Vertical Gardening

The interest and help given during this project provides strong evidence for this design to help promote positive social interactions. Finding volunteers to assist during all phases of construction has proven to be a simple task. Both neighbors and passerby alike frequently stopped with questions and enthusiasm. While only about a quarter of the plants were seeded prior to the summer growing season, friends and family have donated their own clippings or commercially grown plants without hesitation. Encouraging for the growth and promotion of urban gardening, it is easy to imagine this type of support on a significantly larger scale.

Keeping the cost of this project economically viable has been a enduring driving force for this design. Whenever possible reused or recycled products have been incorporated- the most obvious example of this being the use of wooden shipping pallets. Additionally, the entire growing medium consists of composted soil. While only a portion of the plants used on our wall have been sowed from seed, it is an entirely possible and cost effect way to produce large yields of fruits and vegetables. Using and retaining runoff water from the roof also reduces costs for irrigation while minimizing the use of potable water.