Anyone who is about to visit upscale Palm Beach this winter will be treated to a beautiful new vision as they stroll Worth Avenue: A cascading, 840 square foot curvilinear living green wall, the centerpiece of the Worth Avenue Beautification Project.
“The seed of the living wall originated with a Garden Club of Palm Beach member. From there it took a life of its own,’’ said team member Jorge Sanchez, a partner in the architectural landscape firm of Sanchez & Maddux. “After we selected the proper spot, it was a joint undertaking of GSky Plant Systems, NorthAmerica’s leading provider of green walls, and the Garden Club. Its creation within a new park should instantly become a town landmark.’’
The first of its kind in Palm Beach County, the living green wall features 10,920 lush tropical plants, including Sawtooth Palmetto, Cashmere Zoysia Grass, Zebrina Pendula, Dusty Miller and Coontie Palm. The plants were grown at Michael’s Nursery in Boynton Beach, FL.
GSky was selected to design and install the wall because of its unique, long-lasting support system, computerized monitoring system and flexible design capabilities. The wall was designed by GSky Design Consultant Deborah Kotalic, (photo, above) a resident of nearby Delray Beach.
“As the plants grow, the wall will evolve and change,’’ said Kotalic. “The wall is a living piece of art that fulfills the Garden Club’s vision and pays tribute to Palm Beach’s garden heritage.’’
The system features:
- A non-soil growth medium that is non-eroding and low maintenance
- Computerized monitoring system that tracks on-site temperature and moisture levels from a remote location 24/7
- High-efficiency vertical drip irrigation system that is 90% more efficient than traditional irrigation systems
The total cost of the wall was approximately $250,000; $50,000 was donated by the Garden Club of Palm Beach for wall maintenance. It’s located along the west exterior wall of Saks, and I can’t wait to stop by tomorrow to take a peek.
photo credit: all photos above, courtesy of The Palm Beach Daily News: photographers Meghan McCarthy (photos 1 & 3) and Jeffrey Langlois, (photo 2)
Related: previously on altCon
Largest Living Green Wall in North America (10.13.10)
Residential Green Roofs from Goode Green (8.31.10)
Wally One Door – vertical + living wall containers (8.14.10)
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That’s some amazing work.