Tag Archives: flowers

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.

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Lego Cherry Blossoms lets you have spring in your house soon

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There are people born with “green thumbs” that are able to create wonderful gardens and plant and floral masterpieces. And then there are people like me who kill everything green that they touch (yes, I even manage to kill succulents and bonsais). If you’re the latter or you have kids that are interested in flowers and would need practice on non-living versions of floral arrangements or if you just like adding a bit of flowery things to your collection, then this new Lego addition should interest you.

Designer: Lego

Spring is still a few months away but the LEGO Cherry Blossoms will help you get ready for it, as long as you’re 8 years old and above. The set features two buildable cherry blossom twigs that you can mix and match to get white and pink blooms. Since it’s Lego, you don’t get the actual flowers. You need to build it with the 438 pieces that come with the set to create two twigs that can measure up to 14 inches (35 cm) long. You can combine the different colors or stick to creating a white stem and a pink stem separately.

Once you’re able to complete your cherry blossom twigs, you can put it around the house as a piece of spring decoration. You can also combine it with other LEGO flower sets (sold separately) like their Roses, Wildflower Bouquet, Dried Flower Centerpiece, Flower Bouquet, Botanical Collection, etc. If it’s winter where you are, then these flowers can brighten up your space even though they may not be in season.

It’s interesting to see Lego venturing into other sets that may not necessarily appeal to their original market that are used to bigger and more complicated builds. But the Cherry Blossoms and their other flower sets is perfect for young kids who aspire to eventually create gardens or for adults like me who can only dream of having an actual green thumb.

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Self-Cleansing Antimicrobial Vase Uses Centuries-Old Technique Involving Copper To Make Your Flowers Last Longer

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A bunch of fresh flowers can add a whole aura of rejuvenating and positive energy to a living space. I love adorning my home with delicate bouquets of flowers, but something I often struggle with is – keeping them ALIVE for a decent amount of time. Quite sadly, I don’t have green fingers, and if you happen to fall in the same category, then this product may thrill you as much as it thrilled me! Say hello to the POTR Letterbox Vase – the ingenious vase employs a centuries-old hack that was used as early as the 1600s to keep your flowers fresh, healthy, and alive!

Designer: POTR Pots

Designed by Glasgow-based POTR Pots, the LetterBox Vase is inspired by an age-old trick to keep fresh-cut flowers alive longer. Simply drop a pre-1992 1 or 2 pence coin from The Royal Mint, or a pre-1982 penny from the U.S. Treasury, into a vase of water, and then add in your flowers! Now, let me tell you why this technique is foolproof – copper is a natural antimicrobial that kills the bacteria build-up in the vase water, allowing the flowers to grow and live longer, without being infested with bacteria. Designer Andrew Flynn, co-founder of POTR Pots, learned this trick from his grandmother! “I was in the kitchen with her one day when she was preparing a fresh bunch of flowers, cutting the stems, when I noticed she’d flicked a spare 2 pence coin into one of the vases. When I asked why she was seemingly throwing away her money, she explained the copper in the coin keeps the flowers alive for longer,” said Flynn.

The POTR Letterbox Vase features a copper stem and utilizes the antimicrobial power of the material to kill off germs and reduce excessive flower and water waste, making the vase self-cleansing! The outer shell of the vase is origami-inspired and is built from recycled polypropylene and high-grade silicone rubber, and protects the copper stem, that is nestled away amongst the flower stems. The innovative vase has a flat-pack design, which reduces the carbon footprint of delivery by more than 100 times. It is machine washable, and won’t break/crush if dropped on the floor, it will simply bounce back! It can hold a full flower bouquet and a liter of water, with the soft silicon rim of the vase serving as a cushioning for the flower stems, preventing damage.

Flynn said: “A huge amount of energy is required to produce and then transport flowers in order to be sold in the UK and around the world. The majority of flowers sold in the UK are imported, often by air freight, meaning the carbon footprint associated with a bouquet of flowers can be relatively high. If not cared for properly, flowers will die prematurely, exacerbating the problem of wastage. At POTR, we understand the importance flowers can play in people’s lives – especially on special occasions – and therefore we want to ensure premature waste of flowers is kept to a minimum.” POTR Pot’s initiative of the LetterBox Vase will definitely provide flowers with a longer lifespan, and help them to thrive beautifully, in turn reducing the premature wastage of flowers. Plus it is available in three pretty pastel colors to choose from!

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Flower-inspired vases are designed to accentuate the beauty of the flora

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There are very few people in the world who don’t appreciate the beauty of flowers. I, for one, am either calmed down or awed when I see beautiful flowers in the wild or even as decorations indoor. I wouldn’t be able to raise them or take care of them on my own, but they’re still very pretty to look at. Accessories that pay tribute to flowers and floral arrangements are also something that appeal to a lot of people so this collection that highlights nine different flowers and uses them to shape the design may be something flower lovers will be interested in.

Designer: Weijing Tan

The name of the collection is simple enough: In Praise of Flowers. The concept is made up of nine different “chapters” and the products range from vases to stands to sculpture-like accessories that can make flowers even more appealing and glorify their natural beauty. The nine flowers that were chosen for this particular “exhibit” are the following: Peony, Lavender, Hydrangea, Asian Orchid, Lily, Tulip, Narcissus, Rose, and Baby’s Breath. These flowers served as the design inspiration for the accessories in the collection.

The Peony or impressionist muse is a vase enclosed in two glass dividers where you can place peonies or any other flowers you want to inside. The fragrant Lavender accessory is a white vase housed in a small dome made up of circular white cups. The majestic Hydrangea looks like a lamp at first glance with what seems like a big mirror that will enhance the flowers that you place in the vase. Or it might be that the round thing has a kaleidoscope-like design of hydrangeas. The Asian Orchid, referred to as exotic, is a stand housed in what seems like an acrylic enclosure with a circular hole to look into the flowers placed inside.

The showstopper Lily is a black clamshell-like vase that is in direct contrast to the colorful flowers you’ll place in it. Since the Tulip is known as a delicate flower, the accessory inspired by it is a minimalist stand where a single piece of flower can be placed in. The Narcissus, which is of course associated with reflections because of mythology, has a stand that will reflect the single stalk of flower that you’ll place in it. The Baby’s Breath has a transparent glass to magnify its beauty. Lastly, the Rose is a flat accessory where you can lay it down like in a bed. This concept seems pretty interesting if you want mostly minimalist vases and stands placed in your space.

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This copper tubes vase lets you create a lovely minimalist flower arrangement

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When you think of vases, you will most likely imagine a single vessel that is able to hold a bunch of flowers, often with half a dozen stems or so. These tall containers can be made of anything, though ceramic, stone, or metal seem to be the favored materials. Of course, they can actually be made of anything, nor does the concept of a vase dictate that there should be only a single receptacle to hold the stems. There is definitely plenty of room for variety in shapes and design, and this rather unusual vase challenges all those assumptions by using not one, not even two, but seven tubes that may or may not even hold a single stem.

Designer: Hiroyuki Yuasa of MOTON

Click Here to Buy Now: $126 $149 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

It’s easy not to think of the Bulbous Lotus as anything other than a vase if there aren’t stems sticking out of it. Metal pipes of various heights often conjure up images of musical instruments instead of something like a utilitarian container. Perhaps that is a fitting association, considering how this unique vase produces a melody of a different kind, one that sings of the beauty of nature and the artistry of humans.

The vase is made of two parts, both independent of each other and both beautiful in their own right. The circular base is made of wood, either oak or walnut, and provides the stability that the vase needs, ensuring it stays standing, no matter how large the flowers above might be. It also has holes into which the copper tubes are inserted in your preferred arrangement. After all, there is no hard rule that these cylinders be arranged in a specific order.

The slim copper tubes offer very little room for one or two stems only, pushing you to think about how your flower arrangement will go. Of course, you don’t actually need to even stick anything inside them, leaving some of the pipes empty to give some dramatic effect to the flowers that are there. You don’t even have to match the tube’s height with the stem’s length, giving you complete freedom in how you want to combine different design elements. You are the artist, and this vase is your canvas.

The use of copper for the tubes is by no means accidental. The metallic material has the effect of keeping the water inside from becoming odorous. Copper also discolors over time, and rather than being an eyesore, the unique patinas will give each cylinder a unique appearance and character. Whether you want to fill the corner of the room with flowers or prefer a more minimalist arrangement that would remind people of Zen gardens and bonsai, this distinctive metal and wood vase gives you the artistic freedom and the creative exercise you need to bring some life into your space.

Click Here to Buy Now: $126 $149 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

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Surface Pro 9 Liberty Special Edition lets artistry bloom on your 2-in-1 tablet

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The first Microsoft Surface tablets started a new trend in computing. Although there were already tablet PCs back then, they were really just laptops that could bend or twist to become slates you could draw on with a pen. The 2-in-1 form factor with a detachable keyboard liberated people from being weighed down by what they didn’t need or use at that time, while the kickstand mechanism, though not exactly perfect, started a new trend in mobile devices and accessories. The Surface is celebrating its tenth birthday this year, and its iconic design has grown over time like a blooming flower. As if the mark that occasion perfectly, the company is launching a Special Edition of the device with engravings and patterns that turn the Surface Pro 9 into a beautiful centerpiece when not in use.

Designer: Liberty

Although many still look the part of hardened workstations and geeky powerhouses, a few laptops today have started paying as much attention to their looks as to their specs. For all the criticisms it received for its early performance, the Surface line of devices brought some of that design focus to tablets, something that is admittedly surprising for a tech company such as Microsoft, especially after its failure with Zune and Lumia. The basic design hasn’t changed drastically in its ten years, but Microsoft has, to its credit, continued to refine and perfect it every year.

The Surface’s tenth anniversary almost coincides with another major turning point in Microsoft’s history. Windows 11 was technically launched last year, but it only came into full swing starting this year. The new Windows release also brought with it a new visual metaphor, one of a blooming flower that symbolizes the collaboration of engineering and design, the merging of natural and digital elements, and the attention to aesthetics that Windows isn’t really famous for. What better way, then, to celebrate the convergence of these milestones than with a Surface Pro 9 that fills its surface with flowers, pun intended.

Made in collaboration with London-based studio Liberty, popular for its flora designs, this Special Edition isn’t just some skin slapped on the back of a Surface Pro 9. The repeating patterns of rhododendron flowers, the official flower of Washington State that Microsoft calls home, are laser engraved to give it a longer-lasting effect. It is akin to engraving fine jewelry, which is what this tablet wants to be. A specially-printed Liberty Keyboard brings those same patterns to your fingertips, almost literally, which also acts as a beautiful cover for the device when folded.

Whichever side it’s lying on, this Surface Pro 9 Liberty Special Edition is designed to look stylish and pretty, almost good enough to be a decorative piece on your coffee table or desk. It is an attempt to humanize these otherwise cold devices, but one that will cost you $1,800. Of course, there are plenty of skins available for the Surface Pro 9, but those might fade and will definitely peel over time like a wilting flower way past its prime.

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Preserve or dry flowers in this frame-like device to add some floral magic to your interiors

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Who doesn’t love looking at flowers? Most people will most likely give a sigh (even a silent one) whenever they see beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers. The sad thing though is that they often don’t last for a long time. Unless you have a constant supply of fresh ones readily available, you’ll probably have them for just a couple of days at most. If they’re real flowers, of course, they cannot last forever as that’s their very nature. But what if you could prolong it for a few days more?

Designers: Heejun Shin and Janchi

Flora is a concept for a flower refrigerator and dryer that can do just that. At most, cut flowers, even when you take care of them properly, can last for just a week. But with this concept, you can prolong it a bit longer because you’ll be able to control the temperature inside the device. And when you know that the lifespan of these flowers are about to end, you can also dry them in a controlled environment and preserve their memory to some extent and add to your decorations or even your journals.

The device basically looks like a picture frame where your flowers can stay a little while longer. The design is actually inspired by these frames as well as a mixture of smart speakers, refrigerators, and flower vases themselves. Each device has a flower vase inside where you can place your flowers for cooling. You can control the temperature between 6-18 degrees celsius. And when it’s time to dry the flowers, you just have to spin the Flora device upside down and use the drying vase to start the process.

The design is a simple frame with two types of pots to choose from, the regular flower pot an a drying pot. There are different vase designs as well. The device itself has some buttons at the top which you use to control things like the temperature, lighting, and drying. There’s also a monitor that will tell you what the temperature is like inside. This is a pretty interesting concept if you want your flowers preserved although you will be unable to stop and smell the flowers since they’re encased.

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Realistic Heart Flower Vase: Love In Bloom

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The Love In Bloom porcelain flower vase is shaped like a realistic human heart, complete with ventricles, atria, and arteries. Made by Seletti and available on Amazon (affiliate link), the heart measures approximately 4″ x 7″ x 10″, making it bigger than mine, and significantly larger than the Grinch’s. That’s something. Something I’m not 100% convinced I want sitting on the foyer table to great me when I come home. An ice cream cake, absolutely.

The heart features multiple vein and artery holes to place stems in to create a beautiful, albeit somewhat macabre display. I can’t tell if my wife would think it was sweet or think I was weird if I gave her one. I guess there’s only one way to find out! One I’m still not sure I’m willing to pay for to find out.

Hey, different strokes for different folks. Maybe you’re in desperate need of a realistic heart flower vase, I’m not here to judge. I’m just here to…wait, what am I here for? God – I demand answers!

[via DudeIWantThat]

LEGO launches its botanical collection to merge building blocks with gardening

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LEGO’s Botanical Collection marks the toy company’s latest effort in merging the joyful pastime of building blocks with the meditative work of gardening.

Two of the more popular pastimes to have gained traction during the pandemic have been gardening and building with LEGOs. It seems everyone is filling their homes with flower bouquets and greenery. While there’s no replacement for growing our own gardens, LEGO recently launched a collection of blocks that allow people to build their own bouquets and greenery with LEGO blocks. Dubbed the Botanical Collection, users will be able to replicate flowers like Birds of Paradise and orchids with corresponding LEGO blocks.

Designer: LEGO

Designed to provide users with a means for rest and relaxation, the Botanical Collection is like a sort of three-dimensional puzzle that merges the childhood joy of LEGO building blocks with the patient game of jigsaw puzzles. While children and adults enjoy collecting LEGO blocks and building microscopic cityscapes from that collection, the Botanical Collection marks a clear effort from the toy block’s company to ‘adultify’ their collection of LEGOs.

The Bird of Paradise collection features over 1,000 building blocks so users can take their time constructing artful three-dimensional replicas of bouquets and plant life. In addition to the Bird of Paradise option, the Botanical Collection includes pieces to build orchids, succulents, full bouquets, bonsai trees, and whatever else your imagination concocts.

On rainy days, when gardening isn’t an option, LEGO’s new Botanical Collection offers a moment of indoor respite for those of us with green-thumbed tendencies. Of the succulent collection, the designers at LEGO encourage adults to, “Discover the deeper virtues of our resilient friends. Venture into the plant kingdom and let your green fingers do what they do best, with this creative and relaxing build.”

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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.