Vertical gardens in the city: how to green up your apartment building creatively

Alice Smahina

We find examples of vertical gardening most often in parks and recreation areas. Walls covered with bindweed plants, fences almost invisible through decorative vines, arches and walkways braided with grapes and roses, green ivy and moss sculptures.

We can simply explain the popularity of this gardening among landscape designers. Vines create a green mass fast and give a deep shade, blooming ampelous plants look romantic, green sculptures naturally fit into the landscape, and visitors like them.

But the Center for Alternative Gardening in Kyiv, DendroKyiv, is engaged in the gardening of apartment buildings of the capital, including vertical gardening. We spoke with its founder, Roman Lubeka, about why it's important, what gardening myths exist and how to do it right.