Lemon Thyme & Rosemary - A Living Green Wall.
Elephant & Castle - Living Green Wall Image: Zena Edwards©
I gasped when I turned a corner at Elephant and Castle and saw this brilliant living piece of green, life giving art.
This is undoubtedly a Biotecture living wall. Correct me if I’m wrong, as I have been researching the author of this poetic work.
The designer of this piece knew what they were doing - which plants complimented each other, which would weather well in this little wind trap of a sort-of square between four buildings off the Elephant thoroughfare.
What is good for soul besides the visual of this work is the scent. I have a sensitive nose for plants like the Lemon Thyme and Rosemary planted in this wall. (Caution: Do not eat!)
It wasn’t quite the right time of day for the scents to be fully released and appreciated, but walking up close was stimulating, and I sensed the clean air being emitted in the moment. Standing next to it felt cooler also, evidencing the cooling effect of plant life and trees densely built up areas.
Find out more about the award-winning living wall and urban greening specialist, Biotecture HERE.
The layering invites us to observe the shape and journey of this design. Wavy lines made by Long Grass, the thyme and the purple Heuchera soften the abstract picture made.
The Heuchera makes a striking contrast and encourages the other plants to grow. It is a competing plant, but not to the detriment of those surrounding it.
The young Hart's-Tongue fern (Asplenium Scolopendrium) can live comfortably next to the Heuchera as they both work together in partial shade. In fact, they’ll be going up together in this installation because they are both young plants.
The feel-good-factor for this wall has stayed with me. I hold a feeling of ‘something-to-look-forward-to’ when it comes to walking in it’s vicinity again. I will detour to catch such of it.
Much is invested in labour, time and money to ensure that these plants remain healthy and well and it pays off.
Me, personally, my mood was instantly lifted. Hope was sparked. There was a chance for genuine reciprocity, living in a city the way Robin Wall Kimmerer has spoken of, was real in the moment for me. It is reciprocity of gratitude.
I am also called to think about the principle of ‘the city and the natural world in synergy’ in the Synergy Slam Poets project and the inspired design and strategry to build this wall of plants, grasses and herbs.
Synergy is a powerful word - where two disparate components make something greater when working together. This wall is doing this. Are we when we make green living walls? Does it sound anthropogenically arrogant to say, these plants have been given an opportunity, in a Holocene 20th Century “throw-back” moment to exist?
It is, on one hand, an opportunity for the creators of this wall - and myself as an ‘appreciator’ of this wall beyond the aesthetic - to fall in love with the Earth. I greatly respect the minds of the green urbanists who thought this one up! On the other hand, pollinating bees and other insects attracted to Lemon Thyme and Rosemary have what they call ‘a bridge’ to rest, feed and do what they do as important species to the city and the earth.
As I write, I am hoping my joy for these initiatives is communicating well, because I have seen the skyline of London change shape over decade as more glass, steel and concrete take up vertical space as the urban sprawl reaches it’s limit. The good news is that they are buildin gliving green walls on the sides of them. Nature is being released into the urban wild and it is our turn to give back to the natural world by giving them greener air.
To see more and more of these Green Living Walls in the city brings the vision that we have seen skilful and not so skilfully created in AI images on the inter webs, and means a lot that people create them. It’s a blessing to see them in actuality and not only virtually.
I look forward to sharing more with you as I wander around for Nature Persists.
That’s all for now.
~ Zena ~