Patch is a clever self-watering herb planter, created for people with questionable gardening abilities. Instead of trying to figure out how much water the plant needs and how often it needs it, this piece allows you to fill the reservoir and go by your business. It will deliver water to the roots itself. The principle is simple – assemble your planter, fill it with soil, plant seeds and starter plants, fill the reservoir with water through a specially provided tube and walk away. The soil will take enough water through the wicking leg, located in the middle. Beautiful and simple idea. I also like the low tech casual look of the piece.
There are quite a few hydroponic systems out there, and they all make sense in terms of cultivation of plants (more or less). But there is one thing I dislike about many hydroponic kits – they tend to look like appliances rather than beautiful planters. Luckily a Chicago couple Sarah Burrows and Nick Behr managed to bring together technology and aesthetics by creating Modern Sprout, a stylish windowsill box you actually want to look at. Here is how Nick and Sarah describe their project:
“Modern Sprout was created by the two of us, two people who live and work in a tiny apartment. As avid cooks, eaters, and project planners, we decided the next logical step was to grow our own garden. Unfortunately, we have no space. (Our small Chicago apartment doesn’t have a yard). After researching non-traditional options, we found hydroponics. But every kit we tried was expensive, difficult to set up, and more homely than homey. We were unimpressed with our options, so we planted the seeds for Modern Sprout. Now we provide planters that are simple, stylish, and fertile with success. Just add water.”
The planter is narrow enough to fit any windowsill, tall enough to hide all its hydroponic equipment inside and comes in four finishes – chalkboard, weathered gray, high-gloss white and reclaimed wood. Pledge on this Kickstarter page to get yours.
(via urban gardens)
The Kitchen Farming collection by Swedish brand Cult Design has been recently unveiled at the International Housewares Show in Chicago. The line of terracotta and ceramic pots was created specifically for growing eatable produce indoors. The pot designs include self-watering Evergreen herb pot and Grow Green – a box to grow shoots and sprouts in (perfect for healthy salads). The pieces vary in size, so you can build your kitchen counter garden as small or big as you like or as your space allows.
(via 3rings)
The Click and Grow smart garden system is a godsend for people like me. I love plants aesthetically, but a green thumb hasn’t been part of my anatomic design. If you have a similar situation and want to reduce your track record of murdered greenery, you might want to check out this clever invention by Mattias Lepp. Inspired by NASA’s successful attempts to grow plans in outer space, he managed to combine nanotechnology and software in a single planter, that tracks all necessary components for a plant’s healthy growth. All this complexity is meant to make your role extremely easy. Just power up the device with four AA batteries, add water and watch a healthy plant emerging from the perforated lid. Check out the video after the break to see the planter in action.
(via the-gadgeteer)
If you long for proper gardening, but the capacity of your apartment stifles this dream – you might want to take a look at this project. Urban Harvest Series by Netherlands based designer Sebastiaan Sennema is a compact unit that allows you to enjoy all essential gardening moments in a confined space. It includes an oak table for potting and preparation, a terracotta cooling tray for storing harvested produce, and a new, aesthetic take on the traditional “worm bin” for the natural composting of kitchen waste. The piece is also envisioned as a way of integrating nature and cultivating a consciousness of its mechanisms into our daily home life. “This unit is more than a possession; it’s a philosophy,” – designer says.
Here is a product that one could love for the design alone. Stufa urban gardening kit is a stylish and friendly taste of urban agriculture on a very mico level intended to get people thinking about growing something of their own. The kit includes three bags of certified natural seeds, enough for ten crops each, three reusable wood pot markers, and a visually stunning book with everything a novice kitchen gardener needs to know about planting, harvesting, and even cooking with recipes contributed by a renowned Portuguese chef. Instantly wishlisted!
(via urban gardens)
Orto Volante suspension lamp, created by studio De-Signum for Italian brand Verde Profilo, is a interesting attempt to build an indoor garden without taking any counter space whatsoever. The piece incorporates ten white ceramic pots inside the powder coated steel lampshade (the hanging pots come with the special kit for upside down planting). I like the synergy between the elements – light helps the growing process and plants work as a defuser, helping to achieve more subtle illumination. A great idea for an urban kitchen.
Opot by Valencia based designer Clara del Portillo is a simple and attractive way to hang your greenery. The innovative material used for this project - DuPont Tyvek – allows both strength and flexibility. In its unfolded state these planters take as much space as a piece of paper. And thanks to their simple geometry and strategically placed eyelets – they create perfect hanging pots in seconds. Available for purchase here. (more…)
If you are an aspiring (or even accomplished) indoor gardener – this cool hydroponic system will delight you. Designed by Cristiana Favretto and Antonio Girardi of Studiomobile, the Re-Watering vertical garden allows you to grow your plans all year round. One of the neatest features of the project is the water-reusing technology. It rotates and filters water automatically, so the plants are being watered and the planet’s precious resource is being saved at the same time. The watering column and the three egg-shaped components are handmade from ceramic, a material that looks lovely next to any plant. And because the system is suspended from the ceiling, it takes no counter space – a godsend for small apartments. Check out the installation procedure after the break.
(via klat magazine)
Indoor gardeners – rejoice! Someone had been thinking long and hard about your situation and came up with something rather delightful. The two Italian designers, Francesca Bonfrate and Alessandra Bove, that make up Bubble Design created an at-home gardening collection called Green Kit. The line is comprised of four different but equally useful items (see photos after the break): Invaso – a climbing plant support object, placed directly into the pot; Serravaso – a miniature greenhouse (in two sizes) that will create a perfect environment for plants to grow; Travaso – a clever and useful loose soil collecting surface, allowing your to easily poor the excess potting soil back into the pot; and Trifoglio – a modular climbing support wall that can also be used as a hanging divider (and you know how much I love hanging dividers). So there you have it – a perfect gardening quartet that will keep your green thumb occupied during all those long winter evenings.
(via design-milk)
