Have you sometimes wondered if people in the rest of the world have been locked in an endless string of belly laughs at our expense? If you haven't noticed by now, we tend to be a bit slow to catch onto practical lifestyle changes that feed into the greenification of our little ego-centric universe. These are the very same eco-friendly behaviors that it seems everyone else in global society (along with their uncle's cousin's 16 sisters, brothers and 120 close relatives) have practiced day in and day out since streets were built and people used currency. Reusable bags became the first real buzzword that Americans embracing a greener mindset began to bandy about -- wow, what a concept! Let's start carrying a handy pouch made out of durable material that can be used repeatedly until it we actually allow it to fall apart! The idea of using something -- anything -- until it liquifies, disintegrates or spontaneously combusts has really eluded us until now, and it's still a pretty tough sell in our culture of shiny brand new stuff that beckons us at every fork in the road.

Funny thing about reusable bags, though. Citizens abroad have long carried their shopping purchases in the same type of bags that we're currently marveling -- it's just that we've lacked a switch in our brains that enables us to recognize that we're: a) as slowwww as the slowest tortoise to catch on, b) finally scratching the surface of what we should be doing as global citizens to contribute to a positive environmental solution, and c) not just trying to go green to fulfill a trend...we should be making a conscious effort to stay there for the long haul. Ditto for the other green lifestyle adjustments that we've been mentally bulletpointing in our heads. They may seem like such revelations to us today, but in other parts of the globe, living a practical lifestyle is simply considered business as usual (such as walking and biking rather than driving...actually saving or reusing perfectly good items rather than throwing them away...you know, the usual "suspects").

Now we're oooohing and aaaahing the new-to-us notion of creating green walls. Yes, they are definitely cool to look at and they certainly serve a multifunctional purpose. In America, we have so many towering structures crammed into our cities that between them and the vast expanses of dark asphalt that pave our streets, it's no wonder why you can literally fry an egg on the sidewalk. Too much heat! A somewhat simple resolution would be -- as so many Europeans have done for years and years -- to coax assorted plant materials to climb building facades, not only lending to the beautification of the exterior environment but also generating a notable temperature reduction within the building environment. Instead of the facade directly absorbing the intense rays of the sun, assorted plants can be used like a buffer to deflect solar radiation, utilize greywater irrigation processes and generate purifying elements into the atmosphere.

While freestyle examples of this can be seen consistently throughout the European countryside, French artist/botanist Patrick Blanc (who happens to have a PhD in botany and is also a scientist at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) is attributed with being the creator of the formal Vertical Garden or Le Mur Vegetal, which can be implemented both indoors (utilizing automated and fertilization systems) and outdoors. Containing a diverse array of botanicals and appearing far more structured in appearance than the ivy-tangled examples that one might see every few yards in merry ol' England, Blanc has devised a system whereby he anchors a plastic coated aluminum frame to his wall of choice followed by synthetic felt with strategic cuts to facilitate root structure. He then installs carefully selected plant materials according to light, shade and weather requirements and finishes it all off with a carefully applied irrigation system that trickles through the greenery, keeping the felt moist at all times.

His phenomenally textural Pont Max Juvénal overpass in Aix-en-Provence could easily stop traffic.

This 200 meter long x 12 meter tall "living wall", installed on the exterior of the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France is one of countless green botanical art examples conceived of and planted by Patrick Blanc.

The front facade of London's 8 story high Athenaeum Hotel is now home to well over  260 botanical varieties, totaling 12,000+ actual plants.

The Leamouth Peninsula development in London's Docklands has also been transformed by Blanc into a veritable garden oasis stretching 820 square meters (equivalent to the size of 3 tennis courts) and  containing 160 different plant varieties, including Buddleja and Berberis shrubs as well as Iris japonica and Corydalis. 

Does this inspire you to let Mother Nature have her way with your home's exterior, or are you itching to Blanc-ify just one solitary wall with your own inspired combination of greenery?