The Vertical Garden Institute is an initiative by Philip and Vicki Yates. The set up the Vertical Garden Institute as a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting vertical gardens through sales of vertical gardens and related items, research, education, and fostering vertical garden partnerships throughout the world.

Yates began researching vertical gardens in the winter of 2007, after seeing a huge vertical garden, designed by Patrick Blanc, on a five-story museum under construction in Madrid, Spain.

Patrick Blanc’s book “Vertical Gardens” includes a brief section on vertical garden design. Blanc’s book makes it clear that his technique is to grow plants between layers of cloth, staple the plants in place on sheets of expanded pvc, and use hydroponics to feed the plants. However, Blanc’s book leaves many unanswered questions.  The Institute’s mission is to answer those questions with science-based research.

In 2009, using Blanc’s book as a guide, Yates built six 4?x8? panels, a round panel, and a building-corner panel that is 12?x8? on each side, plus a couple of columns built from surplus plastic buckets and barrels.

In the spring of 2010, Yates also installed 900 sq.ft. of vertical gardens on a 65? long cinderblock wall, a 16? high building wall,  and 3 columns, in a new venue — the “Singer Hill Art Garden.”

On July 1, 2010, Yates leased his Art Garden and its vertical gardens to the newly-created Vertical Garden Institute.

Be sure to check out

Vertical Garden Institute
701 John Adams Street
Oregon City, Oregon 97045
503-570-8000
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