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OFF-THE-WALL PLANTS
New products are bringing the vertical garden home
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For
most urbanites, having even a tiny bit of outdoor space is a rarity.
But after pounding the pavement all day, many of us crave some green in
our homes beyond that sad potted plant in the corner. Lately, we've
been seeing full-blown gardens designed to brighten walls in new and
innovative ways. Architectural gardens can bring the backyard indoors
or can offer a jungle atmosphere to even the dullest of buildings,
thanks to vertical living displays that often blow those potted plants
right off the windowsill.
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Woolly Pockets:
As much as we love the Postcarden we just got, it seems to pale in comparison to the mammoth potential of a Woolly Pocket Wally. From the environmental minds behind green LA event space SmogShoppe,
these flexible felt pockets can be hung pretty much anywhere to create
vibrant displays of flora and fauna that look more like art than
foliage. Each Wally is lined with a moisture barrier that both protects
the wall and conserves water and, because the pockets can be filled
with full-sized plants, the green effect can be instantaneous upon
adorning a barren wall. Currently in the running for a Pepsi Refresh Project grant, Woolly Pockets hopes to introduce Woolly School Gardens to 250 schools across the country - a very timely effort that would help teach our children about gardening and nutrition.
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Lifewall:
These modular garden tiles are intended for building exteriors, and unlike the psychedelic ceramics we spotted at ICFF, they do much more than just look pretty. Developed by Spanish design firm Ceracasa,
the green squares work in conjunction with another tile made by the
company which improves local air quality by breaking down nitrogen
oxides. The broken down NOx is then used as fertilizer for the plants
that grow in the tiles. Lifewall squares can be arranged in any
pattern, so your dream of creating a giant pixelated Mario
on the side of your house could finally come true - and make the world
a greener place to boot. The company is now marketing worldwide, so
hopefully we'll be seeing lush city buildings, and breathing less NOx,
right in our neighborhood soon.
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PlantsOnWalls:
We love the idea of reaching over to pick some basil from our kitchen
wall while cooking a pasta dinner - and with one of these, we can do
just that. Made from 100% recycled water bottle felt, PlantsOnWalls are
vertical garden panels with an array of pockets in which you can plant
everything from herbs to orchids. The panels are hung on a simple
backboard and can cover a small section or an entire wall of a room for
an indoor meadow feel. Even vegetables can be grown in the panels if they're lightweight enough, and prospective indoor gardeners can visit PlantsOnWalls's blog
to get some green design inspiration. At $20 a square foot,
PlantsOnWalls may be more expensive than a can of Dutch Boy, but if
you've repainted your living room as many times as we have, this might
be the thriftier, and certainly less toxic, alternative.
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* References to products and services in trendcentral do not imply our endorsement, but rather are intended to provide objective insights into emerging trends and examples of those trends. trendcentral is published by The Intelligence Group, a trend research and consumer insights company focusing on youth culture. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated Cassandra Report studies, please contact Alina Goncalves at 212-277-5299 or via email at agoncalves@intelg.com.
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