Beyond Custom Walls and Kits:

The pull of vertical gardening on our business.

We started out providing custom living walls based on the needs of building owners, interior designers and architects. Each wall being designed around a particular space and need. Same component set but the sizes changed and so did the light and water needs.

We got the idea to create a smaller bite sized, entry-level offering by listening to visitors of urban farms and vertical gardening displays here in our home market of Saint Louis. Visitors loved the vertical plant growth and wanted to know how they could do the same thing at home. When we asked them the typical set of design questions used to define architects projects, the whole process just got too complicated for most people.

That is were the idea magic happened!

If we made an offering that was simple and “do-it-yourself ready”, potential gardeners could embrace small space gardening as a way to get started. Our Varden Kit is small but produces meaningful harvests for gardens and scalable, easily expand later if needed. We are seeing lots of multiple kit buyers and we know the concept is taking root.

We would like to think we thought of everything in designing our Varden Vertical Garden Kits but as we ship more kits out the door, questions come up from users and questions from prospective buyers. The need to continue tweaking the boxed kits will never end and we love the process, customers interactions and feedback from users. Pictures sent in of customer Vardens are our favorite way to enjoy the small space gardening opportunities created by our vertical garden kits. Varden Kitchen Garden in a box

Research and Development Never Stops!

We are busy working on more ways to mount the kits on balconies and patios where attaching to walls is prohibited. Accessories to lean the Vardens against walls, make them free-standing or even attach to balconies are in development. Keep checking the website to see what we come up with to help people garden everywhere to grow more of their own food! More parts and accessories coming just around the corner. Thanks to our customers for their enthusiasm and support, which drives our need to innovate. If you have read this far you may want to review one of our newer posts.

Vertical Garden on Fixer to Fabulous

Patio Vertical Garden

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About the Author: Mark Woolbright

Mark Woolbright is an inventor and innovator of living walls with over 30 years in design, manufacture, marketing, and installation of plantable, living wall systems. Mark graduated from Eastern Illinois University and is currently Managing Member of Greenwall Ventures, LLC, and most recently, CEO/Founder of Verdtech, Inc. Throughout his career, he has been awarded twelve patents, with more applications pending. Mark has served on the Board of the St. Louis USGBC, as a member of the Green Wall Committee of GRHC which develops course curriculum for its Green Walls 101 course and is a certified Biophilic Design trainer through GPGB. He is passionate about educating the building community on the environmental benefits of Living Walls and best practices for their use. If you have questions on living walls, contact Mark at (314) 279-8905 or markw@verdtech.com. View his creations and services at www.verticalgardensupply.com