THE EXPERTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL GREENWALL
19 Jul 2018
To specify a greenwall system, or to add greenwalls to your portfolio of services, you’ll need to understand the required expertise and support available for each different greenwall system. Armed with this knowledge, it’s easy to select the right system and achieve a successful project outcome.
Greenwalls are a popular solution to the challenges of small-space gardening. In response to growing demands, more landscape professionals are offering vertical garden products and services. As Australia’s exclusive distributor of the Vicinity Greenwall, Martin Kellock Pots & Planters can provide expertise and a proven professional network to help specify a greenwall for your project or create your own profitable greenwall service.
DESIGN AND PLANNING
The expertise of a designer, interior plantscaper or landscaper is needed to make the call on whether a greenwall suits a particular location. The designer will understand how the greenwall is to be experienced and will plan for the specific environmental conditions of the site. Does it need to be a striking piece of indoor living art? Perhaps textural relief for a barren courtyard? Or a burst of tropical colour by the pool? 
Martin Kellock Pots & Planters supports the designer with their technical drawings, complete with bills of materials for commonly used modular sizes. They also provide access to the Vicinity Greenwall technical drawing team, who will produce drawings for custom installations.
This stage is also where plant choice is determined, creating a canvas of plantings to please the client and suit the environment. This could be anything from a structured formal planting to a softer, random effect. Here, the designer or project manager allocates tasks and decides whether to use a plant specialist to plant up the hexagonal pots. At minimum, the plant specialist needs to be engaged at this point to understand what plant types are available and when the required quantity can be delivered. The plant specialist or nursery is a critical partner for greenwall projects, not just for supply but also for providing guidance in plant selections suitable for the location. Working with the nursery to plan for the installation date makes the desired result much more likely. 
BUILD AND INSTALLATION
The Vicinity Greenwall system requires very little building skill to install. However, like any design project, there are a range of possible variations for greenwall design – from a basic 20-pot kitchen garden kit right up to custom-designed cabinetry to frame the greenwall. Indoor applications are more likely to require cabinetmaking expertise for a stylised appearance. 
When it comes to installation, Vicinity Greenwall is so straightforward that almost anyone can do it. By this stage all the hard work is already done. The installer puts the system together onsite by fitting together components that have been pre-assembled offsite. Most commonly, the system’s rails are already attached to backing boards that are ready to be mounted to the wall. Then it’s just a simple process of hanging the pre-planted pots onto the rails, according to the agreed design. Plug in the watering system, turn it on and stand back to admire the finished effect. Good planning ensures swift installation: it takes one experienced person only four hours to install an 8m2 Vicinity Greenwall. No onsite planting requirements mean time isn’t wasted on big clean-ups.
MAINTENANCE
Monitoring the irrigation and fertiliser regime will ensure controlled plant growth. A slower growth rate is ideal for greenwalls, so that the design endures and the plants don’t grow to overshadow those below. Correct plant choice will make this an easy task. As for any garden, greenwalls need occasional plant trimming and pest control to keep looking good.
To specify a greenwall, become an installer, add Vicinity Greenwall to your portfolio of services, or find a landscaper with greenwall skills, contact Martin Kellock Pots & Planters via the links below.
