Green walls and vertical gardens in Dubai

A green wall, or vertical garden, is planting grown on the face of a wall instead of in the ground in front of it: in panels, pockets or planters on a frame, or climbing a trellis, with its own drip irrigation. In a Dubai villa it suits places with little floor area but a large blank surface: the garden side of a boundary wall, a courtyard or side passage, a balcony, the wall behind a pool, the entrance wall, and, as an option we can arrange, indoors as a feature wall. It pairs naturally with our boundary and garden wall work.

• Frame and fixingA metal or treated frame sized for the wet weight of soil and plants, anchored to a sound wall or free-standing where a parapet or light partition cannot carry it; on upper floors the slab is checked too.
• Backing and waterproofingA membrane or board between the planting and the wall, so moisture never reaches the render.
• Drip irrigation and drainageA line along each row with a filter and controller, and a base tray that takes run-off to a drain rather than the paving or pool.
• LightingLights that graze the foliage, cabled inside the frame and planned with the outdoor lighting.

• Filter and emitter checksA single blocked emitter can dry out a whole section before anyone notices.
• Pruning and feedingGrowth is cut back so it does not shade the rows below or pull on the fixings; feed goes in through the irrigation.
• Replacing failuresSome plants fail, especially after a hot summer; they can be swapped singly without disturbing the rest.
• Seasonal adjustmentWatering goes up through summer and down in winter, by the owner or as part of garden maintenance visits with the rest of the irrigation.

An indoor green wall lives or dies by light: away from a large window it needs its own grow lighting. Indoor living walls can be arranged as part of a wider project; the build follows the outdoor one, but the tray drains to a hidden tank or waste pipe. Where light is poor, a preserved foliage wall gives the look with nothing to run, and its frame and surround can be made by our in-house joinery team.

Duration depends on the work; a programme is given after the site visit.

• Area and heightHow much wall is covered and whether a scaffold is needed.
• System typeWhether it is climbers on a trellis, planted pockets or modular living panels, and how much frame, growing medium and irrigation each needs.
• Services and wall conditionWhether irrigation, drainage and power are near the wall, and whether it needs repair first.
• SettingIndoor grow lighting and joinery, and whether it is part of a wider landscaping project.