Tucked inside a corner of Memorial’s Johnson Geo Centre lobby, something is growing quietly.
A lush collection of coleus, begonia rex, lamb’s ear, sweet potato vine, tradescantia, ferns, pilea, ivy and more is tucked into little plastic buckets stacked in rows in a “green wall.”
Adjacent to the plants is another section, mostly herbs, with pungent oregano, basil and mint, some of it planted from seed by summer camp children.
A Climate Collective initiative, the collective’s co-ordinators and Botanical Garden, Geo Centre and Facilities Management staff brought the wall to life.
Climate Collective is a project run by the Johnson Geo Centre with two main goals: to build a collaboration network within the climate innovation sector; and to increase capacity for climate innovation in the youth of our province.
Green walls contribute to improved air quality and reduced carbon dioxide levels, while also offering visual appeal and therapeutic benefits of exposure to living plants.
Memorial’s Beautification Committee provided seed funding and Holland Nurseries provided in-kind support.
Can you scroll down and help identify the plants captured by Memorial University photographer Rich Blenkinsopp?
1/ Green wall
The Botanical Garden's Todd Boland and Josh Elyk helped choose the plants for the wall and provided care instructions.
2/ Name this plant
Just one of the numerous plant varieties thriving on the wall in the Geo Centre.
3/ Watering care
A motorized valve sets the watering schedule and duration; a metal trough catches the water.
4/ Pretty pattern
Who can name this one?
5/ Nature's brilliance
And this?
6/ Rich substrate
The wall comes in rectangular sections of nine pots across and nine pots down. The Geo Centre's facilities staff Dennis Keough and Andrew Badcock built the wall, with a hand from Technical Services, who built the water trough, and Facilities Management.
7/ One galaxy
Connecting Earth with the Milky Way.
8/ Some faces behind the project
From left, Deborah Coombs and Andrea Van Nostrand of the Johnson Geo Centre have both played a part in keeping the garden growing. Staff regularly pitch in to prune and plant cuttings to keep the wall in good shape.
