Patrick Blanc's Vertical Gardens

Patrick Blanc embeds building surfaces with a form of ecological art: huge swaths of plants. After studying rainforest ecology, Blanc has designed a "Vertical Garden" system to allow plants to grow in public (and private) spaces, where concrete walls usually prevail.

Here's a clip from a recent interview:

There's no soil involved at all? Plants don't need soil in any situation because the soil is merely nothing more than a mechanic support. Only water and the many minerals dissolved in it are essential to plants, together with light and carbon dioxide to conduct photosynthesis. Wherever water is available all year long as in tropical forests or in temperate mountain forests, plants can grow on rocks, tree trunks, and slopes free-of-ground.

Read the full interview (with lots of photos). See also: Blanc's web site.

Via Your Daily Awesome.