Been working on the rock wall and finally have the misting system up and working just a few more feet of wall and it will be done on that part. I still have to put the plant beds in. It starts getting real exciting when the mist is up and running not long till I can start putting plants on it.
Brian-
That is so cool. For some reason it makes me think of a gorgeous outdoor lagoon with a waterfall tumbling of of a cliff in Hawaii. With flowers and plants it will be breathtaking!
ROX
Wow. Where is it?? At your home?? It looks fantastic!
I can only imagine how cool that is going to look once you get the ferns, Aroids, bromeliads, mosses, orchids etc. in there.
absolutely amazing...more pics please as you get them
This is at our nursery/home. I live work and play all in the same area LOL.
This is my mess. A 80ft long greehouse 30 feet wide and 22ft tall. The main problem is I put to much in it before really working on the rocks formations or anything so now I have to work around the plants a bit of a pain.
Here is a photo above the front door and to the right of the wall. I am putting pond liner over the insulation which will over lap each piece so not to leak. The cat walk will have liner on it and water will flow from the wall down onto the cat walk and over to a low area were the water is caught and pumped back up to the top of the wall.
I have thought many times on what to do with area make it look like rock? or put spaghnum moss all over it and nail it up. This area is high in the air and a very hard area to work with. A friend recently showed me a website were taking capilary matting and hanging up on a circulating system like this makes for a very beautiful display. So I figured that is what I would do make a huge version of this guys idea.
http://www.cloudjungle.com/EpiphyteWall/
Alistar I ordered your book from England and after paying the website was told it was no longer in stock!! Man its a hard one to track down.
Also on this circulating wet wall in the draining area up top I plan to put my cytrosperma collection and urospathas. From what I have seen moving water like this would really do them some good.
Well this is todays photo. I was able to get a smaller version of done of this system right above the door and the top portion I was only able to get one layer of liner up. The two squares are shutters that are opened in the summer time. This should help bring the temps down in the summer as well as bring the humdity up once done.
That's huge, and I'm sure with your outstanding plant-skills it will be superb! May I come and see it when its done??!!
I moved house about a year ago and have still not unpacked all the boxes!! One day I will and if I find a copy of the PNG Aroid book I'll send it to you.
Alistair you are more than welcome to come visit. I have a lot of work to still do but once done I hope I can get a lot of friends and collectors to make the big trip north.
Brian...exquisite! And your link is superb! Let me know if you are lacking or wanting any mosses, ferns that grow in 100% humidity. I will look in my closet!!!
AlohaHoya as always your extremely helpful. I will be begging and looking for odd ball sources of mosses and things of that nature as soon as it up and running. I put the longfiber spaghnum in the wall today and also put the soil for the small bed like structure at the top of the wall. I now find myself looking for things I have over looked the entire time I was collecting aroids and other plants. That is small plants and ferns and mosses to grow in the cracks and around the larger plants.
I had talked to a friend on the phone recently and he was talking about how many people grown just one or a few groups of plants and that many times they grow species and hybrids that visually are not interesting at all. He stated that he tries to grow a the best of everything. The nicest orchids bromeliads ferns and so on. I think he is right in away. So for most of the plants going into this area I am trying to find the most interesting and unique specially the larger center piece plants.
I will take more photos soon of the progress. THANKS
Brian-
I absolutely agree. Take your time, do the research (have others do the research for you and make suggestions!), get the best of everything. I know it seems huge, but that wall is going to fill up fast. This is a once in a life time opportunity to create a masterpiece! [Note: not that you can't change your mind, shift things around, and decide to do it over again someday. That is an artist's perrogative and we gardeners are artists after all!]
It might even be fun to start a few threads asking for suggestions. Like... heah, what's the best fern to grow that's at least 3 feet high, tolerates.... or what's your favorite moss or bromilead....
New photos. I was asked what I had planned to do with the misting system pipes and things that were eye sores. I have talked to many good friends and it seems in most cases just covering it up with a simple trick can make a world of difference. For the misting system I put silicon on the tubing and applied long fiber spaghnum moss. I was told this works great by the guys at Atlanta Botanical gardens and a good friend. So far it looks amazing. I plant to grow some odd things on the pipes themselves.
The moss looks great.
I can't wait to see what other plants you choose!
ROX
Rox I am losing sleep already trying to figure out what all I plan to put on the wall as well as in the bed below it. Here is a list so far of what I know is going in it.
Philodendrons
verricosum
Gigas
mooneii
billetii
Adreanum
Gloriosum
superbum
serpens
Anthuriums
regale
veitchii
warq
crystalinum
magnificum
luxurians
spectabile
Beautiful plants ! What is the name please of the leare leaf one ?
Thanks, Allison
The one of the left is Anthurium Veitchii the one on the right is the velvet anthurium Waroquianum
Great list. How about some smaller plants for inside the wall crevices/pockets.
Are you going to try any orchids or bromileads?
Also, how about some ferns?
Any room for a few bog plants? I hope you are going to put in a cyrtosperma (bog taro).
PS Did you ever identify the Hawaiian EE I sent? Will you get a chance to try to propagate those seeds?
ROX
Yes many bromliads orchids epiphytes and other oddities.
Rox I have your plants potted up and I believe the seeds are sprouting now. I should have some nice size plants that will be much easier to ID by spring. If your interested in some pups back just let me know I plan to put them in the ground come spring and try to get them to flower to get a more positive ID on them .
Brian-
Great! and Thanks!
ROX
Brian, that looks great. Love the 2 plants above, you've really got some unusual plants.
Here are some pictures of aroids and other tropicals mounted on the rock wall. I believe I have three different type zones on the wall. The top portion is very hot and sunny. This area will manly have bromeliads hybrid orchids and dischidia type plants on it. middle section is great for anthuriums philodendrons and smaller specie orchids like bulbophyllums and similar species as well as ferns. The lower section will be more for cooler climate plants. The bed will have small plants terrestrial orchids aglaonema hybrids and bromeliads as well. It looks like it will take a lot of dirt to fill it up.
Todays photos. Many odd anthuriums have now been added to the wall.
more pics
pics
I'm so excited I can't stand it. Oops. I only meant to be a lurker. Shhhh.
Wow!
I can't wait to visit this Spring! I love the variety of greens (chartreuse to dark green) you have used.
Will you use any variegated plants (green and gold not green and white)?
Do you have an accent color? Burgundy perhaps with your goreous canna or those interesting burgundy accented philos?
ROX
I plan to use a lot of colorful bromeliads and more philos. Most of the stuff on the wall so far is species orchids and velvet leaf anthuriums. The more colorful things will be put in very soon. The philos I am waiting on the soil for the bed they will grow better with their feet in dirt rather than as a epiphyte.
Brian-
I saw an interestingly weird (to me) Bromilead at Lowes today. The leaves were alternating medium green and purple lateral strips, each about 0.5 inch thick. The flower wasn't open yet, but it was orangish red.
I am guessing it was some sort of Aechmea Chantinii, but I am unsure. It was definitely interesting and was priced $11.95. Not sure if it is rare or if that is a good price. There was only 1.
ROX
Brian, how is your wall coming along?
Ive seen some recent pics and you guys are in for a suprise. Looks incredible!
Brian I have a treat for you
I just got back from a trip to Europe and i made a special stop in Paris to see the Musée du quai Branly, where the walls are actually vertical gardens.
Ill make a separate post when i get some time.
That looks amazing. I am not sure how this guy does it. I am guessing the whole wall is like a giant dripping waterfall behind the plants? Very nice.
That's unbelievable.
Wonderful!!!!
bump
Wow, celt33040, that wall of green is astonishing, thanks for sharing!
Bwilliams, have any updated pictures?
wall pics
larger view lots of drift wood and cedar pieces.
Still working on it. Possibly a life time project LOL>
