I have been trying to expand my understanding of vertical gardening practices and designs, as well as continuing to gather information about organic practices and gray water use. So far here are some of the most influential sources and designers I have been exploring. 

• "The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City" By Patrick Blanc     (Really amazing book by famous garden designer Patrick Blanc)

Here is an except from Patrick Blanc that I found interesting:

                                 

• Bouroullec Design    http://www.bouroullec.com/    

(Influential team of french designers)

• "Hotspotting" By: Natalie Barrass     

http://hotspotting.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/diy-vertical-gardening 

(About starting your own vertical garden)

Below is a photo of what she describes as the EASY GREEN SYSTEM, desinged by ELT (Elevated Landscape Technologies). It is distributed in the UK by Aldingbourne Nurseries. I was intereseted in looking at system of gardening that were used outside of the United States. She writes that the benefits of living walls, bio-walls, Green walls, Vertical walls, and Mur Vegetals are as follows:

1. look great
2. save space
3. provide habitat for wildlife (in certain cases)
4. reduce noise (could be a selling point for apartments?)
5. cool urban areas in hot weather
6. filter the air

I got interesting in the ELT Living Wall Systems and found this site that helped explain it to me.

http://www.eltlivingwalls.com

http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/living-walls (focuses on living walls in particular)

• http://oasisdesign.net       (looking at Gray water information)

• http://interiorzine.com   (looking at designs for vertical indoor gardens)  Interzine Designs I found visually intriguing:

              

• Lushe Urban Greening (looking at Metaphy Products, self sufficient urban gardens)
  

          http://www.lushe.com.au/tag/metaphys-products

• Meaphys Design             http://www.metaphys.jp/product/en/                                      METAPHYS garden "factory" planter                                                                            METAPHYS garden "picture" planter                                                                                              both 2005 winner of the good design award

I was really interested in the packaging for indoor gardens that this company uses. Below are the indoor grass planters that Metaphy designs

Urban Greenery: Celebrating Plants in Cities 

(tracks inovative planting designs and concepts within urban settings worldwide)

http://urbangreens.tumblr.com