Biophilic Design: A Small Guide to Succulent Wall Design and Decoration — Wellness Design Consultants
Succulent plants have become an ever more popular way to decorate a space - whether it’s an indoor or an outdoor one. Apart from being pleasant to look at, this kind of decor can bring much-needed freshness and natural elements to a room, or to any kind of home decor in general, creating harmony within the built environment.
Succulent plants can be displayed in more than one way, and very unusual for that matter, but probably the most popular and eye-pleasing is the succulent wall garden - a kind of vertical garden that can be hanged to the wall.
While succulents can be planted in individual pots and hanged to the wall, they can also be planted in a wall planter that can be large as the wall itself, or smaller, depending on what wall area you want to decorate proportionately to the room. Either way, succulents are very versatile and look especially stunning when planter vertically, due to their atypical looks.
If you’ve also fallen in love with these unique plants and want to make them part of your living space, let us show you how you can do that.
Vertical succulent wall planter and why it makes a stunning decoration using biophilic design principles
Do you know what succulents are?
Succulent plants are small thick-leaved plants that store water, while the word “succulent” is derived from the Latin word “sucus” and means juice or sap. All succulents have thick and fleshy leaves which allows them to store water during the long period of drought.
But, how they’ve gotten so popular as houseplants?
Well, mainly because they are very tough, and once they soak up all the water, they can use it stored for a very long time, and therefore, require minimal maintenance. After all, these plants are desert residents, not to mention they can be found living on the cliff edges, cracks or rock cavities.
Additionally, incorporating succulents into your home decor can provide various health benefits, such as improved air quality and reduced stress levels. This aligns with the principles of biophilic design, which emphasizes the positive impact of nature on human health, including reduced stress, improved cognitive function, and overall well-being.
However, you should always bare in mind that succulents do not like to stay in the soaking wet soil, because it can trigger rotting, which is why you should always keep it moist or dry.
Plants we recommend for your succulent wall design
Before we get into the specifics and show you step by step how to create your own vertical succulent wall, let us dive into the issue of picking out the right succulents for the occasion.
Succulent plants are very versatile, and therefore, allow you to be creative in creation of your own succulent wall, but you need to make note and pick out the plants that are smaller and rosette like, so they do not protrude out of your display.
Various shapes, sizes, and colours of succulent plants, with their unique natural shapes, make a great foundation for creating a more versatile look for your succulent wall garden. Incorporating these natural features not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also brings benefits such as improved well-being and reduced stress. Here are the most flexible ones:
Graptoveria Blue Pearl
Blue Giant succulent
Chocolate Soldier succulent
Moon Silver succulent
Golden Glow succulent
Arrangement of succulents? - Entirely up to you.
A lot of these succulents combine really well in a succulent wall garden, but either way, be mindful of the type of planter you’re using for this purpose, as well as interior decor in general.
Also, apart from visual impression, you can always combine the succulents that belong to the same genus, and create a homogeneous form, or you can do, and fuse succulents of completely different disposition. Clustered succulents can also be aligned according to their colour and fading nuances.
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Vertical succulent wall planter and why it makes a stunning decoration using biophilic design principles
Do you know what succulents are?
Succulent plants are small thick-leaved plants that store water, while the word “succulent” is derived from the Latin word “sucus” and means juice or sap. All succulents have thick and fleshy leaves which allows them to store water during the long period of drought.
But, how they’ve gotten so popular as houseplants?
Well, mainly because they are very tough, and once they soak up all the water, they can use it stored for a very long time, and therefore, require minimal maintenance. After all, these plants are desert residents, not to mention they can be found living on the cliff edges, cracks or rock cavities.
Additionally, incorporating succulents into your home decor can provide various health benefits, such as improved air quality and reduced stress levels. This aligns with the principles of biophilic design, which emphasizes the positive impact of nature on human health, including reduced stress, improved cognitive function, and overall well-being.
However, you should always bare in mind that succulents do not like to stay in the soaking wet soil, because it can trigger rotting, which is why you should always keep it moist or dry.
Plants we recommend for your succulent wall design
Before we get into the specifics and show you step by step how to create your own vertical succulent wall, let us dive into the issue of picking out the right succulents for the occasion.
Succulent plants are very versatile, and therefore, allow you to be creative in creation of your own succulent wall, but you need to make note and pick out the plants that are smaller and rosette like, so they do not protrude out of your display.
Various shapes, sizes, and colours of succulent plants, with their unique natural shapes, make a great foundation for creating a more versatile look for your succulent wall garden. Incorporating these natural features not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also brings benefits such as improved well-being and reduced stress. Here are the most flexible ones:
Graptoveria Blue Pearl
Blue Giant succulent
Chocolate Soldier succulent
Moon Silver succulent
Golden Glow succulent
Arrangement of succulents? - Entirely up to you.
A lot of these succulents combine really well in a succulent wall garden, but either way, be mindful of the type of planter you’re using for this purpose, as well as interior decor in general.
Also, apart from visual impression, you can always combine the succulents that belong to the same genus, and create a homogeneous form, or you can do, and fuse succulents of completely different disposition. Clustered succulents can also be aligned according to their colour and fading nuances.
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Vertical succulent wall garden - succulent wall design step by step
Before we present you with the guide of creating your own succulent wall garden, let’s make note of the materials you are going to need first. By following these steps, you can create spaces that are not only visually appealing but also functional and restorative. Incorporating elements that mimic natural environments is crucial in biophilic design to enhance the health and wellbeing of occupants and to optimize sustainability.
Succulent wall garden decoration natural materials
Succulents (obviously) - Pick out your favorites with greenery and stems. The number you should approximately prepare is around 35-40 for the 11x14 frame.
Shadow box frame - This box should be deep enough so you can add soil and plant your succulents. As for size, carefully determine where exactly you want to hang your vertical succulent garden, a therefore decide how big of a box you need.
Plastic for landscaping - Used to protect your shadow box from the soil and to prevent any water draining from the frame.
Glue gun
Moss - Used for filling the shadow box and keeping the succulents fresh.
Wire mesh - You’ll need it to fix the soil in place.
Staple gun - For securing the wire mesh onto the shadow box.
Scissors
Natural materials - Consider using eco-friendly options like reclaimed wood for the shadow box frame.
Natural lighting - Essential for the health of the succulents, promoting a sustainable and healthy indoor environment.
Now, let’s cut to the chase and start making the succulent wall!
Step 1 - Layer the shadow box with landscaping plastic
Once you've chosen you're shadow box in the right size, first you'll have to layer it with landscaping plastic. Cut enough plastic so it extends outside of the box, place it in the box and then secure the edges with the glue gun. Once you've done that, use the scissor to cut the excess.
Step 2 - Add moss
Fill the box entirely with sphagnum moss, and evenly spread it. The moss has a superb ability to retain water, which will provide your succulents with just the right amount of moist they need.
Step 3 - Use the wire mesh to create the frame
Cut the wire mesh first, and then layer onto the frame of the box. Check if t fits properly and then extend it towards the edges. In the end, secure it with the staple gun along the edges.
Step 4 - prune the roots of your succulents before repotting
The succulents you've chosen need to be pruned before repotting, in order to ensure growth and prosper of your succulent garden wall. Use your hands to release them from the soil, and then carefully prune them.
Step 6 - Hang your succulent wall garden in natural light and admire your handy work!
Once you’ve pruned the plants, and before pressing them into the moss, use your fingertips to make room first. Place them into proper position and then press them into the moss. By carefully placing each plant, you can create a natural environment that mimics their native habitats, emphasizing the importance of natural landscapes in biophilic design. You’ll do this with every plant, repeating it until you’ve achieved the look you want. Always stand back and check whether you’re content with the result, and arrange them differently if necessary.
Step 6 - Hang your succulent wall garden and admire your handy work!
Before you hang your newly made succulent wall garden on the wall, make sure all the plants are safely rooted, which should approximately take between four and twelve weeks.
When choosing the perfect spot to hang your garden, ensure it has moderate to bright natural light, and don’t worry if it gets warm - succulents are desert plants after all.
Last but not least - how to nurture your succulent wall garden for health benefits?
Succulent wall gardens require more or less the same amount of nurture, but you still have to know how to do it properly.
Apart from providing them with just the right amount of sunlight, mind your watering because you don’t want to soak up your brand new succulent wall, which is easy to do since you don’t have drainage holes either way. You can always check the wetness of soil with a wooden stick, and see if you’ve, by any chance, overdone it.
Water your succulent wall once a month, and you’ll do it by laying it flat first, and then thoroughly moistening the soil. Keep the “wall” down for an hour or so after that and make sure the frame is dry, before you hang it back again.
The moss will also require some nourishing, so you can mist it once a week freely.
Succulent wall garden not only is a dramatic display of stunning (and much needed) greenery, but also is a new design element that is getting extremely popular in all sorts of living and working environments - like indoor landscaping, not to mention recreational - like gym design. Introducing such elements can significantly improve mental health by reducing stress and enhancing overall well-being.
All in all, succulent wall garden represents a nice start to introducing natural interior design elements into your home, or you someone else’s, if you’re a little DIY project. Caring for your succulent wall garden can also foster a deeper human connection with nature, promoting relaxation and well-being.