Plants for a living wall

Living walls can be planted with annuals, perennials, herbs or vegetables. Spring is a good time to plant, as young plants (ideally plugs) will establish readily and grow together.

The best living wall plantings focus on the texture, shape, form and colour of foliage as much as flowers, to provide year-round interest. Plants should be relatively compact – less than 50cm – or be able to take regular pruning.

Select perennials for year-round interest, or use bedding that you change with the seasons. Alternatively, go for edibles to get crops from a tight space. Choose shade-tolerant plants if your wall gets less than half a day of sun in midsummer. Water every day in hot weather and at least every other day throughout summer.