Select a region
A new ecological ‘Living Wall’ has been installed on the side of a house in St. Brelade - the first of its kind in the island.
The wall is understood to be the first of its kind to be installed locally.
Living walls are becoming popular in cities and rural areas alike as they absorb pollution, provide clean air, absorb noise, provide insulation, increase biodiversity, and provide an interesting feature.
Guy and Maria Plante, the homeowners of the house near Petit Port where this living wall was installed, said: "We needed to show environmental gain in order to get Planning Permission to create an extension at our property, and this Living Wall system seemed the best way to do it.
"We are delighted with the outcome and love the planting design that gives so many colours and textures. It will provide an important pollen and nectar source for many insects throughout the summer months."
Pictured: The wall is creating a 'buzz' among insects and humans alike!
The wall was installed by Scottscape, a specialist UK company, who workied alongside and trained Nurture Ecology Ltd, a local Ecological Consultancy and Habitat Management company. Michael Felton Landscape Architects worked on the plant design to create interesting patterning, utilising plants that are highly beneficial for local wildlife and will thrive at this coastal location.
Green infrastructure such as living walls and green roofs is something that Paul Wagstaffe, Director of Nurture Ecology Ltd, believes is an "exciting and vital step for the island". He notes that delivering more sustainable development in Jersey is both a key objective of the new three-year Island Plan, but also of the increasing number of eco-conscious islanders.
Pictured: Green infrastructure is becoming increasingly popular around the world.
Paul said: "Products such as these offer a huge number of benefits to the homeowner and of course to local ecology. Demonstrable environmental gain is becoming an emphasised requirement for Planning Applications, but space for such improvements on site, is often a limitation. It makes sense to ‘go vertical’ with living walls, or green retaining walls and we are excited to have expanded our services into this area."
He added that he believes "green infrastructure" is "part of the solution for sustainable development in the island".
"With the training and availability to install and maintain green infrastructure locally now, we hope that islanders will start to see this type of product isn’t just for busy cities such as Singapore but has a real worth and place in Jersey," Paul said.
The 'living wall' is made from strong, lightweight and fully waterproof panels. Each panel includes dozens of small planting pockets, which are planted to give an instant green wall, that become denser and more interesting over time.
An irrigation system is integrated into the panels to ensure every single plant is watered, attached to a timer to give a twice daily dowsing of water. Ongoing maintenance of the walls can also be provided.
Guy and Maria added: "We are so excited to see what it looks like next year once it’s fully established!"
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.