Tag Archives: flower

Glow-in-the-dark petunias could usher in a new trend in indoor gardening

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Indoor gardening and plants gained momentum around 2-3 years ago as people sought ways to cope with boredom and insanity while cooped up at home. Since then, it has become fashionable to raise greens inside homes, whether for food, aesthetics, or both. But as captivating as green living things may look during the day, their aesthetic value drops completely when you can no longer see them at night or in the dark. Of course, you could buy one of those hi-tech planters that have built-in lights, but that costs money not just for the product but also for the electricity it consumes. It would definitely be enchanting and magical if the plants could glow on their own, and that’s exactly the marvel that these glowing petunias are bringing to the table, literally.

Designer: Light Bio

There are some things that naturally glow in the dark, and, no, we’re not just talking fireflies and some iridescent rocks. Bioluminescent plants actually occur more often in nature, except they aren’t exactly the type of plants that you’d proudly display in a pot on your shelf or coffee table. But what if you could have that same magical ability on indoor plants and flowers? You’d probably be the talk of your friends and the town for as long as the plant is alive.

The Firefly Petunia is exactly that, a new and regulation-approved breed of the popular garden flower that, if you haven’t caught on yet, glows in the dark. This isn’t the first attempt to breed a bioluminescent houseplant, but it seems to be on track to being to most successful to date. Unlike previous experiments, this first mixed the genes of a glowing mushroom with a tobacco plant to great success. Of course, you wouldn’t want to grow that inside your home, so it’s a good thing that petunias are a close and, more importantly, compatible cousin.

What makes the Firefly Petunia even more special is that it requires no extra care or steps to make it glow since it’s all part of the plant’s growing process. Simply make sure that it gets enough sunlight during the day, which is something you should be doing anyway, and then watch it light up in the dark of night. The bioluminescence can even be an indicator of the plant’s health, because parts that are growing faster, like flower buds, also glow the brightest. When the plant starts to dim, it’s time to check its condition or prune dead parts.

This glow-in-the-dark flower is just the first step in the company’s grand plan, which includes making the petunias glow in more colors other than plain white. Research is also underway to extend the capabilities outside of this species, so it might only be a matter of time before we see all kinds of plants and flowers glowing in the dark, turning your home into a magical garden every night.

The post Glow-in-the-dark petunias could usher in a new trend in indoor gardening first appeared on Yanko Design.

Pen blooms when pressed as you write down your dreams

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While I’m basically a digital person, I turn analog when it comes to my journaling habit. This means I have a lot of tools like notebooks, stickers, washi tapes, and other ephemera to help me journal. But probably my most important “weapons” are my pens. As someone who likes colorful things, I collect different colored (both ink and the pen’s actual color) pens that I can use when I write in my various journals. So whenever I see a new kind of pen, whether it’s the design or the features, I pay attention.

Designer: Seung-Wan Nam

This concept for a pen called Bloomstick is based on the idea that writing down your dreams is an important part in making them come true. So the pen can metaphorically help your dreams to “bloom like flowers” when you write them down on paper using it. The tagline of the product is “click to bloom your dream”. It is basically a pen with a silicone-covered button that when you press it opens to a flower-like shape and turns it into a blooming instrument.

The product renders show different colors available for the pens like green, blue, and pink. The flower part of the pen is white while the “bud” part seems to be of a different color that matches the main, silicone part of the pen. When closed, it looks like just any ordinary pen and you’ll still be able to use it of course but it’s without its blooming design. There doesn’t seem to be any other function that it can do aside from write and look pretty.

As someone who collects pens and who likes flowery, pretty things, this is something I’d probably buy if I see it in a stationery store. Now if it can actually make my handwriting look nicer or make my dreams come true, I’d order it as soon as it hits the market.

The post Pen blooms when pressed as you write down your dreams first appeared on Yanko Design.

DIY LED Flower is the perfect geeky gift that will never wilt

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It’s that time of year again when the prices of flowers skyrocket as demand far outpaces supply. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with gifting flowers this week or on any other day of the year, but the sad truth is that those flowers will eventually wilt and die, at least the real ones will. Their ephemeral beauty is actually part of their appeal, but those who want to preserve the memory of the gift will have to resort to other strategies that don’t involve cheap plastic. What better gift is there, then, than a flower that was made by your very own hands? Especially one that will never wilt nor wither away and only requires replacing the broken parts, presuming the recipient is equally adept at electronics.

Designer: Marcel (potblitd)

It won’t be the prettiest flower, admittedly. Not unless you’re actually the type to fall head over heels for the raw beauty of naked electronics. If so, FloLED will definitely be up your alley, but that’s not an assurance that your recipient will have similar tastes. Regardless, it is both an interesting project you can undertake on your own as well as a distinctive piece of decoration should decide to keep it for yourself instead.

This wouldn’t be the first LED-illuminated flower, but the project sets itself apart with its flexibility. The flower has six petals, each with 20 LEDs for a grand total of 120, and each petal has its own microcontroller, which means it can operate on its own independently of the others. That also means that should one petal go awry, it’s a simple matter of replacing that part rather than redoing the whole flower.

Of course, you have to make everything yourself, from the custom-shaped PCB (printed circuit board) to soldering the LEDs down. The circular base, itself a PCB, has slots that make the petals connect at an angle, giving the impression of a flower in mid-bloom. The base also has a single large LED that glows the brightest, representing the head of the flower.

FloLED is definitely a sight to see, especially at night. Given the almost translucent makeup of the petals, you can also see the circuit lines glowing in a yellow light against the red surface. And since each of the petals can be controlled and programmed individually, you could create an animated light show with one or more of these LED flowers, a spectacle that’s sure to enchant anyone, regardless of their aesthetic inclinations.

The post DIY LED Flower is the perfect geeky gift that will never wilt first appeared on Yanko Design.

This tiny Japanese Sakura puzzle provides a difficult challenge with its 0.004mm precision design

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There are different kinds of puzzles for different purposes. Some exercise the mind by challenging our mental faculties, while others are meant to help while away the time in a relaxing manner. There are also puzzles that reward their players with interesting art pieces that they can exhibit with pride on walls or on shelves. Of course, a puzzle can be all of those, providing good exercise for the brain while promising a beautiful display in the end. This hit puzzle from Japan does that and more because not only is the final result a stunning piece of art, each puzzle piece itself is a beautiful testament to creative design and quality craftsmanship.

Designer: Iwai Press

Click Here to Buy Now: $269 $299 ($30 off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends Oct 27th.

There are many things that people will immediately associate with Japan and its culture, a long list that includes sushi, manga and anime, giant robots, samurai, and ninjas. There are, however, also things in nature that call to mind the Japanese spirit, like the smooth slopes of Mt. Fuji or the gentle curves of flowers like cherry and plum blossoms. The latter, especially sakura or cherry blossoms, have become almost representative of Japan, and now you can keep such a beautiful flower on your desk without worrying about it ever wilting away.

ZIREL is a new kind of puzzle hailing from Japan that will really test your patience but reward your tenacity. Unlike a typical puzzle where each piece is visually unique and has clear marks on what it’s connected to, many pieces of this puzzle look almost so identical that you might presume you can simply interchange them. You might be shocked or even frustrated to learn that each part actually has minute differences and has its own specific place, and the discovery of its position might almost feel like reaching enlightenment.

Some people say good things come to those who wait, and that’s definitely the case for this puzzle. Presuming, of course, you’re actually solving it rather than expecting it to magically solve itself after staring at it for hours. Once all the metal pieces slide into place, you are left with a beautiful Sakura (cherry blossom) or Ume (plum blossom) cast in stainless steel with a mirror finish. Thanks to extremely small gaps of 0.004mm, you won’t even see lines that will mar the beauty of these floral art pieces. Feel free to place them on your desk as a gorgeous paperweight or make them stand proudly atop a table or shelf. After hours of hard work, you definitely deserve the gloat.

Beyond the charm of the finished puzzle, each piece is designed with Japanese ingenuity and craftsmanship. Despite their hard metal surfaces, the pieces effortlessly slide into each other when you have discovered their correct place. Acute attention to detail and disciplined quality control ensures that each piece has the highest quality, resulting in a whole that is just as great as the sum of its parts. Challenging, satisfying, and rewarding, this all-metal puzzle can help keep your mind sharp while also providing a feast for the eyes on your desk or shelf.

Click Here to Buy Now: $269 $299 ($30 off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends Oct 27th.

The post This tiny Japanese Sakura puzzle provides a difficult challenge with its 0.004mm precision design first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Bauhaus school of design inspires the striking stained glass colors and geometric shapes of these vases!

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Trio is a collection of three stained glass vases inspired by the Bauhaus school of art and design to bring a timeless edge to the traditional glass vase.

Finding the perfect vase for flowers is sometimes the most fun when arranging bouquets. Bunchier flowers deserve a bulkier, more bulbous vase. While more delicate flower arrangements could use a skinny, minimalist vase. You know the right vase when you see it.

Vases also carry a long, intricate history in ceramics and glass-making that dates back centuries. Taking notes from one historical art school of design, Bauhaus, Ashley Case designed three different vases in its style to accommodate all types of flower arrangements and create a collection called Trio.

Case’s study on Bauhaus design took shape in the art school’s commitment to simplicity, bold colors, and geometric lines. All three vases are molded from sturdy stained glass that creates shadows of color when natural light pours through them. The first vase, a deep cobalt blue, forms three-quarters of a circle and suspends in midair from a black steel cradle that entirely surrounds the vase.

Then, a vertical, rectangular vase coated in lemon yellow stained glass remains in place inside of a four-bar black steel crate. Finally, an inverted triangular vase dipped in scarlet red balances above an empty platform inside a similar black steel crate. All three vases are undoubtedly inspired by Bauhaus design, an art school devoted to integrating a timelessly modern look into any era.

The Bauhaus school of design came to life in 1919, following geometric and abstract styles of design that feature little to no emotion and personality. Instead, the school encourages a timeless look that nods to no cultural or historical aspect in particular. Ashley Case’s collection of vases called Trio embodies Bauhaus through their minimal profiles and strikingly colorful displays that create dazzling shadows of light color to hearken back to the art school’s heyday.

Designer: Ashley Case

Each vase is molded from the stained glass in striking colors reminiscent of the Bauhaus school of design. 

Each vase can accommodate a variety of different flower arrangements, according to your personal taste. 

Cleverly designed book opens into a pop-up vase for flowers!

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Books and flowers are arguably the two biggest must-haves when it comes to table decor… so what happens when you combine the two together? Meet the ‘Flowery Tale’, a visual portmanteau by Japan-based design brand Mecli. The Flowery Tale comes designed to outwardly look like a book, but open it up and it turns into a 3D vase made out of the book’s specially-cut pages. When opened, the hard-bound book’s spine provides ample negative space to slide a test tube through, and there you have it, a ‘paper’ vase with flowers blooming through! I mean, this is just MADE for Instagram!

The Flowery Tale comes with three different vase designs (cutouts, to be precise) built into the same book. With thick partitions separating them, you can simply open up the book to any vase design you want, and the cut-out pages give you the visual gestalt of continuity, resembling a vase made out of paper. The vases are designed to be inverted too, so while each book comes with 3 vase designs, they can be flipped over resulting in as many as 6 different visual styles to go with your flowers. The test-tube comes with a stopper that allows it to rest on the top of the book without sliding through, and the Flowery Tale’s pages are waterproof, so a little splash of water won’t do them any harm!

Designer: Mecli

iOS game sale offers discounts on ‘Journey,’ ‘Flower’ and ‘Donut Country’

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Publisher Annapurna Interactive has been involved with some of the most memorable games of recent years, and you can score several of those titles on the cheap on iOS right now. It’s running a sale in which you can snag some Annapurna games for aroun...

Super Mario Fire Flower Garden Statue: No Green Thumb Required

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This Super Mario Fire Flower Garden Statue is going to look great keeping watch over your garden. You never know when a plumber might happen by and need some fireballs after all.

The 12-inch resin statue weighs 3.5 pounds and is meant to be displayed in a flower bed so your neighbors can say, “Hey, I like that game too.” You can plant it indoors if you want, too, even in a dark room. The great thing about a resin plant like this is that it’s pretty much impossible to kill it from neglect. It  There’s just one sad catch. You can’t get any actual fireballs from this flower.

 

This is a good start, but I think you need to go full Super Mario on your garden. That means you also need some 1up mushrooms, a few coin boxes, maybe a Koopa or two, and a vine that leads into the clouds. Now that’s a garden. Even without all of those extras, this is a nice way to add some color into your garden, because let’s face it, it’s probably more of a weed patch than a garden right?


Help your garden grow today over at ThinkGeek, where you can get your own Fire Flower for just $24.99.

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‘Flower’ brings its zen gameplay to iPhone and iPad

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Earlier this month, Apple announced that it had snagged exclusive rights to the next game from indie studio Thatgamecompany. Sky (described as a "romantic social adventure game") will be an Apple TV exclusive. But, there's more to the relationship be...