Meristem’s tips on urban greening, office planting, parklets, living walls, plants and biophilia
Green roofs or also commonly known as living roofs, are becoming more and more popular in the urban environment. This is due to their economic and environmental benefits, as well as the added bonus of creating a garden space for properties with little outdoor area. Land is a valuable asset in cities and is commonly utilised to its maximum capacity.
The Parlour Palm tree is ideal for indoors because it is easy to look after, grows very slowly and thrives in low light. In addition it has strong air purifying properties that remove formaldehyde and xylene from the air, making them a great choice for anyone who wants to improve the indoor air quality of their home.
A series of strategically positioned planters can be used to divide spaces, create walkways and control traffic flow. Planters can be installed in a wide range of locations, to bring vibrancy and life to dull spaces.
Custom made planters can also be used to generate and define appealing customer spaces for businesses which is a simple way to introduce greenery to any landscape.
It is hard to ignore the signs. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and are having a greater impact on our lives. Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin in February 2022 caused devastation to communities across the UK. As a result of the extreme weather conditions, London was issued with a rare ‘Red Weather Warning’ by the Met office, and people were told to prepare for potential flooding[1].
As increasing numbers of people move to urban areas combined with the widespread use of impermeable surfaces such as concrete for pavements, driveways, and roads; as well as a lack of greenery and vegetation, communities are more vulnerable to flooding. Almost a quarter of London constitutes gardens, but this is disappearing under paving slabs, decking and concrete. We are losing gardens at the rate of an area two and a half times the size of Hyde Park every year[2]. This is not sustainable and exacerbates flooding.
So what can we do to make our towns and cities better protected from flooding? SuDS are one solution.
Our high streets are struggling to compete with online retailers and the change in buyers shopping habits.
What can we do to help entice people to visit our high streets?
Greenery! Healthy streets help get people outdoors and down the high streets. Additionally, reducing cars by having more pedestrianised areas.
Humans need plants to survive, whether it be for a food source, reoxygenating air for us to breathe, or helping our mental health and well being, with its calming properties (where biophilic design came from)People have always intuitively sensed that contact with plants and nature is a calming restorative tonic for the body and soul. Not only do plants provide a sense of calm but as you all know, they are a significant part of what we eat with just 15 crop plants providing 90 percent of the world’s food energy intake.
There is a rising trend for on-street Parklets popping up across the world, in the US there are over 3,000 of them, with Canada and Australia not far behind. In the UK their growth has been slow until now, however in the past year over 40 on-street Parklets have been installed in London alone with 100’s more in the pipeline.
