Coir-based vertical garden for balconies, kitchen

A Kerala company has manufactured a coir-based "vertical" garden that can be placed in the balconies, terrace, drawing room, kitchen, and can also be moved to lawns and gardens.

"We are launching the vertical garden for the first time, and in that sense we are its pioneer in the country," said K.J. Scaria, managing director of Sofine Decors, an ISO 9001 company which has showcased the innovative product at the Coir Kerala 2014 expo here.

The vertical garden is essentially an iron structure on which a coir fibre sheet is placed. Coir fibre baskets are then fixed on it and held together by iron baskets.

The coir baskets contain pith compost for the growth and sustenance of plants. The iron structure has removable nylon wheels with a brake and can be customised for keeping it inside the house or taken outside, depending on the requirement.

"It is based on the kitchen garden concept and is particularly suitable for individual homes, flats and offices in towns and urban centres where space is a problem. Further, the use of coir pith compost ensures minimum use of water and flowers and decorative plants can grow easily," Scaria added.

The garden can be manufactured in different sizes, depending on the buyer's choice and requirements.

The product has been priced at Rs.1,000 per sq ft that includes plants and flower pots.

Based in Alappuzha district, the company specialises in manufacturing plant climbers, fibre trays, fibre baskets, coco pots, nursery pots and wall planters -- all made of coir.