Home & Real Estate
Home Front
Net Zero Living
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Camellias at Gamble Garden” on Thursday, March 3, at 2 p.m. at 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. What began as a private passion of Elizabeth Gamble is now part of the West Coast Camellia Trail. Tuffli’s talk will cover the history of the collection, as well as the many specimens added through hybridization. Cost is $40 for nonmembers, $30 for members. Information: 650-329-1356 or www. gamblegarden.org
Green walls: well beyond ivy-covered façades of yesterday by Forrest Linebarger “Give fools their gold, and knaves their power; let fortune’s bubbles rise and fall; who sows a field, or trains a flower, or plants a tree, is more than all.” — John Greenleaf Whittier ne positive outcome of our manic economic situation is that we are forced to look for both simple pleasures and simple solutions in our lives. I personally feel that our ever-increasing green-lifestyle choices are a result of our need to simplify. The zero-energy, low-carbon footprint, and money-saving result of green lifestyles are simply a wonderful and sometimes unexpected outcome. It is this need for simplicity that I think has also renewed the trend of “green walls.” Our lifestyles are more urban-centric than ever before. Green walls can provide the need for beautiful vegetation that humans crave and help to camouflage the noisier and more polluted aspects of urban living. The new green wall is moving past the ivy-covered green facades of yesterday to find a plethora of options with living
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ORCHIDS: NATURAL WONDERS ... The 59th annual Pacific Orchid Exposition, themed “Natural Wonders,” will be offered by the San Francisco Orchid Society March 3 to March 6 at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. More than 150,000 orchids will be included. Hours are March 3 (Gala Benefit Preview), 6:30-10 p.m.; March 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; March 5, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; March 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost is $40 for the Gala Benefit, $14 general admission, $10 for seniors (65+); children 12 and under free. Information: 415-6652468 or www.orchidsanfrancisco. org N Send notices of news and events related to real estate, interior design, home improvement and gardening to Home Front, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or e-mail cblitzer@paweekly.com. Deadline is Thursday at 5 p.m.
walls. The options for living walls fall into three types: loose mediums, mat mediums and structural mediums. The loose mediums are set in a “shelf” system or “soil bag” where the soil is set into the shelf or bag and then stuffed into a hole on the building. These systems will require regular pruning or even replacement as the roots will outgrow the system due to the smaller planting area of the “hole” and the greater possibility of being blown away by high winds and rain. Another option is the “mat” system that can be either coir fiber or felt pockets. There is a limited lifespan of about three to five years with this system as the roots can become too dense in the fiber to allow proper water penetration. This system does allow the most flexibility as you can hang small or large pockets and the entire planting can be framed to be shown off as the work of art it is. This medium is also good for both interior and exterior applications. Finally, there is a “structural” type of medium. This is where
the plant is set into a “block” and can be manufa c t u r e d into any shape. This can be the most expensive option, but will also last the longest as it can allow for the most variation of water needs and can be handled more easily for maintenance and replacement. Green walls also make good use of available vertical surface areas. Not only will this allow for a more beautiful building, but with proper preparation, you will save on the painting and maintenance of the building’s exterior. Green walls can also help to reduce the overall temperature of buildings thereby decreasing the amount of energy required to cool them. The walls can also be a way to reuse water. The plants can absorb the dissolved nutrients and purify slightly polluted water if installed by way of a gray-water
system. This point is especially helpful in areas such as the Bay Area where the circulating water on a vertical wall is less likely to evaporate than in traditionally placed gardens. It is all of these reasons combined that helped Vox Design Group Inc. (a green design/build firm) to decide on a living wall for its new exterior sign on Castro Street. Not only does the runoff from the installed drip system water the native plants at the front of the building, but the wall of succulent-stuffed felt pocket softens the street noise from Castro Street. It is such a hit with people walking by that they have stopped into Vox’s office to simply say how much they enjoy the sign. Thank goodness for the simple pleasures in life. N Forrest Linebarger is CEO and chief designer at VOX Design Group Inc. in Mountain View, and has been designing and building sustainable homes for more than a decade. He can be reached at Forrest@ VoxDesignGroup.com or at 650-694-6200, ext. 11.
Jenny Teng Presents Jenny Teng direct: 650.543.1023 | cell: 650.245.4490 | office: 650.323.1111 | jteng@apr.com ap r.com l
PALO ALTO l 5 7 8 Un ive rs it y Ave . l www. a p r. c o m l 6 5 0 . 5 4 3 . 10 2 3 v m
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Delightful 2 bedroom home in desirable north of Palo Alto. Excellent value at condo price! Walk to California Avenue and steps from Stanford campus! Hardwood floors and updated kitchen and bath.
Amazing Bay views from this home with one acre lot and coveted Palo Alto schools. Showcasing a master suite, two additional bedrooms, a remodeled kitchen and two and a half baths. Close to Gunn High, downtown Los Altos and Stanford.
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Exquisite 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath custom built home in the desirable Green Gables neighborhood. Spacious open floor plan, separate family room, gourmet kitchen, and custom designed bathrooms. Minutes from downtown Palo Alto.
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