to care for and are well suited to creating minimalist green walls.
In addition, given their small size and slow growth, they are also perfect for those who do not have much space available, but do not want to give up a green corner in their home.
Succulents and cacti have less of an effect on indoor air purification than Tillandsia and the other plants we mentioned earlier, but studies have shown that they can absorb electromagnetic radiation from electronic devices.
View our table with advice on the exposure and care of these plants.
If you prefer plants with flowers, here are some plants we recommend.
Spathiphyllum
Spathiphyllum, a plant with broad green leaves, is one of the best choices for indoor air purification.
Its beautiful, elegant white flower (called a spathe) will make any space more sophisticated.
It needs humidity and warns us immediately when it needs water because its leaves droop; it only needs to be watered again for it to recover quickly.
Beware of draughts: it does not like them, just as the Anthurium. With its beautiful spathes of different colours, it is very elegant too, but much more delicate than Spathiphyllum.
Phalaenopsis
We have not yet mentioned the queen of flowers, the Phalaenopsis orchid.
With its long-lived, multi-hued flowers, it creates an exclusive and cosy environment.
When it withers, even if we take care of the plant with a few waterings and a little fertiliser, we will have to wait a year to see it in flower again.
5. Seven indoor plant care tips
The plants we have mentioned here are strong and easy to care for; they do not need much effort, but it is still important to pay attention to a few details.
1. Water correctly. Remember that, in general, it is better to wait until the soil is dry before giving water to your plants, except for tropical potted plants – such as Spathiphyllum and Nephrolepis – that need to be kept consistently moist
2. Avoid stagnant water. If possible, it is good for all plants to have some draining material (such as expanded clay) in the lower part, close to the roots. This is to avoid water stagnation, which could suffocate and rot the roots.
3. Choose a suitable location. For your green wall, you should choose a bright location, preferably one that is not in direct contact with sunlight, which can burn the leaves in the warmer months.
4. Beware of the sun... If the sun is shining strongly, an awning should shield the rays; alternatively, lower the blind at the hottest times of day.
5. ... and of draughts! Indoor plants generally don't like draughts, especially cold ones; avoid them in winter so that they don't suffer.
6. A remedy against mosquitoes. Here's a simple yet effective trick to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your home, where they can take advantage of stagnant water in the saucers. Simply put in a few coins of 1, 2 or 5 cents; the copper oxide they release will alter the pH of the water, preventing mosquito eggs from hatching.
7. Fertilise regularly. In the long run, water is not enough: our plants also need a bit of “food”! Arm yourself with some special fertiliser for houseplants and feed your plants at least once a month.
6. The KalaMitica Magnetic System green wall: magnetic pots for an original and minimal vertical garden
As we said at the beginning of this article, there are many solutions on the market, but our favourite is, of course, the one by KalaMitica Magnetic System!
By using steel chalkboards and many cachepots of different shapes and colours, with powerful magnets, it will be possible to create modular and equipped green walls, easy to maintain and customisable in every detail.
Here are the advantages of our magnetic concept to create vertical green walls wherever you want, in your home or office.
1. KalaMitica offers magnetic boards in different shapes, colours and sizes; dimensions can even be customised, to create your green wall exactly where and how you want it.
2. KalaMitica cachepots can be moved around at will, so you can have fun and play with them to change the wall as you like and/or as your plants grow.
3. The cachepots can be easily detached and reattached, so you can take them directly to the plant care area, without making the room where the green wall is located dirty.
4. Our cachepots are designed to hold the most commonly used pots. The range, which starts at 3.5 cm and goes up to 15 cm in internal diameter, is very wide and you can choose the shapes and colours you want.
5. The permanent neodymium magnets inserted in the cachepots support much more weight than is necessary to hold the plant: there is no danger of your plants suddenly falling down!
6. The wide range of magnetic accessories will allow you to add complements to your green wall.
7. If you want to create an extremely elegant and design-oriented green wall, the steel accessories of the KalaMitica+ line are just the thing for you. With their minimalist black and white design, they will add personality and sophistication to modern and contemporary style environments.
That's why our magnetic system solves the problem of vertical greenery in a simple and innovative way, allowing us to bring nature directly into our homes and offices!
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