Living wall or preserved moss wall?
Not every wall suits living plants, and not every business wants the upkeep. We design and install both options across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, so the first conversation is always about which one your space can actually support.
A living green wall is real plants growing on a vertical system with its own irrigation and lighting. With the right light it brings movement, scent and seasonal change that nothing else can. A preserved moss wall is real moss, preserved so it keeps its colour and softness, with no water, no light and no maintenance at all.

Living green wall
- Best for lobbies, cafés, atriums and light-filled offices where the wall is the statement piece.
- Needs good natural or supplementary light, a waterproofed wall, irrigation, drainage, plumbing and power.
- Care is ongoing: we service the plants and check the irrigation system as part of your hire.
- Benefits include air purification, better humidity in dry rooms and a feature that changes through the year.
- Weight of up to 50 kg per square metre, so the wall structure is checked first.
Preserved moss wall
- Best for boardrooms, stairwells, reception walls, meeting rooms, even internal bathrooms: anywhere a living wall would not survive.
- Needs nothing. No light, no water, no structural work; the panels are lightweight and hang like artwork.
- Care is zero. It stays the same on day one and day one thousand.
- Benefits include real acoustic absorption (a quieter open-plan office), a calming natural texture and the wellbeing lift of biophilic design.
- Limits: it does not purify air the way living plants do, and it should stay out of direct sun and damp.
Our honest rule of thumb: choose living plants if you have the light and want the commitment; choose preserved moss if you want the look without adding to your maintenance list. For most commercial interiors, moss is the smarter choice. Read the full comparison.
How a living green wall is built
A green wall that still looks good in five years is mostly built before a single plant goes in. This is the system we have settled on after decades of installing and, more importantly, maintaining them.
- Wall check. The structure needs to carry up to 50 kg per square metre, plus water.
- Sheeting and waterproofing. 25 mm ply is fixed to the wall and sealed with two coats of black waterproofing.
- Mesh and plant pods. A powder-coated wire mesh goes over the ply and each plant hangs from it in its own pod, grown in its own pot. Swap one plant and nobody sees a hole.
- Trough and drainage. A trough along the base catches run-off and either recycles it or sends it to the drain.
- Irrigation, plumbing and power. Automated watering, feed and lighting, which we monitor on every service visit.
- Plant selection. Chosen with you for the light in the room and the look you want, and easy to change for seasons or events because every plant is in its own pod.
Allow a lead time of 6 to 12 weeks and about five days on site for the install itself. See how green walls (actually) work.

What does a green wall cost?
Cheaper systems and DIY kits exist, but they tend to leave out the waterproofing, irrigation and advice that stop a wall dying in its first summer. Tell us the wall, the light and the budget and we will say plainly which option fits. Book a free site visit


