When you think of the numerous species of plants that naturally occur and thrive in the wild on steep slopes and vertical cliffs, “walls you can eat”, is actually not as bizarre and strange as it sounds.

Health consciousness and increasing emphasis to eat organically grown produce has spawned a growing desire to consume fresh locally grown vegetables. For the very committed, there can be no other local greens fresher than that grown in one’s own backyard.

 

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Restaurants are quick to want to cash in on this growing trend but do not have the luxury of space, especially those in crowded urban areas, to establish vegetable gardens. However, with the advent of vertical gardens, there exists a simple space-efficient solution to establish herb and vegetable gardens even in the limited confines of restaurants and also in residential homes. Truly fresh greens can now be made readily available, “from wall to culinary dish”, and be a boon to restaurant owners and health food enthusiasts.

 

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Edible vertical gardens can easily be established by using the Elmich Green Wall System utilising VGM® (Vertical Greening Module) Modules which contain a geotextile fabric bag holding the planting media. To start a garden, plants (vegetables/herbs like mint, chicory, rosemary, and sage) are inserted into the planting media through slits made in the fabric. After about eight weeks, the plants have filled out and anchored themselves. The Modules are then ready to be fitted with mounting brackets and anchored onto pilasters mounted to a wall.

 

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“It’s all edible, all delicious and most significantly, all very beautiful, and smells really good too”, says Mario Batali, celebrity chef and the owner of adjoining West Hollywood restaurants in California, U.S.A. who had a 72 sq ft edible wall built with VGM® modules in one of his restaurants.