Everywhere you look green walls and vertical gardens are springing up, given the constant competition for space this is a great way to get a garden or small piece of garden into city living. In Milan there are now a pair of skyscrapers with as many trees planted on the balconies as you would find in a hectare of forest. The development designed by Stefano Boeri will be home to 900 trees, known as the Bosco Verticale or Vertical Forest. The idea was to combine the need for more housing with the need for trees in cities.

While in Sydney the world’s tallest vertical garden has been designed by Patrick Blanc for Jean Nouvel’s 166 metre residential tower. Fifty percent of the building will be covered in plants including native Australian and exotic plants.

Even shops and hotels are now starting to build green walls into their designs, such as the new Marks and Spencer in York.

Marks and Spencer vertical wall, York

The 2011 B&Q garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, designed by Laurie Chetwood and Patrik Collins looked at vertical gardening, growing crops and encouraging insects in city spaces.

2011 Chelsea Garden

These ideas can be used in your own home or garden, think about planting vertically on a balcony or small courtyard garden to maximise your green space.
Where space is at an absolute premium these magnetic plant pots by Urbio can be used to build your own green wall, whether this is in a small corner of a balcony or on a kitchen counter.

Urbio Planters (© Urbio)

Alternatively these pockets by Burgon and Ball can be filled with salad crops or herbs or maybe scented plants.

Burgon and Ball Planters (© Burgon and Ball)

The waft of fresh herbs on the summer breeze can’t help but make you smile and there is the added bonus of being able to throw some into your cooking.