Mini wall gardens

THERE are many benefits to having plants around the house. Besides purifying the air and providing more oxygen in our lives, plants could also contribute to a person’s mental and emotional well-being.

Many however, do not have the luxury of having a garden especially if they stay in high-rise residential, where space for a conventional garden plot is limited or non-existent. But there are some modern solutions for those who want a garden.

One of these solutions is a vertical garden — a garden that grows on walls instead of on the ground. Suhana Sulaiman, assistant sales manager of Floristika.com.my Sdn Bhd gives us an introduction to the varied types of vertical garden systems, which homeowners can easily tend to.

1. Fixed-size modulars

This is a cost-friendly method and an interesting way to have a garden at home, in the room or even in the toilet. Simply hook up the modular frames on the wall, then put your favourite indoor plants into the modular pockets — and voila, you have a mini garden on the wall.

Each of these mini wall garden modulars can hold a maximum of 15 mini potted plants. Each modular measures 36cm (length) by 62cm (height). If one is not enough, get more, as it can easily blend in nicely with the living room, bathroom or bedroom.

According to Suhana, this system is one of the more popular vertical gardening methods as it is easy and need little care.

“The light weight modular can be affixed to the wall easily and it’s easy to clean. The most important thing is you do not have to water the plant every day,” she says.

The watering process is easy, just soak the bottom part of the plant in a plate filled with water and leave it for a few minutes to absorb the water. After that just lift it up and toss dry before putting it back into the modular pocket.

“By doing so, you do not need to worry about watering plants or messing up your home. You can even plant herbs by using this modular, but do take note, planting herbs needs more patience and care,” she adds.

2. Free-style, flexible modular

Although it is a smaller version of a standard-sized modular, this free-style modular offers one thing that the standard-sized modular can't — flexibility.

It functions like a Lego set as these flexible modulars allow users to design their wall garden based on their creativity. Sounds like fun!

“Some people may not want their green wall to be a conventional square one, so the flexible modular set can let them do something different,” says Suhana.

The wall planter usually has three layers. Each layer holds two plant pockets. The modular is stacked up in a cross and will have a “wavy” shape different from conventional wall planters. Each modular has a measurement of 42.6cm in length, 15.6cm width and 30.8cm height.

 “Because of its flexibility, you can arrange the modular into any shape you like,” she adds.

3. Verticle gardening modular

It costs significantly more than the entry-level modular, but one thing is for sure — it offers a more solid foundation and also gives plant lovers more options on the type of plants.

“This can be used to plant small size vegetables such as leafy lettuce and basil, it’s very durable and space efficient,” said Suhana.

One set of modular has three layers. Each layer has three plant pockets. The buyers can stack the modular vertically to form a green wall or just hang the modular on the wall. Each modular has a measurement of 64.5cm in length, 19cm width and 57cm height.

For the artistic gardener, they can even design their own mural by using different plants of various colours and let the green wall show off their creativity.

 “Do choose plants that can withstand the tropical heat and don’t forget to water your plants regularly if the weather is too hot,” said Suhana.

4. Rent a plant

Instead of planting your own, another option for busy homeowners who want an instant garden or have little time to tend to one is to rent the plants.

Some floriculture companies provide plant leasing services. The plants usually come in a specially designed pot which has a self-watering system. Staff from the company will go to the customer’s place every two weeks to check on the plants, to water and clean them if necessary.

“We have some companies renting plants from us, as they want real plants in the office but do not want to spend time to take care of the plants.

“Certain plants especially larger indoor plants need extra care, but not everyone has the patience or knowledge to do it. So this is where such a service is in demand,” Suhana offered.

Plants suitable for indoor vertical gardens              

Goosefoot plant

Common rush plant

Snake plant/Mother-in-law’s tongue

Calico plant

Nerve plant/mosaic plant

Baby’s tears plant

Plants suitable for outdoor vertical gardens

Money plant

Ivy plant varieties

Fern

Asparagus

Sunflower

This story first appeared in The Edge Property pullout on Dec 18, 2015, which comes with The Edge Financial Daily every Friday. Download The Edge Property here for free.