As part of living in a semi-arid or arid environment, the question has always arisen about whether green technologies that are so successful in other regions make sense in ours. What type of green technologies work, and what form might those green technologies take in our environment? Do green roofs make water sense? What about green walls? And, what aesthetic opportunities exist for designers looking to incorporate these technologies into our environment?
This post is the beginning of a running series showcasing the various forms of green walls that exist or are being introduced into Los Angeles. Each post will provide a brief overview of the system and show some images of each type of green wall. All of them provide an interesting, and unique, aesthetic solution to regreening the urban environment, although some might be more water sensitive than others.
This post looks at the Woolly Pocket (a recent post also discussed the system's application in school gardens). The Woolly Pocket is self-described as:
This post is the beginning of a running series showcasing the various forms of green walls that exist or are being introduced into Los Angeles. Each post will provide a brief overview of the system and show some images of each type of green wall. All of them provide an interesting, and unique, aesthetic solution to regreening the urban environment, although some might be more water sensitive than others.
This post looks at the Woolly Pocket (a recent post also discussed the system's application in school gardens). The Woolly Pocket is self-described as:
Woolly Pockets are flexible, breathable, and modular gardening containers. They`come in two styles: those designed to be placed on horizontal surfaces, and those designed to be hung on walls for vertical gardening. You can use Woolly Pockets both indoors and out; they have built-in moisture barriers to help protect furniture, and they're equally at home outside in the elements. They're perfect for creating urban gardens where you have space to garden but no land to garden in.
The system is a modular concept based on individual, sewn pouches that provide a durable, lightweight planting container that can be repeated multiple times to cover a larger area. Originally the product used a felt-like material, but now it is made out of a more durable nylon-like material that breathes for proper oxygen exchange. Each pouch includes a moisture barrier to protect adjacent surfaces.
Detail of system from Woolly Pocket. All Rights Reserved.
The system has been advertised as both an indoors and outdoors solution. The one example I have seen firsthand is on La Cienega Blvd. between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd. It wraps across the front facade of a car repair business. This installation incorporates the older, felt-like product line, and has a few additional components, including irrigation, and plastic sheeting to protect the masonry wall. The plastic sheeting was installed initially to form a base behind the pockets, and then the pockets were installed in an overlapping pattern to cover the majority of the facade. Main irrigation lines were installed at the top of the wall to gravity feed lateral lines running along each row of pouches. Below are some images of the system.
View of facade of Woolly Pocket installation on La Cienega Blvd.
Additional view of facade of Woolly Pocket installation on La Cienega Blvd.
Detail of installation showing plastic sheeting behind overlapped pockets.
Image of main line (see white pipe at top) protruding from wall
Detail shot of irrigation lateral feeding a bubbler to an individual pocket
All in all, the effect of the system is pretty impressive, both at masking the facade of the building, but also in the diversity of plant materials that have been successfully grown in them. I do wonder about how much irrigation is devoted to this particular installation, but given the simplicity of the installation on what appears to be an existing industrial-use building, this is a pretty cool, retrofit system that could hold a lot of regreening potential, and a lot of aesthetic opportunity based on plant selection and patterning of installation.
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