Tropical Oasis Vertical Garden
Florafelt vertical garden planters create a tropical paradise for this backyard oasis in Doral, Florida.
Big Color Vertical Garden
Jeff Allis, Tru Vine Design created a delightful vertical garden installation with the Florafelt System for St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida.
Fresh Air Vertical Garden
Pasi Lindberg, Kasviseina Finland gives office workers fresh air and a soothing environment using Florafelt Recirc Systems.
Exotic Penthouse Vertical Garden
Davis Dalbok and his keen team from Living Green created a vertical garden masterpiece for a penthouse garden overlooking lively downtown San Francisco. This wildly imaginative collection of succulents, grasses, ferns and others delightfully frames a gilded centerpiece.
Davis Dalbok and Brandon Pruett of Living Green Design incorporated a gilded sculpture into a vertical garden filled with succulents and grasses for a San Francisco penthouse.
Entrepreneur Center Vertical Garden
Dear Plants On Walls; We are about to officially unveil our first Living Wall installation so I wanted to share a picture to show you what we have done with your Florafelt planters. There are additional pictures on our Facebook page and we have some additional publicity lined up so lots more to come once the space officially opens.
The wall is in a brand new entrepreneur center in Lakeland, Florida. It's a very creative space for local entrepreneurs to launch their new business ventures, hence the name 'Catapult' (catapultlakeland.com) and the wall fits in very well. I also designed a hydroponic wall in the space that is growing herbs and lettuce for the commercial kitchen that is part of the center.
We used 18 of the F12 planters and framed it out using old reclaimed red cedar wood that was well weathered. The style fits the rest of the space and we are really pleased with it.
So far it has been very well received by everyone that has seen it and I am hoping we will get to do more in the near future. Thanks to you and the rest of your team. The service we received and the information provided on your website we very valuable as we took on this project.
Looking forward to continued business with you.
All the best, Adrian Lucas
Florafelt Aquaponics Growing Vertical Greens
We created test gardens in Sonoma, California to develop an aquaponics system growing a variety of leafy greens with many different types of lettuce, kale and others.
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a way to grow vegetables using water circulated from fish tanks. This ‘closed loop’ system is water efficient and can provide multiple food sources from both the fish and plants.
Test Garden
We created test gardens in Sonoma, California to develop an aquaponics system growing a variety of leafy greens with many different types of lettuce, kale and others. Here are the details of our discoveries and what we found to work best. Overall we were were pleased with the simplicity of the system. At first we started with electronic monitoring and complex timers but later abandon the complexity and just let the system run constantly which proved to be best for the overall system, including less wear on the pumps and better filtering for the fish.
Aquaponics Ecosystem
For our aquaponics installation we grew a variety of leafy greens from sprouted from seeds. We used a hearty breed of goldfish to keep it easy for our initial runs. The goal was to build up the natural biology in the system to create a balanced ecosystem for both the plants and fish. The water system runs continuously to keep the plant materials irrigated and the water oxygenated for the fish. A pump that is always on is more reliable because it prevents pump cycling and extends pump life.
Florafelt Pro System Design
The aquaponic system is prepared for another year of planting. Florafelt Pro system units are mounted above 100 gallon tanks. This siThe Florafelt aquaponic growing system is prepared for another year of planting. Florafelt Pro system units are mounted above 100 gallon tanks. This simple system provides a copious amount of vegetable and fish harvests.
Supports and Grids
Struts are mounted to the building facade. Bent wire stainless steel grids are clipped to the struts using strut clamps.
Water Shields
Plastic water shields are inserted into the grids to provide waterproofing.
Water Tanks and Protective Covers
Large 100 gallon tanks are placed below each set of grids that cover an area 8 feet wide by 4 feet tall. A gutter directs water into the tank. A section of grid is hinged and locked on the top of the tank for child safety and to keep rodents out. Built-out tank surrounds would make this a much more attractive installation. For this test garden, these were adequate.
Recirculating Pump and Auto Refill with Water Filter
Irrigation Tubing
Standard 5/8″ irrigation tubing is used to circulate water through the system. Large holes are placed above each felted column. Only one line of tubing across the top. Tubing ends are stopped using the folded method.
Grow Buns
Florafelt Grow Buns are pre-folded and held together with rubber bands. Each bun creates a plantable furrow for seeds.
Make a Grow Bun
Use Florafelt Grow Strip to make a grow bun that you can place in each pocket.
Never Use Soil
In aquaponics, soil is fatal for fish. Start your plants using seeds or starts with the soil washed off of roots.
Water Pump
A simple pump sits in the tank and tubing is run up and through the gutter downspout.
Automatic Water Filler
Water levels are maintained with a toilet filler.
Continuous Water Flow
Water flows through the system and back into the tank. This simple installation uses minimal drain trays and tubing.
Water Filter Helps Balance pH
An inline water filter is used to remove most of the calcium carbonate from the municipal water system. This helps to keep calcium deposits low and water pH in balance. Simple hose connections keeps the installation simple and easy to modify.
Fish are Added
Goldfish are added to the tank after the system ran for a month.
Water Usage
A water flow meter is added to determine how much water was added to the system. Green plastic was used to wrap the main valve to prevent accidental water shutoff. The combined systems of 32 square feet of high density planting area used on average 17 gallons per week. This includes the evaporation from both of the 100 gallon tanks. There were a total of 128 plants in this system.
Seed Labeling
A wide variety of lettuce and kale are tested in the system. Labels are made for each test section.
Seed Planting
Seeds are planted in the Grow Bun furrows and labels are added.
Loads of Greens
After a couple months the seeds sprouted and grew into healthy plants.
Maintenance
The system is very easy to maintain. Very little maintenance is required to keep it going. The fish need to be fed daily and the greens harvested. At the end of the season large plants are removed at the stem. The roots are allowed to remain in the felt. These decay and begin to build organic matter in the system. The following season new seed are added to the system to repeat the cycle.
Florafelt products for this project
San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2013 Birds of Prey Living Wall
Davis Dalbok and Brandon Pruett of Living Green Design San Francisco used the Florafelt System to transform this brick courtyard into a vertical woodland. The team worked closely with Florafelt's inventor Chris Bribach to create an infrastructure to host grasses, ferns, japanese maples, and conifers for the 1 month show.
Painted Vertical Shade Garden
Designer Brandon Pruett of Living Green Design created a vertical garden masterpiece with shade-loving coral bells, ferns and grasses with the Florafelt System. He chose colors that added a vibrant and exciting touch to this Pacific Heights home in San Francisco.
San Francisco Bay Aquarium Vertical Garden
Florafelt Vertical Garden Planters are used in a custom recirculating system for the San Francisco Bay Aquarium.
San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers Vertical Garden
A dazzling array of exotic tropicals cover a wall at the entrance to San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Guadalupe Cota, Senior Nursery Specialist, selects and places each plant as they become available, and the Florafelt Vertical Garden system gives her the flexibility to slowly build the perfect garden according to availability and aesthetic design. After 6 months, nearly 2/3rds of the pockets have been filled, and the plants have shown significant growth . The planters are hung from steel struts by s-hooks and are watered and fed by a digital hose timer and pressure feeder. The Florafelt Vertical Garden Planters were donated to this San Francisco institution by Chris Bribach of Plants On Walls. it is located in the front entrance, and offers visitors a welcome bursting with color and intrigue.
http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org http://PlantsOnWalls.com
Downtown San Francisco Fern Oasis
After 6 months, the vertical garden at 100 Pine Street in Downtown San Francisco has developed a rich depth of color and texture. The blue star ferns have emerged, while the bird nest, mother, and leather ferns push to the front of the ficus decora, giving 3-dimensional structure to the composition. Designed by Chris Bribach of Plants On Walls for CBRE office towers.
Conservation Garden Park's Vertical Gardens
Conservation Garden Park located in West Jordan, Utah received their 4 Floraframe Rolling Recirc Units and immediately filled them with gorgeous tropical plants. Their design is strikingly beautiful and will grow to be an jungle of colors.
Terraced Vertical Garden
Tom Brumfield of Siteworks Landscape, Berkeley, California used the Florafelt System to create a terraced vertical garden for a San Francisco Pacific Heights private residence.
San Francisco Conservatory Adds New Life to their Vertical Garden
The team of gardeners at San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers is carefully building their living wall by selecting the most exotic and delightful species, one at a time. The result is guaranteed to be an exquisite experience. Located in the front entrance.
Strawberry Walls
Strawberries are harvested from a vertical garden using Florafelt Living Wall Planters in Brentwood, California. The steaming hot summers of California's Central Valley are famous for their plentiful produce harvests. Getting the plants off the ground helps curb inset attack and makes for easy pickings. It's fun to just walk up and get a snack
San Francisco Conservatory Of Flowers New Vertical Garden
The San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, one of San Francisco's cultural and historical gems, now boasts a huge vertical garden from Plants On Walls. The new feature welcomes visitors as they step into this Victorian masterpiece and gives them a thrilling preview of the wonders that await inside. The 360-pocket living wall will house exotic species grown at this famed location, as well as donated plants. Plants On Walls provided 32 Florafelt living wall planters mounted to a galvanized steel frame. The permanent installation will be used to highlight special exhibits as well as seasonal attractions. You can visit the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.
Urban Bistro Vertical Garden
Plants On Walls installed a 14" x 12" living wall with 360 individual ferns using Florafelt pocket planters for Urban Bistro in Burlingame, California. http://PlantsOnWalls.com
BLUE STAR FERN (phlebodium aureum mandaianum): The Blue Star Fern is a beautiful but rugged fern that makes a vivid accent for your vertical garden. After a few years, the fuzzy orange roots begin to crawl over the felt pockets, creating even more dynamic color contrasts.
The fantasy-blue color of this easy-to-grow fern is reminiscent of nautical and water-related design, and make it a stunning addition to living walls. The oversized fronds make a bold canvas for the truly striking color. Best grown in shade to part shade, this is a very forgiving fern, provided it is not overwatered, and shows good drought tolerance.
Florafelt F12 - Custom Copper Frame Recirc
A copper framed Florafelt F12 billows lemon yellow snaps with ferns. A pump in the copper bin wateres the unit every day for 30 minutes. Just top of the water weekly and enjoy. Get Florafelt Vertical Planters at PlantsOnWalls.com
Florafelt F12 - Custom Copper Frame Recirc - PlantsOnWalls.com
Florafelt F12 - Custom Copper Frame Recirc - PlantsOnWalls.com
Florafelt F12 - Custom Copper Frame Recirc - PlantsOnWalls.com
Florafelt F12 - Custom Copper Frame Recirc - PlantsOnWalls.com
Downtown Vertical Garden
Among the industrial architecture of daily office life, this vertical garden brings not only calm repose of the mind, but a surprising shot of organic vitality, thanks to the forward-thinking vision of CBRE for its new entrance. http://plantsonwalls.com