BLOG: Preserved Gardens, Moss Walls & Longevity Standards. How long do they last once installed?

In the heart of modern interior landscapes, preserved gardens stand as timeless embodiments of nature. These lush, verdant creations bring the serenity and beauty of the outside world into our living and working spaces, offering a slice of nature that remains vibrant and fresh year-round. But how long can these pieces of plant art maintain their allure with minimal maintenance? Let’s delve into the fascinating world of preserved moss and green walls, exploring the standards that uphold their beauty over time and the secrets behind their longevity.

Although they are much more budget friendly than the living walls and plants in the initial investment and in the care expenses, these preserved gardens and moss walls might still be expensive for some low budgeted projects. When the budget is limited, a lot of clients look for ways of reducing the initial cost without paying attention to cost of ownership for these no maintenance biophilic masterpieces.

Understanding the Cost of Ownership in Preserved Garden / Moss Wall market.

When considering the integration of preserved gardens into a space, it’s crucial to look beyond the initial price tag and consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). This comprehensive approach encompasses the complete cost of an asset over its entire lifecycle, providing a more accurate picture of the long-term investment.

For any product that is used as an interior design element, the cost of ownership consideration includes:

1. Initial purchase price
2. Installation costs
3. Maintenance and repair costs
4. Operational costs
5. Replacement costs
6. Disposal costs
7. Depreciation

Understanding TCO (cost of ownership) helps stakeholders make informed decisions by evaluating the long-term financial impact of different interior elements. In the preserved garden and moss wall market, this consideration becomes particularly important due to the variety of providers and service models available.

Some providers (like Garden on the Wall) offer turnkey services covering design, fabrication, delivery, installation, and touch-up processes. Others provide materials only, shipping their garden panels from overseas, requiring clients to source third-party installers. These different approaches can significantly impact both initial costs and long-term expenses.

While a lower initial investment might seem attractive, it’s essential to consider the longevity of the installation. Lower-quality preserved gardens may not survive more than a year or two, necessitating frequent replacements and driving up the TCO. On the other hand, when designers and owners focus on the cost of ownership rather than initial investment, they often find that providers with long life cycle offerings, like Garden on the Wall, deliver better value. These high-quality installations can last 10-12 years or more, with potential for extension to 25+ years through proper care and rejuvenation techniques.

Understanding Preserved Gardens & Moss Walls: An Introduction

Preserved gardens, moss walls, planters crafted with preserved foliage represent a harmonious blend of nature’s beauty and modern technology’s ingenuity. Unlike traditional indoor plants that require constant care and specific environmental conditions, preserved moss and foliage offer an evergreen solution to interior design. These gardens flourish without the need for sunlight, water, or soil, maintaining their vibrant appearance with minimal maintenance.

The magic of preserved gardens begins with the careful selection of plants, each chosen for its enduring beauty and resilience. Once selected, these plants undergo a meticulous preservation process that transforms them into long-lasting pieces of natural art.

The preservation process is a marvel of botanical science. It involves replacing the natural sap within the plants with a biodegradable preservation solution. This intricate process ensures that each leaf and petal maintains its flexibility, color, and natural appearance. The result is a garden that captures a moment in time, offering the beauty of nature without the constraints of seasonal changes or decay.

These preserved creations bring more than just aesthetic value to a space. In our increasingly urbanized world, where connections to nature are often limited, preserved gardens offer a tangible link to the natural world. They provide the psychological benefits of being surrounded by greenery, potentially enhancing mental health, reducing stress, and improving productivity in both home and work environments.

The Science Behind Preserving Greenery

Diving deeper into the realm of preserved gardens reveals a harmonious blend of art and science. The cornerstone of preservation lies in the careful substitution of plant sap with a glycerin-based solution, a substance compatible with the plant’s natural structure. This solution not only sustains the plant’s flexibility and color but effectively renders it inert, free from the decay and degradation that affects all living matter. Moreover, this scientific marvel also provides preserved plants with anti-static properties, reducing the accumulation of dust and simplifying maintenance.

Longevity Standards for Preserved Moss and Green Walls

The longevity of preserved moss and green walls is influenced by several key factors, each playing a crucial role in determining how long these natural art pieces will maintain their beauty and integrity.

1. Quality of the initial preservation process: The foundation of a long-lasting preserved garden lies in the quality of its preservation. Reputable providers invest in superior preservation techniques that ensure the plants retain their natural look and feel for years. Some providers even offer guarantees, promising that their preserved gardens will maintain their aesthetic appeal for a decade or more. Garden on the Wall reported 1740 plus installations since 2014 where all of these installations are still being enjoyed by their clients.
2. Environmental factors: While preserved gardens are more resilient than their living counterparts, they are not impervious to environmental influences. Factors such as direct sunlight exposure, high humidity levels, and significant temperature fluctuations can affect the longevity of the installation. Ideal conditions include stable indoor environments with controlled temperature and humidity, and protection from direct UV light.
3. Fabrication techniques: The method used to create the garden plays a significant role in its longevity. High-quality installations avoid the “old world” look where individual moss sheets are visibly distinct. Instead, they create a seamless, natural appearance that mimics the organic growth patterns found in nature, or in our backyards. This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also prevents issues like delamination and browning at the seams. Those installations last long are the ones that the grassy surface that is used as canvas of these plant art pieces woven like a carpet, with no visible seams between.
4. Installation methods: Proper installation is crucial for the longevity of preserved gardens, especially for larger installations that require multiple panels. Trained technicians ensure that panels are correctly aligned and secured, with special attention given to the seams between panels. This prevents issues like gaps opening up or edges lifting over time.
5. Transparency and health considerations: Providers that offer transparency in their products, such as Health Product Declarations (HPD), Bio-based Test results, and VOC Test compliance, demonstrate a commitment to quality and safety. This transparency not only ensures the health aspects of the product but often correlates with higher quality and longevity.

When all these factors align, preserved gardens can maintain their beauty and integrity for many years, offering a sustainable and low-maintenance solution for bringing nature indoors.

Longevity and Sustainability correlation in Preserved Gardens and Moss Walls

The longevity of preserved gardens is intrinsically linked to their sustainability, creating a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the environment and the end-user. This connection is multifaceted and touches on several key aspects of sustainable design and consumption:

1. Reduced resource consumption: The extended lifespan of high-quality preserved gardens significantly reduces the need for frequent replacements. This translates to lower resource consumption over time, as fewer materials are needed to maintain the aesthetic and functional aspects of the installation.
2. Minimized waste generation: Longer-lasting preserved gardens mean less waste entering landfills. Unlike short-lived decorative elements that may be discarded after a year or two, a well crafted, installed and displayed preserved garden can remain in place for a decade or more, reducing the overall waste generated by interior design elements.
3. Lower environmental impact: The production and transportation of new products invariably have an environmental cost. By choosing preserved gardens and moss walls with high longevity, this environmental impact is spread over a much longer period, effectively reducing the carbon footprint per year of use.
4. Energy conservation: Preserved gardens require no ongoing energy input for maintenance, unlike living walls that may need specialized lighting or irrigation systems. This passive nature contributes to overall energy conservation in the built environment, as long as these gardens are not replaced every two years or so.
5. Promotion of sustainable design practices: The longevity of preserved gardens aligns with the principles of sustainable design, encouraging a shift away from disposable decor towards more durable, long-lasting solutions.

By choosing providers that offer the highest longevity, designers and owners are not just making a choice for their immediate project; they’re making a choice that aligns with broader sustainability goals. This approach ensures the lowest cost of ownership while also contributing to more sustainable, environmentally responsible design practices.

Maintenance & Care: Maximizing the Life of Your Preserved Garden

While preserved gardens require significantly less maintenance than their living counterparts, certain care practices can further extend their lifespan and vitality. Garden on the Wall, a pioneer in the preserved garden industry, has developed comprehensive Care Instructions and Display Recommendations that have become the industry standard. These guidelines have been continually refined by the company based on years of experience and customer feedback.

Key maintenance and care tips include:

1. Dust management: Although preserved gardens don’t attract dust like artificial plants, occasional dusting may be necessary in some environments. A soft brush or hand-held leaf blower can be used to gently remove any accumulated dust, maintaining the garden’s fresh appearance.
2. Humidity control: Avoid placing preserved gardens in high humidity environments, as excessive moisture can affect the preservation process over time.
3. Temperature stability: Minimize exposure to significant temperature fluctuations, which can stress the preserved plants.
4. UV protection: Shield the garden from direct sunlight or constant exposure to high-intensity artificial light, which can cause color fading over time.
5. Gentle handling: When cleaning or maintaining the area around the garden, take care not to rough handle the preserved plants, which could damage delicate elements.

By following these best practices, owners can ensure their preserved gardens maintain their beauty and integrity for many years, maximizing the return on their investment.

Revolutionary Rejuvenation Process for Preserved Moss and Foliage

In cases where preserved gardens and moss walls have been affected by environmental factors like prolonged sun exposure or constant artificial light, traditional thinking might suggest replacement as the only option. However, Garden on the Wall has pioneered a revolutionary rejuvenation technique that can restore these gardens to their original splendor.

This innovative process developed by Garden on the Wall addresses issues like color degradation, effectively turning back the clock on the garden’s appearance. By rejuvenating rather than replacing, this technique significantly extends the lifecycle of preserved gardens, potentially pushing their lifespan to 25 years or more.

The implications of this rejuvenation process are profound:

1. It drastically reduces the need for replacement, further enhancing the sustainability of preserved gardens.
2. It ensures the lowest possible cost of ownership over the long term, as a single installation can now last for decades with proper care and occasional rejuvenation.
3. It allows for the continued enjoyment of a beloved design element, maintaining the aesthetic continuity of a space over many years.

This advancement in preserved garden maintenance underscores the importance of choosing a provider with a proven track record of innovation and long-term customer support.

Case Studies: Longevity of Preserved Gardens in Various Settings

The true test of any product’s longevity comes from real-world applications. Preserved gardens have been successfully installed in a wide variety of settings, from luxury hotels and corporate offices to private residences, each offering insights into their long-term performance.

One notable example is the TripAdvisor headquarters, where Garden on the Wall installed six large preserved moss walls in August 2015. These installations, placed in high-traffic areas connecting workstations, have stood the test of time. Nine years post-installation, these walls continue to captivate employees and visitors alike, showing no signs of aging or deterioration. This case study vividly illustrates the enduring quality and attractiveness of well-executed preserved green walls.

Such examples underscore the value of integrating preserved gardens into architectural and interior design. They provide a sustainable, long-lasting connection to the natural world, enhancing spaces for years without the need for replacement or extensive maintenance.

Harmonizing Nature with Longevity

As we continue to seek ways to bring nature into our built environments, preserved gardens stand as a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets sustainability. By understanding the nuances of the preservation process, the science that sustains these installations, and the care they require, we unlock the remarkable longevity potential of preserved gardens.

Reputable providers like Garden on the Wall offer more than just a product; they provide a long-term commitment to biophilic design and sustainability principles. Their gardens are not merely installations but plant art pieces that bridge the gap between nature and our indoor spaces, resonating with our innate need for connection to the natural world.

In choosing preserved gardens and moss walls with proven longevity, designers and owners make a statement about their commitment to sustainability, quality, and the well-being of those who inhabit their spaces. As we look to the future of interior design, these enduring pieces of nature will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in creating environments that are not only beautiful but also sustainable and nurturing to the human spirit with the lowest cost of ownership.