Can you tell us about yourself and your design background?

My name is Kendra LaRoche. I started working with plants three years ago after growing my own houseplant collection. As I collected more than 100 houseplants, my knowledge expanded — and so did my love for them!

I took a chance on my newfound passion and applied to a local nursery. They hired me and took me under their wing. I learned the basics of landscaping and container gardening there, and eventually became the lead container designer at a design firm in South Florida. That’s where I truly fell in love with container gardening. I learned everything I know from leading teams and being mentored by some incredibly talented people.

How did you get interested in doing biophilic design?

After a year of being mentored, I knew I wanted to take a more creative direction with my designs than the firm allowed. I set out to start my own business, and that’s how Loft & Leaf was born. My biggest inspiration comes from the natural environment around us. My mission is simple: bring the outside in.

Tell us about your design process for this piece—what was your inspiration? Your method? The plants you used and why?

Designing the Veradek Privacy Screen gave me the perfect opportunity to bring the outside in. I knew the final look needed to be aesthetically pleasing, attainable, and practical for consumers. That led me to choose preserved moss — a beautiful, zero-maintenance material that adds life while complementing the pattern of the screen.

I also thought to use orchids that could hang from the screen and don't require any planting medium, like soil! Orchids and air plants make great options for a project like this. Using a planter at the base of the screen I thought really brought the whole look together. It allowed for fuller plants to be a part of the design and to add dimension to the look!

How would you recommend someone go about creating their own biophilic or living wall in their own home? What are the need to knows and need to dos?

To recreate a piece like this in your home I recommend using orchids and air plants to hang from the screen. As well as incorporating the preserved moss to give it that lived-in look! Consider adding one (or more) Veradek planters to the design to add some dimension! Another approach I considered was planting the base container with vining plants and having them grow up the screen. The vining plants would grow nicely up the screen!