VERTICAL `

GARDEN
Ve r t i c a l G a r d e n S y s t e m s
GUIDE

VERTICAL
GARDEN
GUIDE
How To Use the Florafelt Vertical Gardening System

- TIPS AND ADVICE

- PRODUCT SPEC SHEETS
by Chris Bribach
Julie Duviver, Duviv Gardens, San Francisco

- INSTALLATION DIAGRAMS www.Florafelt.com

Florafelt 12-Pocket Planter
Florafelt Recirc-33 Vertical Garden.


INSTALLATIONGUIDE

ByChrisBribach

TABLEOFCONTENTS

LIVINGARCHITECTUREFOREVERYONE 1

FLORAFELTMAKESVERTICALGARDENSEASY 2

VERTICALGARDENDESIGNTIPSANDADVICE 5

SPECSHEETS12POCKET&4POCKET 8

ROOTWRAPPERSMESSFREEVERTICALGARDENING 10

CUSTOMSIZINGGUIDETRIMTOSIZE 11

MOUNTINGMETHODS 12

IRRIGATIONDRAINAWAY 15

IRRIGATIONRECIRCULATINGSYSTEMS 20

ABOUTTHEINVENTORCHRISBRIBACH 23

2016FlorafletVerticalGardenSystems


LIVINGARCHITECTUREFOREVERYONE

HEALTHYSPACES
Anumberofstudieshaveshownthatplantsintheworkplacereducesickdaysandincrease
productivity,andeveryoneknowsthatgreeneryalwaysmakesahomemoreinviting.Aside
frombeingpleasanttolookat,plantsfillourroomswithfreshoxygen.Also,greenery
symbolizesfood,healthandlife,whichwefeeldeepinoursubconscious.Sincemostofus
workandliveinurbanareasandwespendthevastmajorityofourtimeindoors,barren
interiorscanbesoftenedandreinvigoratedbythefeelingofabundanceofferedbyplants.

CLEANERAIR
Wallsprovideanexcitingnewplatformtofill
withplants.Thecreativepossibilitiesare
endless.Youcancreateavarietyof
illusionssuchasglimpsingajungle,
enjoyingtheviewsofacliffsidelushwith
foliage,orofsittingnearaformalgarden.
Andthatfeelingoffreshnessisnotjusta
pleasantsensation.Itismeasurable.Plants
notonlytransformcarbontooxygen,but
thesoilremovestoxinsfromtheair.Millions
ofactiveorganismsineveryscoopofsoil
neutralizetoxinswhenthemicrobiology
convertsVOCsintonitrogen,whichisvital
forplants.Usingthisancientsymbiosisto
improveourmodernworldkeepsusthriving
andhealthy.

URBANOASIS
Inabeautifulirony,citiesandurbanareas
providemoresurfaceareapersquarefoot
togrowplantsthanevenourmajestic
countrysides.Insideandout,ourwallscan
befilledwithplants,creatingacomplexand
biodiverseoasisineventhemostdensely
populatedareas.Nativebirdsandanimals
willflocktojoinusinoururbancenters,
reconnectinguswithnatureinthousandsof
ways.Edibleplantsandfruitswillbe
plentiful,aharvestatarmsreach.

Photo:CustomRecirculatingFlorafeltVerticalGardenby
PasiLindberg,Zengrow,Helsinki,Finland

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 1

Florafelt Vertical Garden by Chris Bribach, Plants On Walls. CBRE Office Towers, Downtown San Francisco.


FLORAFELTMAKESVERTICALGARDENSEASY

CBREOfficeTower,DowntownSanFrancisco,California.Designer:ChrisBribach,PlantsOnWalls.

FLORAFELTVERTICALPLANTERS
GrowingalivingwalliseasywithFlorafeltVerticalGardenPlanters.Ourhandmadeplanters
aredesignedtousethemicrofibersinPETfelttowaterplantsequally.Thefeltismadefrom
recycledplasticbottles,anylonandnontoxicfiberthatispracticallyindestructible.This
amazingmaterialprovidesasafegrowingmediumthatispHneutralandnonreactive,soyou
cangardenorganicallyrightonyourwall.It'sevensafeforvegetablesandherbs!Rootsgrow
rightintothefelt,whichcomesalivethankstothemicrobiologyinthesoil.


ROOTWRAPPERS
Florafeltplanterscomewithourcustom
RootWrappingsystem.Itletsyouchange
andrearrangeyourlivingwallatwill,while
maintainingtheintegrityofeveryplantinits
ownsoil.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 2

FLORAFELTMAKESVERTICALGARDENSEASY

Growinginsyntheticfeltallowsunlimitedpossibilities.Inthe1970's,afamousParisian
designerplantedsomeofthelongestliving,largestandmostgorgeouslivingwallstodate,
whicharestillthriving.Theygrowinsyntheticfelt,whichisidealforbreathabilityandallows
forfullymaturerootdevelopment.Florafelthastakenthisconceptandaddedpocketscreated
fromthesamematerialforeaseofinstallationandplantreplacement.

ConservatoryofFlowers,SanFrancisco,California.Designer:ChrisBribach,PlantsOnWalls.

USINGALITTLESOILMAKESVERTICALGARDENINGMUCHEASIER
Wecreatedthepocketstoaccommodateahandfulofsoil.ThesoilbalancespHand
introducesmicrobiologytoletnaturedoitsworkandbringthefeltalive.Itiscrucialtouse
syntheticmaterialsthatdon'tdissolve.

WHATSWRONGWITHSMALLCOMPARTMENTSORPLANTERBOXES
Hardornonbreathableplasticsystemsrestrictrootgrowthandeventuallykillplants.Ourfelt
pocketsencouragerootgrowthforafulllifecycle.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 3

FLORAFELTMAKESVERTICALGARDENSEASY

VERYLARGEVERTICALGARDENS
Withaboltedattachment,ourFlorafeltplanterscanbeusedatanyheight.Florafeltismade
fromrecycledPETandisvirtuallyindestructible.Onceitisplantedandhastimetogrow,the
rootmaterialmakesitapermanentlivingmembrane.

PETPLASTICSANDTOXICITY
Notallplasticsarethesame.PETplasticisanonreactive,nontoxicplastic,whichiswhyitis
usedforanythingfrommilkjugstowaterbottles.Traceamountsoftoxinsareknownto
emergefromPET,butsoilmicrobesbreakdownthosecomplexmoleculeslongbeforethey
reachplantroots.Wechose100%recycledPETfeltfibersforourFlorafelt,turningunused
waterbottlesintosomethinguseful.Additionally,plantsgrowninthismaterialabsorbcarbon
fromtheatmosphere,makingFlorafelta'carbonabsorbingproductoverit'slifetime.

VERTICALGARDENSTHATEVOLVE
Itisveryimportantfortheverticalgardentobeinteractivesothatitcanbemodifiedas
needed.Likeanygarden,thereareunpredictablechangesinclimate,exposure,pests,or
plantdisease.Rootwrappedplantsareeasytochangeoutwhentheneedarises.

SLITANDSTAPLEMETHOD
Themajordrawbackofthe
slitandstaplemethodfor
verticalgardensisthatlarge
plantedareasoftendonottake.
Itisverydifficulttoaddnew
plantstofillinthesespaces.

PLEATEDPOCKETDESIGN
TheFlorafeltpleatedpocket
designmakesitveryeasyfor
anygardenertoremovethe
problemplantsandtuckhealthy
startsintotheexistingpockets.It
alsoallowscaretakerstoreplace
thedeadfoliagewiththeplant
typesthatarethriving.Starting
withabiodiverseselection
allowsyoutoexperimentwith
manyplantsandminimizethe
failures.Yousimplyaddmoreof
whatworks.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 4

VERTICALGARDENDESIGNTIPSANDADVICE

Privateresidence,BeverlyHills,California.Designer:ChrisBribach,PlantsOnWalls.

NATURALLIGHT
Brightindirectlightisanindoortropicalfavorite.Theplantswillreachforthelightandalign
theirleavestothesource,makingaperfectdisplay.Directlightcanbeworkableifitislimited
toafewhoursaday.

INDOORLIGHTING
Lowlighttropicalplantsrequireaminimumof150footcandlesofillumination,whichisbest
achievedwithatracklightingsystem.Halogenisidealformanyplantsbecauseitprovidesa
widespectrumoflight.Metalhalideandfluorescentlightsarealsoexcellent.NewLEDlights
mayalsoworkforsomesituations.

OUTDOORS
Adeckwithfulldayofsunisperfectforgrowingherbsandvegetablesandflowers.Partial
sunisgreatforlettuce,ferns,succulentsandmostotherplants.Fernsalsodowellonshady
walls.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 5

VERTICALGARDENDESIGNTIPSANDADVICE

LIGHTMETER
Alightmetershouldbepartofyourtoolkit.Theyareeasyandinexpensive.Indoortropical
plantsneedaminimumof150footcandlestothrive.Directsunprovides10,000footcandles
andwillburnmostindoorplants,whileherbsandvegetablesflourishinsuchconditions.Test
theareayouwanttoplantandaddsupplementallightingorshadeifnecessary.Explorethe
internettolearnmoreaboutwhichplantsyoushouldchooseforyourinstallation.

MOISTURE
Florafeltplantersareintendedforwatersafeareas.Generally,waterwillremainwithinthe
unit,butthereisalwaysthechanceofsomedripping.Usecommonsensewhenplacingthe
unitandfollowinstructionscarefully.

REGULARWATERING
DailywateringalongthetoprowisnormallyrequiredwhenusingFlorafeltplanters.Formost
situations,werecommendconnectingtheplanterstoanautomaticirrigationsystem.Asimple
driptubeacrossthetopwhichissettowatertwicedailyfor30minuteswillprovideadequate
moistureformostsituations.Recirculating
systemsaremorewaterefficient,withatank,
pumpandtimerssettorunonceadayfor30
minutesformostsituations.

FERTILIZE
Wehighlyrecommendlightfertilizingforvertical
gardens.Wesuggestusinganorganicbased
fertilizer(wepreferMaxsea)tominimizesalt
buildupandpromoteactivemicrobiology.You
caneasilyinstallaninjectortoyourirrigation
system,oryoucanfertilizebyhandwitha
sprayer.Forrecirculatingsystemssimplyadd
fertilizerwhenyoutopoffthewatertanks.

SEASONALPLANTINGS
Floweringannualsareanexcellentchoicefor
seasonalplantings.Inearlyspring,Florafelt
pocketscanbeplantedwithsmallstarts,seeds
andcuttingsforadazzlingdisplayofcolorall
summerlong.Whengrowingseasonhas
ended,theRootWrappedplantscanbe
removed,cleanedandstoredfornextyear,
alongwiththelightweightFlorafeltpanels.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 6

VERTICALGARDENDESIGNTIPSANDTRICKS

WINTEREXPOSURE
Mostplantswillgodormantinthewinter.Plantedintheground,theyareprotectedfrom
extremefreezingtemperatures.Inwalls,aswithplanters,onlycertainruggednativeswill
surviveahardfreeze.Consultwithalocalnurseryforadviceonspecificplantsthatcanmake
itthroughwinteryoullfindthattheylovetotalkaboutplantsandwillbehappytomake
recommendations.

CHILDRENANDPETS
Florafeltcanbedamagedbyclaws,teethand
beaks.Usecaution,assomeplantsaretoxic.
TheRecircunitcantipifitisdestabilizedby
climbingchildrenorjumpingpets.Usecommon
senseandbeselectiveaboutplacement.

PLANTSELECTION
Fullsun,partshade,orfullshadearestandard
considerationswhenyouselectplants,butyour
localenvironmentisalsoimportant.For
example,someindoortropicalsrequireacertain
amountofshade,andwontrespondwellto
abrupttemperaturechanges.Onceagain,talkto
someoneatyourlocalnursery.

BIODIVERSELIVINGWALL
Itsfuntotrymanydifferenttypesofplantsto
learnwhatdoesbestinyourenvironment.Itsa
quickandinterestingwaytogrowagardenthat
isexquisitelyrefinedforbothyoursenseof
beautyandyourroom.Simplyremovethe
failuresandreplacewiththespeciesthatare
thriving.

COMBINEPLANTS
Eachpocketcanbehometomanyplants
clusteredtogether.UseRootWrapperstocreate
aminigardenineachpocket.Addcuttings,
bulbsandseedsandenjoyseeingwhat
emerges.Youmightbesurprisedtodiscover
whatthrivesinyourspecificconditions!

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 7

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 8

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 9

ROOTWRAPPERSMESSFREEVERTICALGARDENING

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 10

 CUSTOM SIZING GUIDE

Ve r t i c a l G a r d e n S y s t e m s HOW TO MAKE ANY SIZE LIVING WALL
Florafelt vertical garden planters come in standard sizes that can be tiled to exact specifications to
closely fit any width. The panels can also be trimmed for custom sizes. Our standard pocket size is
10 in wide x 6 in high (.254 m x .152 m). Allow an additional 1 in (.025 m) to each side for attach-
ment staples.

F12 F12: TRIMMED F4

32 in 22 in 12 in
810mm 560 mm 310 mm
1 in 10 in 10 in 10 in 1 in 10 in 10 in 1 in 10 in 1 in
30 mm 250 mm 250 mm 250 mm 30mm 250 mm 250 mm 30mm 250 mm 30 mm

150 mm

150 mm

150 mm
6 in

6 in

6 in
TRIM AND TILE TO CREATE CUSTOM SIZES USE A UTILITY KNIFE
Use combinations of the panels to create TO TRIM TO SIZE
custom sizes as in the example below.
66 in Florafelt Vertical Garden Planters can
1680 mm be cut with a utility knife and sharp
32 in 12 in 22 in scissors:
810 mm 310 mm 560 mm
- Place panel felt side down.
- Use a straight edge and utility
knife to cut plastic backing
610 mm

board.
24 in

F12 F4 F12
- Do not cut within 1 inch of
TRIMMED attachment staples.
- Trim felt using sharp scissors or
multiple cuts with a utility knife.
1830 mm

Panels can also be trimmed vertically

610 mm
24 in

72 in

F12 F4 F12 every 6 in (.125 m) to create more

custom sizes.
TRIMMED
32 in
810 mm
610 mm
24 in

610 mm

F12 F4 F12
24 in

F12
TRIMMED
1830 mm
72 in
310 mm

UNUSUAL SIZES AND SHAPES

12 in

F12
- Panels can also be cut at curves and angles. TRIMMED
- To re-attach felt pockets at the edges use black zip ties every 2 inches.
- If required use a small soldering iron to melt holes.
2015 F l o ra fe l t.c o m - US Patent 8141294 - MADE IN THE US A


MOUNTINGMETHODS

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 12

MOUNTINGMETHODS

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 13

 FLORAFELT 12-POCKET PLANTERS

HAT CHANNEL SUPPORT
Ve r t i c a l G a r d e n S y s t e m s & METAL CHANNEL FRAME
2 4

EXISTING WALL
GUTTER / FRAME EDGE (SEE BELOW)
DRIP IRRIGATION / RECIRC TUBING
24

16

2 METAL HAT CHANNEL

WALL ATTACHMENT (24 O.C.)
2 SHEET METAL SCREWS WITH WASHER
FLORAFELT VERTICAL GARDEN PLANTER (F12)
BITUMEN OR RUBBER MEMBRANE
TAPED AT EDGES
4
52

PANEL JUNCTION FLAPS FOLDED INWARD

4

GUTTER / FRAME EDGE

STAINLESS, GALV. OR COPPER
CUSTOM C-CHANNEL 2 X 4 X 4
TO DRAIN PER SPEC.
24

16

4
2
4
4
2

D E S I G N S A R E F O R S U G G E S T E D U S E O N LY
LO C A L B U I L D I N G CO D E S MAY A P P LY

LIABILITY STATEMENT: Florafelt and/or Plants On Walls is not responsible or liable

for care and maintenance of plants used in our Florafelt living wall panels,
Floraframe living wall systems, Root Wrappers or any other products or services.
4 Florafelt and/or Plants On Walls is not responsible or liable for water damage to
interior or exterior of buildings, homes, or finishes due to misuse or accidental
moisture dripping from plants, lack of maintenance of watering systems, or for
any reason for moisture damage or loss due to damages of any kind. It is up to
the purchaser to properly protect all surfaces from water exposure or overflow by
providing water catchment drain trays and/or vapor barriers to areas of potential
damage. It is the responsibilty of the property owner to get all applipable permits
and compy with local building codes. We recommend the hiring of qualified
landscape maintenance professionals to assist with plant selection, planting,
watering, feeding, pest control, lighting, and general maintenance to assure
optimal health for the living wall. Plants On Walls / Florafelt is not responsible
and to be held harmless to damage to buildings, water leakage, loss of plants,
bodily harm, or any accidental damages of any kind. 2015 Plants On Walls /
Florafelt Corporation. U.S. and International Patents. Made in USA.
2016 F l o ra fe l t.c o m - US Patent 8141294 - MADE IN THE US A


IRRIGATIONDRAINAWAY

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 15

IRRIGATIONDRAINAWAY

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 16

IRRIGATIONDRAINAWAY

PARTS

Mostoftheseparts(orsimilar)areavailableatyourlocalprolandscapesupplier,Lowesor
HomeDepot,oronlinethroughGoogleSearchandAmazon.com.

HoseSplitterConnectthehosesplittertoyourfaucet.
Thisallowsyoutohaveaccesstoyourwaterbutalso
providesan'alwayson'connectiontoyourwatertimer.Be
surethefaucetandsplittervalveremainopentoensure
consistentwatering.Considercoveringthevalvesusing
stretchwraptopreventaccidentalshutoff.

DigitalHoseTimerThetimeruses2AAbatteries.The
OrbitDigitalHoseTimer(shown)worksbestforthis
applicationsinceitallowsfor1minuteruntimes,which
reducewaterwaste.Italsoallowsfor6hourintervalsso
youcanwater4timesaday,ifnecessary.Werecommend
thateachlivingwallhasonindependantbatteryoperated
timerforreliableandeasytoadjustwateringcycles.

FoodInjectorTheDosatronDM11Fisawateroperated
unitthataddsaspecificconcentrationoffoodtothesystem
witheachwateringcycle.Ituseswaterpressuretooperate
andisdesignedforlowwaterflow.Venturiinjectorscanbe
usedforlarge,highflowsystems.Liquidfoodtankscanbe
madefrom6inchABStubeforathinprofilethatwillbe
completelyhiddenamongtheplants.

ParticleFilterAmeshfilterpreventsclogsindriplines.Inlinestainlessfiltersprovidelong
serviceandcanbeeasilyflushedcleanonaregularschedule.Makesureyourparticlefilteris
downstreamfromyourfoodinjectortopreventplantfoodfromcloggingyourdrippers.

PressureRegulatorThepressureregulatorkeepsthewaterpressurelowtopreventhose
connectionblowouts,andslowsthewateringrate.Slowerwateringallowsplantstoabsorb
thewater,reducingwaste.30PSIiscommonformostirrigationapplications.

Tubinginchirrigationtubingisinexpensiveandeasytouse.Thiscommontypeof
irrigationisstandardformostlandscapeapplications.Slipconnectorsarequickandeasyto
install.Gardenhosewiththreadedconnectorsareextremelyeasytouse.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 17

IRRIGATIONDRAINAWAY

ButtonDripEmittersButtonemitterscomestandardingallonperhour.Barbed
connectorsareeasilypunchedintotheinchirrigationtubing.Placeone1/2gallonperhour
buttonemitterattheverytopofeachpocketrow.Makethedripvisibleforeaseofinspection
andreplacement.Ifthetopedgeissloped,pressurecompensatingemitterswillmaintaina
consistentdripfromtoptobottom.Useirrigationemittersatthetoprowonly.Waterwillwick
downtheentirewall.Longerandslowerwateringtimesallowformorecompletewater
absorptionandlesswaste.

DrainTray Extrawaterwilldripfromthebottomedge.Youcansimplyletitdrainintoa
planterorgardenbelow,oryoucanuseasmalldriptray(2x2inches)todirectthewatertoa
sewerconnection,orintoafloordrain.Allowthewatertodraincompletelybykeepthebottom
pocketclearofthebottomofthetray.Tuckthebottomflapintothetraytopreventdrips.

PlantFoodWerecommendusingMaxSea16:16:16SeaweedBasedFertilizer.Itisagentle
foodthatcanbeusedforhydroponicfeedingandismostlymadefromorganicnutrients.
Organicnutrientsarepreferredbecausetheyencourageactivemicrobiologyinthesoiland
reducetheproblemofsaltbuildupfromchemicalfertilizers.

CustomIrrigationDesignsUsingvariousfittingstheentiresystemcanbeenclosedina
stainlesssteelutilitybox.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 18

IRRIGATIONDRAINAWAY

MAINTENANCESCHEDULE

Daily
Observetheplants
Noticeifplantslookwilted
Oriftheyhavefadedleaves
Orshowrottingbasesorbrownedleaves
Alsonoticeiftheyhavenewbudsorhavemadenewroots

Monthly
AddplantfoodtotheFeeder(Maxsea)
Observeplanthealthandadjustwatertimingifnecessary
Removedeadleaves
Removedeadplantsandreplace
Cleardrainofanydebris

Every3Months
Cleanthefilter
Useladdertovisuallycheckdripemitters

EveryYear
Changethetimerbattery
Changeoutthedriplines

Tip:UseyourECalendar
Addtheseeventstoyourelectroniccalendarandusethe
repeatedeventsfeaturewithreminders.
Copyandpastethisinfoforeachfrequencylisted.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 19

IRRIGATIONRECIRCULATINGSYSTEMS

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 20

IRRIGATIONRECIRCULATINGSYSTEMS

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 21

IRRIGATIONRECIRCULATINGSYSTEMS

MAINTENANCESCHEDULE

Thewatertankshouldbecheckedweeklyandtoppedoff.Donotaddwaterwhiletheunitis
onsincewaterwillcontinuetodripfromtheplanterandcauseoverflow.Waitonehourafter
thepumpcycleorwhenallwaterhasdrainedfromthefeltplanter.Tankdrainingandwater
replacementisrecommendedevery4to6monthstopreventsaltbuildupfromfertilizers.

Daily
Observetheplants
Noticeifplantslookwilted
Oriftheyhavefadedleaves
Orshowrottingbasesorbrownedleaves
Alsonoticeiftheyhavenewbudsorhavemadenewroots

Weekly
Topoffwatertank.Donotaddwaterwhilepumpisrunning.
Addplantfoodtothetank(1/4tspMaxsea)

MonthlyTasks
Observeplanthealthandadjustwatertimingifnecessary
Removedeadleaves
Removedeadplantsandreplace

Every3Months
Emptytanksandreplacewater
Cleanpumpandcheckwaterflow

Tip:UseyourECalendar
Addtheseeventstoyourelectroniccalendarandusethe
repeatedeventsfeaturewithreminders.
Copyandpastethisinfoforeachfrequencylisted.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 22

ABOUTTHEINVENTORCHRISBRIBACH

ChrisBribachplantingafullyfilledinfernwallforaprivatehomeinLosAltosHills,California.

IgraduatedfromSCIARCin1992,oneoftheworld'smostprestigiousarchitecturalschools.
TheschoolwaslocatedblocksfromFrankGherysoffice,afocalpointforprogressivedesign
ideas.

Iwasexcitedaboutanorganicfutureinarchitectureandcreatedchaossculpturesconnected
infreeformstructures.Iassembledthepiecesinwhatseemedrandomandturbulent
designs,butwereactuallyaredundantlyefficientorganicspaceframe.Theassemblybecame
aprocessthatorganicallyhelpedcreatethescopeandshape,notunlikeabirdbuildinga
nest.Ilaterexploredspontaneousdesignorperformancearchitecturewheretheaudience
createdtheirownexperienceandbuiltform.

Creatingalivingspacewiththematerialsathand,quicklyandefficiently,ishowmostpeople
builtdwellingsthroughouthistory.Peopleneededverylittletobuildtheirhomes,becausethey
livedinharmonywiththeirenvironment.Bypassingdownthisknowledge,aricharchitecture
evolvedthatwassensitivetotheenvironmentandmadeefficientuseoflocalmaterials.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 23

ABOUTTHEINVENTORCHRISBRIBACH

Themassiveindustrialurbancentersoftodayareplaguedwithpavedandroofedsurfaces
thatrequireenormousamountsofenergytocreateandmaintain.Iwonderedwhybuildings
cantbecoveredwithlivingfoliagetocoolinteriors,preventdecayandevengrowfood.

In2008IturnedtotheworkofthevisionaryartistPatricBlancwhobegangrowingverticallyin
the1970susinghishomefishaquarium.Replicatingthenaturalgrowthalongcliffsand
slopingsurfaces,hecreatedbeautifulverticalgardensusingnutrientwaterthatflowsover
syntheticfelt.Excitedbythepotential,IexploredtheslitandstaplemethodPatricofferedin
hisbookTheVerticalGardenwhereheremovesalmostallthesoilwhenplanting.Itquickly
becameclearthatamasteryofbotanywouldberequiredtoprovideproperwaterand
nutrientshydroponically.Findingthisfartoodifficultfortherestofus,Isimplifiedtheconcept
bypleatingthefeltandstaplingittoalightweightnontoxicplasticboardtocreateeasily
plantablepockets.IwroteandwasgrantedapatentfortheVerticalGardenPanelfiledSep.
2,2010.

IamcommittedtotheuseofsustainablemanufacturingmethodsthatIlearnedfromWilliam
McDonough'sbookCradleToCradlesoIworkedwithmanufacturerstodevelopasynthetic
growingmediumIcalledFlorafelt.Madefrom100%recycledP.E.T.plasticbottles,itis
consideredfoodsafeandwillnotonlylastindefinitelybutcanberemeltedtocreateother
products.

FlorafeltVerticalPlantersareproudlymadeintheUSAfrommaterialsalsomadeintheUSA.
Ourteamassemblesplantersandsystemsforcustomersthroughouttheworld.

There'snothinglikethejoyyoufeelwhenyoufillawallwithplants.

ChrisBribach

InventoroftheVerticalGardenPanel,USPatent8141294
CEOandFounderofFlorafeltCorporationandPlantsOnWalls

Tolearnmoreandgetinspiredvisit:http://www.Florafelt.com

LIABILITYSTATEMENTFlorafeltand/orPlantsOnWallsisnotresponsibleorliableforcareandmaintenanceofplantsusedinourFlorafeltlivingwallpanels,Floraframe
livingwallsystems,RootWrappersoranyotherproductsorservices.Florafeltand/orPlantsOnWallsisnotresponsibleorliableforwaterdamagetointeriororexteriorof
buildings,homes,orfinishesduetomisuseoraccidentalmoisturedrippingfromplants,lackofmaintenanceofwateringsystems,orforanyreasonformoisturedamageorloss
duetodamagesofanykind.Itisuptothepurchasertoproperlyprotectallsurfacesfromwaterexposureoroverflowbyprovidingwatercatchmentdraintraysand/orvapor
barrierstoareasofpotentialdamage.Wealsorecommendthehiringofqualifiedlandscapemaintenanceprofessionalstoassistwithplantselection,planting,watering,feeding,
pestcontrol,lighting,andgeneralmaintenancetoassureoptimalhealthforthelivingwall.PlantsOnWallsisnotresponsibleandtobeheldharmlesstodamagetobuildings,
waterleakage,lossofplants,bodilyharm,oranyaccidentaldamagesofanykind.2015PlantsOnWalls/Florafelt.

FLORAFELTVERTICALGARDENSYSTEMSPRODUCTANDINSTALLATIONGUIDE 24

 HOW IT WORKS
Ve r t i c a l G a r d e n S y s t e m s
Use nylon tabs
to hang on
Made from Indestructible hooks
recycled PET plastic felt
Or mount
permanently
Pockets are stapled to a
rigid plastic sign board
Chris Bribach
Root Wrapped plants
VERTICAL GARDEN INNOVATOR
are inserted in the pockets
Millions of us find ourselves
surrounded by sterile structures. We Drip line waters
have become alienated from our
automatically
natural origins.
Or water by hand
Our health and life depend on thriv-
ing plants for food and oxygen. It is Moisture wicks down
crucial for us to reconnect with through the felt
plants and bring them back into our
lives.
Roots grow into
I created a vertical gardening system
the moist inner layer
for everyone with a practical and

MOISTURE
environmentally-friendly approach: Roots breathe for
optimal plant health
s !T MODULAR SYSTEM MADE FROM
recycled materials that does not
deteriorate. The front stays dry AIR
and drip-free
s ,IGHTWEIGHT SO IT CAN EASILY BE
applied to existing buildings. Extra water drips to
the planter below
s )NCLUDES SOME SOIL TO AVOID COM-
plicated hydroponics. Planted, weighs only
5 pounds / square foot
s )RRIGATES WITH EXISTING OR EASY
off-the-shelf equipment. High quality materials
made in the USA
s #HANGEABLE SO YOU CAN EASILY 2015 FL ORAFELT, US Pa te nt 81 41294

move plants to adapt to variable

conditions.

VERTICAL PLANTERS
To learn more, visit: RECIRC UNITS
PRO SYSTEMS
www.Florafelt.com Ve r t i c a l G a r d e n S y s t e m s GROW FELT