The idea of vertically arranged gardens originated thousands of years ago. While nature is used as a model, physical forces are tricked in modern objects. The imagination is the reason for numerous reinterpretations and so the hanging gardens have also conquered the living room.

A hanging garden is easy to make yourself with a bit of imagination

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. story
  3. hanging gardens today
  4. design ideas
  5. Design hanging gardens yourself
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • There is little certainty about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and their very existence is often questioned
    • Today there are various famous hanging gardens in the world, such as the Bahai World Center in Israel, the Hanging Gardens of Mumbai or the Hanging Gardens of Zion
    • You can easily build a hanging garden using plastic bottles

    A look into history

    One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was a garden as a unique legacy of mankind. At the time, the Hanging Gardens were in Babylon, which is modern-day Iraq. It was one of the most important metropolises in ancient times. However, there is little reliable evidence as to when the wonder of the world of Babylon existed. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II, who reigned from 605 to 562 B.C. ruled, is said to have been the construction army.

    Historical lore:

    • Antipater of Sidon named the gardens in a poem
    • Diodoros Sikulos records that there was no apparent mechanism for transporting water
    • Strabo described the geography
    • Philo von Byzantium wrote a kind of travel guide to the seven wonders of the world

    Impressive staging

    The dimensions of the entire complex have been handed down. It is said to have been about 120 meters wide and long and to have reached a height of 24 meters. The entrance to the garden is said to have been inclined like a slope and covered by huge terrace steps. Countless exotic plants grew on the roofs and water was considered the determining element.

    In order to irrigate the plants, a complex system was necessary, which obtained water from the tributaries of the Euphrates. The individual parts of the imposing building were arranged in steps and crossed by corridors. In this way, the builder succeeded in creating an appearance that was supposed to be reminiscent of a theatre. Such images of rushing water and magnificent greenery in the middle of a desert probably fired the imagination.

    Errors, myths and theses

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    There is less than a handful of dates that could actually be substantiated. Again and again, researchers come across information that leads to new theses. But to this day it is disputed which facts correspond to the truth and which sprang from the imagination.

    Confusion of names and client chaos

    The hanging gardens were not really vertical plant arrangements, but terraced bed arrangements. This myth is due to a translation error from Greek to German. The term 'roof garden on terraces' would be more correct. Historians agree that the hanging gardens were not commissioned by Semiramis. She was queen of Babylonia about 200 years before Nebuchadnezzar II. The king is said to have built the complex for his wife Amyitis.

    Unworthy of a wonder of the world

    The German archaeologist Robert Koldewey discovered two palaces in the early 20th century, one of which may have been the Garden of Semiramis. His assumption was supported by the fact that the palace contained vaulted substructures, fountains and unusual potsherds. However, the side length was only 45 meters. Such a palace is not worthy of a wonder of the world for many scientists.

    Such gardens were also normal for the ancient Babylonians, for many kings built such facilities for recreation. The Greeks saw these structures in a different light. Gardens must have been something special for them, because they didn't know them. This may have given this little garden its legendary reputation.

    doubtful existence

    It is believed that as early as 100 B.C. BC large parts of the hanging gardens of Semiramis were destroyed. At that time the inhabitants of Babylon left their city. The existence of this mighty complex is often questioned. Herodotus, who is regarded as the father of historiography, also does not report anything about the gardens in his surviving work. In this universal story, which tells from the rise of the Persian Empire to the Persian Wars, there is no detail about the wonder of the world.

    hanging gardens today

    The history of these mighty gardens always provides new inspiration. Urban planners, landscape architects and the tourism industry use the idea of hanging gardens for their projects. Plants arranged vertically create a new atmosphere and literally broaden the horizon. But even in nature, such structures develop when conditions allow.

    Where? What is that? special feature
    Hanging Gardens of Ehrenfeld Cologne bar countless plastic roses on the ceiling
    Vertical Living Singapore Design project for more quality of life green facades, terrace plantations and roof terraces
    Hanging Gardens Ubud Balinese luxury resort Plant on a 45 degree slope

    Jardins suspensus of Le Havre

    Laid out in an old 19th-century fortress, the hanging gardens blend into what remains of the old ramparts, battlements, moats and powder stores. Visitors experience a botanical journey around the world. Vegetation forms from southern regions, North America and East Asia are shown in various themed gardens. In the middle of the courtyard there are greenhouses (€72.95) with aromatic plants from the tropics.

    Hanging Gardens of Mumbai

    The Hanging Gardens in Mumbai are not hanging, but are constantly being expanded

    In the middle of the residential area of Mumbai, where the upper class lives, lies Malabar Hill. A work of art of horticulture has developed here, which is continuously being expanded and redesigned. Countless gardeners prune shrubs and bushes and give them the shape of elephants, monkeys and giraffes. A walk is worthwhile at night. Then the heat of the day has subsided and the largely shadeless facility offers an impressive view over the city lights.

    Historical hanging garden of Neufra

    This Renaissance garden was commissioned between 1569 and 1573. Count Georg von Helfenstein had the natural Schlossberg extended by a flat surface supported by vaults up to nine meters high. A garden was built on this level. It is a combination of horticulture and architecture that the Count found inspiration for in other countries.

    Hanging gardens have always fired the imagination of mankind. They are an oasis of relaxation and a center of inspiration at the same time.

    Hanging Gardens of Zion

    Zion National Park is located in southwestern Utah, USA. Characteristic are the plateaus, which are divided by numerous ravines. The slopes of these canyons are extremely varied and divided into small areas. Depending on the nature of the subsoil and the orientation of the sun, completely different ecosystems have developed in the immediate vicinity. Hanging gardens have been created at the points where the water emerges from the rock.

    Diverse flora on the walls:

    • Ferns and sorrels hang meters down
    • Beards of moss grow over eroded rock edges
    • Yuccas assert themselves on the bare rock of the southern slopes
    • stunted junipers despite the scorching sun
    • small pines and oaks cling to rock crevices

    Baha'i World Center in Israel

    The Baha'i World Center in Israel is a symbol of peace

    The Bahai Hanging Gardens are located in Haifa on Mount Carmel. They are among the most popular tourist attractions and are not only considered a place of rest and relaxation. The mountainside garden is a symbol of peace. It was designed by the Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba and shows various elements of Persian gardens. The Hanging Gardens form an axis connecting the two main Baha'i religious centers. In 2008 the garden was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Design ideas for the apartment

    Plants in a vertical orientation fascinate people to this day. They create a mystical atmosphere and are particularly attractive because of their overhanging shoots and leaves. Due to the large space savings, hanging gardens are becoming increasingly important.

    Botanical Horizon

    In the Ore Mountains, a managing director of a textile company has reinterpreted the theme of the hanging gardens. BOHO or BOTANIC HORIZON is a semi-transparent and vertically structured string system on which useful and ornamental plants grow. This structure enables space-saving installation even in small rooms. The model can be hung so that it can be used as a decorative element on the wall or as a room divider. The inventiveness of the inventor does not stand still and so he went with his startup into the lion's den to win investors.

    How the hanging garden works:

    • Fill in seeds at the nodes
    • water from above with nutrient solution
    • Plants develop roots around the cords

    Vertical green design

    Anyone who visits Thomas Gessler in his small Kreuzberg shop in Berlin immerses himself in a vertical jungle of ornamental and useful plants. Here ferns, tillandsias and ivy grow vertically without soil and surrounded by a frame. From 60 euros there is a piece of the jungle for your own four walls. But the business owner also creates vertical vegetable and herb gardens with tomatoes or rocket. The plants grow in a substrate made of open-pored foam that provides the roots with a secure hold. Watering is done with a water tank or with an atomizer.

    digression

    future ideas

    Vertical gardens are also gaining traction in global agriculture. Vertical farming is an idea that aims to ensure a viable supply of food to people in metropolitan areas. The basis are multi-storey buildings, the so-called farm scrapers. Edible mushrooms, vegetables and fruits as well as algae are to be produced all year round on several superimposed levels. This is intended to save energy costs for transport and minimize carbon dioxide emissions.

    Design hanging gardens yourself

    Queen Semiramis, associated with the hanging gardens, is long gone. But the idea of vertically aligned plant arrangements has survived to this day. The difficulty is finding suitable plants. Not all plants feel comfortable on the wall under low-light conditions. Special plant lamps can help.

    Gardens made from PET bottles

    A hanging garden can be quite cheap

    You don't necessarily have to buy materials for the design. Many things can be transformed into a hanging garden with simple means. Use several PET bottles and embellish them with colour, letters or adhesive foil. Place the bottles on a table and draw a rectangle on the top of the bottle. This opening is cut out with a cutter knife.

    Drill two holes in the plastic on the back. A nylon cord is threaded through here, on which the vessels are hung. To prevent them from slipping out of the openings, you should attach a small piece of toothpick to each end. Fill the bottles with a substrate tailored to the plants and use the desired plants.

    These plants are suitable:

    • kitchen: basil, chives, marjoram
    • living room: cacti and succulents
    • bath: tillandsias, bromeliads, orchids

    tips

    Apply paint with a paint roller. This creates a nice effect.

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    Green wall for the balcony

    Green wall frames are ideal as privacy screens in the garden or on the balcony. But they can also be mounted directly on the facade to beautify it. Lay hoses in the filler that use a pump to transport water from a reservoir and feed the plants. The water drips into the filler through small holes in the hose.

    Instructions for building:

    1. Attach steel mesh to a bare exterior wall
    2. Attach plastic net with a mesh size of five millimeters in front of the steel grid
    3. Glue on the rock wool mat
    4. Finish construction with stainless and fine mesh wire

    In this sandwich structure, the plants find enough support to root and the facade is protected by the plastic film. This also serves as insulation against cold from the wall. Evergreen ornamental leaf perennials that survive longer periods of drought are ideal for planting.

    tips

    This variant can also be designed as a mini version for the living room. You can frame the wall and plant with tillandsia.

    frequently asked Questions

    How did the Hanging Gardens come about?

    Theories have it that Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II had the gardens built for his wife. This came from a very green landscape in Persia and should be reminded of her homeland with the gardens. The formative elements were not only countless tropical plants but also water.

    When were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon destroyed?

    There is no evidence of the decline of the mighty gardens. The building probably no longer existed when people around 100 BC. left Babylon. Scientists doubt its existence, since even the notorious story writer Herodot said nothing about the facilities.

    Did the Hanging Gardens actually exist in Babylon?

    Some scholars have argued that the gardens were not built in Babylon but in Nineveh and were part of Sennacherib's palace there. They refer to historical sources, topological finds and interpretations of works of art.

    Are there hanging gardens for the living room?

    More and more models that are arranged vertically are being offered on the market. NatureUp is a plug-in system from Gardena, which can be individually designed and expanded with irrigation systems and corner elements. With disused objects you can make hanging plant arrangements yourself. Gutters, picture frames or plastic bottles are suitable for this.

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