Welcome Center springs to life with a vertical garden

A colorful vertical garden greets residents and guests at the Bay Meadows Welcome Center—and offers a garden view from a new angle.

The wall was constructed using geotextile materials, and the plants are grown in felt made from recycled water bottles (PET).  The felt is saturated by an irrigation system embedded within the wall to distribute the water, carrying nutrients evenly across the plants’ roots.

Situated in a young and growing area of San Mateo, Calif., the  stretch of greenery and color flows with its surroundings, providing a sense of continuity in the gathering space. The living composition mixes lush foliage with purple, pink and white flowers for a spring-and-summer-feel; the grass-like Acorus gramineus ‘ogon’ supplies the “movement” for a cohesive melding of meadow and garden.

The wall runs 86 feet long by 12 feet high and was designed and installed by David Brenner, Habitat Horticulture.