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Before You Go . . .

Patrick Blanc, a French botanist and the innovator of the “green wall” vertical garden concept, uses hydroponics to cultivate lush plants within thin metal frameworks attached to walls or other load-bearing structures and fed by PVC pipes. His system has been hailed as a modern achievement in hydroponics as well as design and urban health, as these massive walls of greenery create drastic cooling effects in the surrounding area and filter tons of pollution from the atmosphere each year. The vertical garden at CaixaForum in Madrid, seen here, is one of the largest in the world and includes over 250 species of plants.

Visit VerticalGardenPatrickBlanc.com to learn more. | Photo by Fernando Privitera / Shutterstock

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