Katie's VINE TECHNOLOGY PAGE

Vines for desert gardening

2009-07-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

The Coachella Valley Water District offers a guide to vines suitable for water-wise desert gardens. As they note, vines can provide as much shade as a mature tree in only a few years.

One of their selections is the Rosa banksiae, or Lady Banks rose, which is a vigorous grower to 10 or 25 feet. It can clothe a substantial home or arbor.

Click on blog post title to jump to the vine page published by the Coachella Valley Water District.

Peak cooling load on wall with Western exposure reduced 28% by ivy, 1999

2009-07-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

Full article can only be accessed for $$.

Di, H. F. & Wang, D. N. (1999). COOLING EFFECT OF IVY ON A WALL. Experimental Heat Transfer, 12 (3), 235-245. Retrieved July 07, 2009, from http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/089161599269708

Green plants affect the temperature and moisture of the microclimate in the surrounding area. The heat flux distribution on a west-facing wall of a two-story building covered with thick ivy was measured experimentally to investigate the cooling effect of the ivy. The shading due to the ivy can effectively reduce the radiation gain of the building in summer. The heat transfer mechanisms were also analyzed theoretically to determine the basis for the cooling effect of the green wall. The green wall reduced the peak-cooling load transferred through the west-facing wall by 28% on a clear summer day.

The only good Hedera...

2008-12-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hederas invariably appear on banned, invasive and nuisance plant lists. If I was really hard core, I'd recommend simply exterminating these vines throughout North America, as many plant people do. But, Hederas commonly show up on lists of plants which improve indoor air quality. So, I support their use INDOORS.

The article linked via this post's title has a couple of indoor topiary vine culture tips.

See this link, for a list of the top five plants for cleaning indoor air.