JL: Outside of sustainability, what sets GOTW apart from your competitors?

 

MH: Our garden installations have the highest visual and longevity standards in the market, and that's no coincidence. That is because our team is involved in all steps of the design and build process, from renderings to fabrication to installation and touch-up – all the while collaborating closely with architects, interior designers, and general contractors – in essence, providing a truly 'turn-key service. The hands-on approach with all these processes gives us the full confidence of providing a warranty for five years, although these gardens' lifespan typically goes beyond that. What's more, we offer tune-up services down the road, if needed, which extend our gardens' lifespan even further. 

 

Additionally, we offer impeccable sustainability credentials that no others in the market come close to, and are our gardens have 0.45 SAA and 0.45 NRC, which prove the sound dampening effect of our products. We’re also the only preserved garden supplier in the U.S. with all of our garden types are categorized as Class 1 (and A) per Fire Spread and Smoke Index Test ASTM E84. The health and safety of the occupants of these designed spaces have utmost importance for us.

 

But with popularity, imitation is sure to follow. We are already starting to see more and more new entries flooding the space with mostly patchy floral applications. However, designers searching for reliably preserved gardens should recognize that none of these suppliers have third-party sustainability credentials, nor do they practice the meticulous fabrication and installation processes that we developed to ensure visual and longevity standards. When firms of this type use poorly preserved plants and subpar fabrication and installation techniques, their gardens will appear noticeably inferior and display alarmingly flawed longevity and color stability to the extent of requiring replacement despite the additional expense.

 

JL: The pandemic’s impact on 2020, and frankly even 2021 so far, was incredibly far-reaching. Did GOTW have to adapt to maintain or grow? If so, in what ways?

 

MH: In a challenging time for us all, we celebrated the strength, resiliency, and creativity of the design world. Together we have risen to the challenges that faced us and triumphed. GOTW in particular harnessed its own creativity, devotion to clients, and resourcefulness, going beyond our natural abilities and embracing new means and technologies to help architects and interior designers bring their biophilic aspirations to life. And we’ve been successful, delivering the calm and rejuvenation offered by indoor nature, and those little biophilic Zen moments that have proven to be more important now than ever.

 

JL: What’s on the horizon for Garden on the Wall?

 

The qualities that make us the go-to company undoubtedly excite architects and clients alike. Given our increasingly urbanized world, it seems inevitable that we will see a proliferation of interior gardens moving forward. But what will the indoor green walls of the future look like? We'll see a broadening variety of preserved plant species, increasingly daring and dramatic executions, greater longevity, and more. The future of green architecture looks compelling — and we’re set to lead the market with our beautiful nature installations.  

 

The "All Natural Preserved Plant" concept we pioneer is relatively new in the U.S. As we create a considerable demand for beautiful garden installations in the market, the market will, in turn, attract more copycat companies in the future. Unfortunately, this will have the consequence of disrupting the reputation of preserved wall gardens in the U.S. So, while we are optimistic that the design community will increasingly demand and specify GOTW installations, we need to make sure we keep educating our clients about the pitfalls of using subpar patchy floral applications with no third party credentials.

 

Nevertheless, we will continue to be the leader in this increasingly popular field. We check all the boxes in terms of sustainability, health, and safety to ensure that architects and interior designers can specify us with peace of mind.