Everyone knows that plants are good for the work environment. They reduce stress, increase productivity, improve the atmosphere and in some cases they also have an air-purifying effect.
Natural Wall
A few years ago, the so-called ‘natural walls’ arrived to make the most of these positive effects. These walls of green plants emerged here and there in large public spaces like offices and hospitals. In addition to the aforementioned benefits, the ‘walls’ also appeared to offer an excellent sound insulation, having a positive effect on acoustics.
The Natural Walls at Volker Wessels Academy in Amersfoort – (Picture Zuidkoop Natural Projects)
A disadvantage of these ‘natural walls’ is that the maintenance of the plants was difficult, they added little colour to the spaces and it was very onerous and expensive to create and set up the walls.
Flowering Wall
The construction and arrival of the ‘Flowering Wall’ offers the solution. This wall does not require a special background construction, because it is composed of separate planters that can be easily placed on top of and next to each other. They are, as it were, Lego blocks clicked together and this way the wall can be made as high and as wide as required. Moreover, the planters feature an attractive design.
For maintenance purposes, the wall has an automatic Aquastick irrigation system. With this irrigation system, equipped with a stick, the plant absorbs water from a reservoir below it. This way, the plant regulates the amount of water it needs instead of a daily or weekly irrigation session. The constant supply of water according to the needs of the plant ensures better growth and a healthier plant. The plant looks after itself and the reservoir only needs to be filled once every couple of weeks. The maintenance of the Flowering Wall is minimal, offering ease of use and a long shelf life.
Just like the Natural Wall, this wall is beneficial for acoustics and has a positive impact on relative humidity.
Flowering Wall at Anthura
Air-purifying effect
The wall offers opportunities for showcasing flowering pot plants. The Anthurium pot plant is very suitable for use in a Flowering Wall as it is a strong plant with a great diversity of colours and pot sizes and also purifies the air. The plants extract fine dust and volatile organic compounds (from insulation material, photocopiers, computers, etc.) from the air. In environments such as offices, hospitals and public spaces, the air tends to be polluted because often there is hardly any or poor ventilation.
With only one plant, the air-purifying effect is not effective in these spaces, but a wall is made of hundreds of plants and the effect is clearly measurable. Several independent authorities, both in the Netherlands and abroad, have performed research and tests, in which the air-purifying effect has been indisputably proven.
In addition to this health benefit, a Flowering Wall is also a beautiful and striking object in itself. Thanks to the many colours, the wealth of flowering plants offers a beautiful sight. For this reason, Flowering Walls are being used more and more at trade fairs, events and parties, yet every space is suitable to install a wall like this; from libraries, town halls, ministries and other government buildings to banks, museums, restaurants and hotels. The possibilities and applications are endless.
Marco van Herk during the Hortiflor Expo in China on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Kunming Anthura Horticulture Co. Ltd.
Feel free to contact us for more information by sending an e-mail to info@anthura.nl or calling us at +31-10-5291919.
Anthurinfo
This article is part of the Anthurinfo. Read all articles of Anthurinfo 3- 2016 here.
