10 Reasons to Embrace Planted Walls

Plants have been proven to help improve mood, including feelings of comfort and connection with nature, and help reduce stress in the process. Not only are plants fantastic little helpers when it comes to calming you down and boosting your mood, but their presence has also been shown to increase attention span and concentration. In fact, one study showed that having plants around helped influence productivity in office workers by as much as 15 percent—great incentive to put a planted wall up in your home office or study area.

Plants help oxygenate the air and even have the ability to filter out toxins from indoor environments. While not a replacement for proper ventilation or air filtration, planted walls can support clean, fresh air in any living space.  However, some plants are better than others at helping us breathe easy, and evidence suggests that exposed soil plays a large role in natural air filtration as well. So, if air health is a goal you have for your planted wall, be sure to pick your plant species and planter setup with this in mind.

In addition to soaking up air pollution, planted walls help absorb sound and offer a solution to an echoey room or insulation from a noisy neighbor. Depending on their size, plant leaves can absorb up to 60 percent of the incident sound energy,  making planted walls an excellent option to help improve the acoustics of indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Just as planted walls can insulate from noisy disturbances, they can also help to maintain a livable temperature in indoor spaces. The dense arrangement of a planted wall can work to maintain ambient warmth during the winter months and keep temperatures cool through the hottest days of summer.

Surrounding yourself with nature is a great way to boost your mood, but escaping a busy schedule for a long walk in the woods or to enjoy some sunshine at a local park isn’t always possible. Planted walls provide a unique opportunity to “rewild” your spaces and bring a touch of that tranquility-inducing nature right into your home or office.

Planted walls not only provide an opportunity to rewild indoor spaces, but cement-heavy outdoor spaces as well. Gentle layers of foliage, organic shapes, and vibrant colors provide a welcoming backdrop to humans and animals alike. Plant walls allow you to leverage these benefits to make your outdoor living areas more inviting without giving up valuable space.

Working with plants has been associated with increased rates of relaxation and well-being, as well as a significant reduction in depression and anxiety.  Taking up planting and taking care of your plant wall’s leafy residents could offer an uplifting hobby and a cheerier disposition.

If a home-grown supply of fresh herbs and veggies seems like a remote dream because of cramped quarters, maybe it’s time to consider a planted wall. Empty walls and tiny balconies can be the perfect place for your own vertical vegetation station. With the right setup, you can be snipping fresh basil in the comfort of your kitchen or picking tomatoes from a vine outside your back door.

Even if you’re not looking to grow your own food, a vertical garden can transform any small space—inside or out. Adding a planted wall, even a smaller one, is a great way to add warmth, character, and visual interest to a space. It can offer an excellent opportunity for a unique piece of plant-based art and discussion topic when guests come over.

Planted walls require more than just a consideration of how much space you have. You also need to think about weight, moisture retention, nutrient supply, and water distribution. The options to consider may include hanging gardens, climbing vines, or modular, built-in, soil-free, self-irrigating, easy to install, and easy to move designs. Luckily, with an endless array of options, the perfect planted wall is out there waiting for you.