Mt. Diablo Living Wall - Walnut Creek, CA
Improved plant viability, reduced maintenace, water savings and more.
OVERVIEW
Walnut Creek is a picturesque town in Contra Costa County, California. It is located near the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about 16 miles east of Oakland. It’s active downtown is the perfect mix of hundred-year-old buildings and high-end retail venues, restaurants, and entertainment spots.
One of the premier developments in town is the 1500 Mt. Diablo Development that features shops and several restaurants. A 300-square-foot living rock wall was commissioned to help set the development apart and give the community a beautiful landmark to enjoy.
Waterscape expert Rick Driemeyer was brought in to lead the project. He was assigned to develop, install, and oversee the health of the wall upon completion.
CHALLENGE
According to Driemeyer, building and maintaining an organic living wall requires a fine balance of planning, technology, and monitoring.
First and foremost, the perfect mix of plants must be selected. They must not:
(1) Be too heavy.
(2) Rely on regular soil.s.
(3) Have deep root systems.
Yet, the plants must be beautiful and luscious. To accomplish this feat, it takes a clear strategy for making sure plants are nourished and watered. Their shallow root systems make this a challenge, especially in the summer months when the sun is harsh and there is very little rainfall.
SOLUTION
Driemeyer carefully sourced a mix of technologies to support the living wall. First, he began by installing drip irrigation and moisture sensors. This sets the stage for the perfect amount of water to flow to the plants.
Secondly, he chose to install a 1-inch Magnation Rainbolt to assure water condition is as favorable as possible. The Rainbolt works to weaken the bonds between chlorine and ammonia, making the water wetter and more easily absorbed by the soil and plant life.
RESULTS
According to Driemeyer, the Magnation Aquabolt has been one of the most important parts of the equation. Compared to other living walls that he had developed, he’s observed better water saturation, improved water movement, and very little water waste and dispersion.
The living wall at 1500 Mt. Diablo is thriving and a fixture that make both the property owners and community proud.
CONCLUSION
The Magnation Aquabolt is an important technology for the development of living walls. With their minimal weight requirements and necessity for water to be readily received by plant life throughout the day, living walls need just the right balance of technologies to keep plant life thriving. Magnation’s ability to make water more bioavailable not only makes for a healthier living wall, it reduces water usage, runoff, and scale (that can be damaging to both sensors and drip irrigation systems).