Few fences can’t be improved by having vegetation growing all over them.
多くの場合に、生い茂った塀はただの塀よりいい。
塀と古い機械が生い茂る草に覆われている。次は工場かな？
Fence and abandoned machine have been swallowed by plants. Will the old factory building be next?
Photo taken by me (Nacho Coca)
Really amazing seeing nature weave its way through the city! These little tendrils of green provide amazing habitat opportunities!
A creeping plant escapes its garden to conquer neighbouring concrete walls: an example of structural informal greenspace.
This overgrown wall was humming with all kind of insects - which, in turn, attracted sparrows.
This vine turns a dull concrete power pole into an object of modern art.
Lush green is thriving in this street verge - hidden from cars and pedestrians. Why not make this informal greenspace accessible?
Industrial areas, railway surroundings and their slopes and fences are mostly free from the pressure of the suburban aesthetic ideals that dictate mown lawn and orderly hedges.
Another example of how building material influences the chances of spontaneous vegetation to create informal greenspace. Excellent ecological studies have already been done on this topic, too (see Francis & Hoggart 2008, 2009, 20011)!
The material we use to build our cities heavily influences the chances of spontaneous vegetation. If we create favourable conditions, the plants do the rest.
No space is too small or too hard to colonise: structural greenspace jump starts our imagination and shows us new design possibilites.
Left alone, a patch of soil in the corner of a street can quickly turn into a nice little greenspace. Rough materials such as brick or aged concrete also provide ample opportunities for creeping plants and vines.
Reclaim the sidewalk: make the neighborhood your garden! Informal structural greenspace in the form of an overgrown concrete railing provides a nice backdrop for a public private garden in the middle of Nagoya, Japan. The flower pots also seem to turn the spontaneous overgrowth into “purposeful” greenspace, recognised and cherished.
Fancy designer vertical greenspace is becoming more and more popular, but it can be very simple and low tech: passionfruit (probably) growing on the fence of an apartment building.
