YouTube Video: PeapodLife Living Wall EcoSystem Fitch Street
This recently completed Living Wall Rainforest EcoSystem was installed at 235 Fitch Street in Welland, Ontario.
Like most PeapodLife EcoSystems, it features orchids, moss, bromeliads, African violets, cacti, aquatic plants, fish & more.
Like all PeapodLife EcoSystems, there is no soil, chemical additives or fertilizers of any kind.
Published on Jun 30, 2014 by PeapodLife
“You know, I suffer from depression. It’s my morning ritual to come down here and spend 20 minutes next to the living wall ecosystem. It just makes my day.”
~ Fitch Street Resident
It’s when we hear feedback like the above from a resident of Fitch Street Affordable Retirement Lifestyle Community in Welland, Ontario that we are truly humbled by the power of nature to heal mind, body and spirit.
Throughout the entire ecosystem installation process (which we documented in previous blog articles), the number compliments and thoughtful conversations we enjoyed from contractors, employees, residents and visitors was a real joy for us.
Image by PeapodLife: Completed Ecosystem at Fitch St. Retirement Residence
It was a joy, too, to start putting the finishing touches on the ecosystem itself, including more moss, orchids, aquatic plants (surface and submerged), and fish.
Only one orchid was blooming when the above photo was taken, but as they settle into their new home and literally put down their roots, more will begin to bloom as well.
Image by PeapodLife: Bromeliads growing in Fitch St. EcoSystem
As vibrant and colourful as the bromeliads appear in the ecosystem at this early stage of its life, they, too, will only get better as they acclimatize themselves to their new environment and begin establishing symbiotic relationships with the other flora and fauna of the ecosystem.
Image by PeapodLife: Aquatic Plants & Fish in Fitch St. Ecosystem
Difficult to photograph, the fish seem quite content in their new habitat, swimming and schooling the full length of the large tank which not only serves as their home, but also a catch-all for the water dripping down the living wall and off the leaves of the plants—an important design & safety feature.
The benefits of this design? Cleanliness. There’s nothing worse than encountering so-called living walls that do not account for the tendency of water to drip. If those walls are made with soil, the resulting mess on the floor can be unsightly and slippery.
PeapodLife EcoSystems use no soil, and our designs keep the water where it belongs—in the ecosystem—to be enjoyed by beings who actually appreciate it: plants, moss and fish.
Image by PeapodLife: Fitch Street Affordable Retirement Residence EcoSystem
As a result, occupants and visitors of the Fitch Street Low-Cost 50+ Lifestyle Housing Complex can get up close and personal with their ecosystem in the main lobby without any fear of slips and falls. And get up-close and personal they do. Who wouldn’t want to?
Pictures and videos simply do not do our ecosystems justice. Like anything in nature, there’s no substitute for being there, experiencing its magic in person. We are happy to be able to bring a little magic into the lives of older individuals in such a simple yet meaningful way.
“Making someone’s day?” It makes it all worthwhile...all the time, effort and care we put into our Rainforest EcoSystems; all the special ways in which our Living Wall EcoSystems bring sustainable beauty and enduring vibrations of positivity to people and places.
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