Choosing the right artificial vertical wall garden

Looking to purchase or invest in an artificial vertical wall garden or hedge screen? Choosing the right artificial vertical garden for your space can be easy when you know what to look out for.

Artificial Vertical Gardens VS. Real Vertical Gardens

Vertical wall gardens are an urban trend for many homes and businesses in Australia. There are many benefits to adding a green wall to your space. You can choose from a living real vertical garden or an artificial vertical garden. Your preference will depend on what you need to suit your lifestyle, circumstances and tolerance for on-going costs.

You can read more on the difference between artificial vertical gardens and living vertical gardens here. For those who’ve already opted for a faux garden, this guide below is for you. Although, even for a living wall – you may find some of these factors useful when installing your brand new artificial vertical wall garden.

Top tips for choosing the right vertical wall garden

Knowing your options and being prepared is vital when deciding on which green wall to purchase for your home, business or next event.

1. Consider your space

These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing a green wall. After all, you want to ensure your garden is fit for purpose.

• Are you installing the green wall in a corner or is it against an existing wall?
• What’s the material of the existing fence, wall or space?
• How big is the space?
• Will the wall be visible to guests?
• How will you install the wall?
• Is the wall above the ground? Or raised up?
• Will you need to add other things, e.g., rocks or pebbles near the space?

You can use our handy calculator to understand how many panels you may need. Or if you need further help, remember that at Designer Plants we can offer you a free design consultation. This consult will help cover those questions you may not have considered. Contact us to book your time in.

2. Choose the right artificial vertical wall garden design

Just like when you purchase interior goods like cushions to match a couch, your green wall will need to match your space. A common question we ask clients is what colours or items are near the place you will install the wall? The reason for this is because the wall may not contrast enough or suit the space depending on what’s near it.

There are many different designs of vertical wall gardens. You can choose from a lush forest style to the more classical faux ivy look. Whatever you decide, it’s important not to forget the other parts around the wall.

Remember, a fake green wall with more plants is not necessarily better than a faux hedge panel that doesn’t have additional artificial plant stems.

If you have existing plants (whether faux or living) you can either blend the artificial vertical wall garden in with your other greenery or decide to choose a wall that is opposite to the plants, if you want it to stand out.

To help with testing if a colour or design contrasts well with your space, try before you buy and order a vertical wall garden sample. This test would be a similar exercise to what you would do with paint for interior or exterior decorating.

3. Indoor or outdoor

Will your new vertical garden live inside or outside? Depending on your choice you’ll want to be aware of your options.

If it’s an inside plant and has exposure to the sun, this could cause the wall to fade or crack from ultra-violet (UV) rays. The fake greenery you installed and loved, will likely become discoloured over time. The good news though, with advancements and popularity growing for faux plants and green walls, you can now purchase UV protection spray or UV resistant plants. The resistant plant option is best for those who don’t want to maintain the plant. As a protection spray usually requires you to apply the treatment to the plant every six months or on a needs basis. Learn more on our guide to UV treated fake plants.

If the plant is outside, there is a higher chance of exposure to UV rays, but also Australian weather conditions such as hot and cold temperatures, winds or storms. It’s essential to purchase a green wall that will last all year round. Consider the quality of the leaves, materials used and whether the vertical wall garden design has a snap and lock system to secure the wall panels in place.

Get our free guide to choosing the right vertical garden

Read more: 13 questions you asked us about artificial vertical gardens

7 green wall ideas to inspire you