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At the entrance of our farmhouse there is a double height space. Here we would like to give a wall full of plants...

Written by Vandana Narain

February 21, 2009 11:59 PM IST

5 min read

At the entrance of our farmhouse there is a double height space. Here we would like to give a wall full of plants from the ground level all the way up to the upper floor ceiling. This double height space has the double height wall face with a ceiling,through which a lot of sunlight filters through. However we want the plants from the ground level all the way to the top instantly and do not want to wait for the various plants and creepers to grow over a period of time. We do not want wall planters. Is there any way of achieving this? Please give me suggestions how to achieve the same.

Yes it is very much possible to have a wall with plants from the ground level all the way to the top,as mentioned by you in the entrance area of your house. What you are wanting to achieve can possibly be achieved by creating a plant wall or a vertical garden. In this concept soil is not essential for growing plants,since soil is replaced by peat,moss or a special kind of felt. Plants are merely anchored to the wall and water and minerals are made available to their roots. A metal grid free standing or fixed will have to be placed against the double height wall. A thick plastic or PVC is stretched over the frame for waterproofing. This is followed by sheets of fibrous material covering the entire area. Plants are then rooted between sheets of the fibrous material. They can be even attached by plastic thread if required. Watering is done from the top using an aqueous solution of nutrients. The water trickles down through the fibrous layers and is absorbed by the roots. The foliage will have to be selected very carefully since plants needing the same amount of shade,humidity and even temperature should ideally be grouped together. A correct grouping of similar plants would in turn reduce maintenance hassles. Adequate artificial lighting may be required in addition to whatever natural light comes to this plant wall. Lastly I would suggest that you should definitely engage a landscape professional to execute the plant wall.

We are interested in putting new grass in our garden,please tell us how to go about it. Secondly,in spring season how to go about growing flowers specially some flowering creepers.

Ritu Sagar,New Delhi.

In order to lay fresh grass in the garden follow the following steps: Firstly the ground needs to be dug 45 cms or approximately one and a half foot deep and watered repeatedly for a fortnight for settling down and removal of emerging weeds. Stones that are 7-8 cm in size need not be removed since they make the soil porous and are vital for drainage. Next add a mixture of garden soil,coarse sand and decomposed manure in the ratio 1:2:1. The mixture should have a depth of 2cm and 100kg of mixture is enough to cover an area of 100sq.m.

After this even out the soil once again. This will ensure that the lawn will have a good drainage system at a later stage. Sprinkle water over the lawn. Flooding is not required or recommended at this stage. Now is the stage to plant the grass. There are two methods of doing this. In the first method the selected grass roots are planted free from weeds and separated into smaller strands about seven to nine cm. apart. In the second method called turfing grass is obtained in square patches or long lengths that can simply be laid on the prepared soil and patted firmly into the ground. This is a more expensive method of laying grass and should be only done when one is in a hurry. If one has gone in for dibbling,keep the soil moist till the grass catches root. After turfing the patches have to be watered liberally. After the grass catches root,top dress the soil with coarse sand and well decomposed manure. Regarding growing flowers in the garden,keep in mind that when seeds are planted directly in flowerbeds more than 80 percent will be nipped before they bud. This is due to the presence of termites,white ants and other pests in the soil. While planning to grow flowers in the garden keep the flowerbeds dug up and ready by adding a mixture of manure and anti termite powder to the mud. Now take a few wide bottom pots and layer them with a similar mixture of mud,manure and anti termite powder. Plant the flower seeds in them and keep them aside. Spray them with water once a day,and make sure not to pour the water. In about 15 20 days the seeds will turn into saplings. Then transfer them to flower beds or individual pots and make sure they get sufficient water and sunshine and now wait for the flowers to bloom. l

The author is an architect

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