A Living Wall is a popular trend for both plant and design enthusiasts, and it has taken the world of interiors and design by storm. A living wall is a plant arrangement placed on a screen or frame on the inside or outside of a structure. A living wall is an excellent addition to any structure, whether a home or an office, because it can be used indoors and outdoors.

Aside from the aesthetic benefits, there are numerous design advantages to installing a living wall, such as giving the area character and offering an eclectic finish.

It also provides amazing health benefits for you and the environment, such as naturally cleaning the air around you, lowering air conditioning expenditures by reducing heating in your home or office and aiding in the fight against carbon emissions. Plants have always been a great complement to any living area, but with a living wall, plants can make a room feel even more natural and restorative. 

These walls have the capability of being a complete, self-nurturing ecosystem. It is one of the more imaginative gardening systems available, and while it may appear hard, it is actually a pretty simple DIY project that will leave you feeling content and accomplished.

When you make a wall yourself, you can adapt it to your own distinct style and have it fit perfectly within the space you have to work with, even if that space is irregular.

If you want to make your own DIY living wall, then you are in luck, as here we will be providing you with step-by-step instructions for producing your own living wall.

1. Select the Perfect Living Wall Space

Once you’ve decided to build your own living wall, the first and most important step is selecting where it will go. This is a critical stage because the location can either make or break the entire goal of a living wall.

You may already have an idea of where you want your living wall to hang, which is great, but there are additional factors to consider before settling on that location.

The quantity of sunshine or shade reaching the location, the strength of the wall and so forth are some of the factors to consider. If the area is shady, you will have to choose plants that survive in very shady locations. However, if you already know what plants you want, you will have to choose a wall that is suitable for your chosen plants.

Also, the wall’s strength should be assessed to see if it can support the weight of the living wall for an extended period. Call in an experienced contractor or engineer to make this assessment. A finished wall can be very heavy and you need to know the weight won’t damage your home.

Choose a wall that is easily accessible on both ends for routine maintenance, removal and disposal of plants. Finally, imagine your living wall in different seasons and see how it will thrive in that location. For example, putting a living wall next to a window may be beneficial in the winter because of the extra sunlight, but it could be a significant disadvantage in the summer if the sun gets too hot for the plants to handle.

2. Mark out and Measure Selected Site

After deciding on a location for your living wall, the next step is to measure and mark it. Decide how much space you want your living wall to take up. If you are new to gardening or have a small space, it is better to go for a smaller living wall; one that you can easily manage and that does not make the room feel small. Still, if you have space to spare, you might consider going big.

You don’t necessarily have to worry about the maintenance of a large living wall. You could always hire a commercial cleaning service to handle the maintenance.

Begin by measuring the desired location and marking it with a pencil and some masking tape. Taking these measurements is always important, whether you are purchasing a pre-made kit or making your own living wall, as it allows you to visualize how much space your project will require.

3. Decide on Display Options

Choosing a frame design is often the most interesting part of producing a DIY living wall, whether you buy an already created frame from a shop or make one from scratch.

Hanging or mounting a living wall frame has almost unlimited alternatives. If you can’t find a frame that fits the area you chose or your style preferences, you might construct your own. There are various possibilities for pre-made frames, some with varying shapes, sizes, designs, and colors.

Most are constructed of steel with felt pockets or other sturdy supports, wood, or synthetic materials such as recycled water bottles. You can also utilize angular plant trays, which hang like shelves and support each plant. These trays are perfect for manual maintenance because they effortlessly slide in and out.

However, if you want a low-maintenance living wall, you might want to consider obtaining a frame with a built-in watering system, though the problem with this is that all plants get the same amount of water, which can harm your living wall. To make this concept work, choose plants that require the same amount of water.

If it’s a hobby project, taking care of the plants, watering them, and trimming them yourself is all you need to do to help them thrive. Another thing to consider is your budget for your DIY living wall. You don’t want to waste your budget on a beautiful frame when you still need to obtain plants, top soils, screws, drills and so on.

4. Select Plants for the Frame

The type of plant you should acquire will depend on your personality, the ambiance you want to create, and the functionality of the living wall. If you want to create a design or pattern on your living wall for better aesthetics, consider the colour, form and size of these plants.

Panda plants (Kalanchoe tomentosa), Aloe, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi), Hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum), and many others can be used to make a living wall with a lovely mosaic pattern.

Plants in your living space are not restricted to just decorative plants; you may also have vertical gardens with herbs or vegetable plants such as tomatoes, peppers and spinach, among others.

5. Install Living Wall

After you’ve gathered all the materials needed for your DIY living wall, the final step is to bring your vision to reality. All you have to do to put it all together is attach your frame to the wall, add your topsoil, start planting and your living wall is ready to be the envy of all your guests.

If you purchased a pre-made frame kit, make sure to follow the product’s instructions to ensure a smooth installation.

You will have a picture-perfect living wall in no time if you follow the steps mentioned above. Aside from the health and aesthetic benefits, you’ll also enjoy improved acoustics: if a section of your room feels hollow or has an echo, a living wall can absorb all the sounds in that area. So consider a living wall and introduce nature at home or at work.

Feature image: Pawel Czerwinski; Image 1: Dayvison de Oliveira Silva

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