Tag Archives: indoor plants

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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Aesthetic air purifier concept also doubles as a stylish plant pot

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Recent events have made people more concerned about the quality of the air inside their homes, leading to a rise in interest and sales of air purifiers. These appliances, however, haven’t seen much design iteration in the past, which is why many of them look so dated and out of place in modern homes and interiors. Thankfully, that status quo has changed and a new trend is beginning that transforms these cold, impersonal devices into something that looks more at home in your home. Some disguise themselves as pieces of furniture or art objects, while this particular concept functions as a place to grow short plants and flowers, giving a splash of green as it keeps your indoor air green as well.

Designer: Sukchand Saren

In order to maximize airflow and performance, most air purifiers are tall, white boxes or cylinders placed in conspicuous locations, often at the center of a room. This often makes them an eyesore and an obstacle to movement, so some homeowners might end up just storing them away, allowing low-quality air to circulate and put themselves and their families at risk. There isn’t really a need to compromise between function and aesthetics, as this concept tries to prove by fusing air purification with botanical elegance.

FloraPur is technically two separate products designed as one. It is primarily an air purifier, of course, albeit one that is designed for smaller rooms or at least to work in tandem with other similar units spread across the space. Unclean air is sucked into the circular base where it passes through four purification levels, including HEPA, activated carbon, and UV light, before the clean air is blown out of the top half. Given the size of the device, it won’t be effective in large rooms so placing a few of these in strategic locations would be a better idea.

What makes FloraPur different from the majority of air purifiers is its focus on visual appeal without compromising functionality. In addition to this colorful powder-coated metal finish, the container that makes up the bulk of the purifier’s form serves as a convenient pot for growing plants and flowers indoors. The design combines two of the trends that rose during the pandemic, cleaning the air inside while adding natural beauty as well.

Granted, the design also has some shortcomings, not including how it would struggle to cover a very large room on its own. The connection between FloraPur’s two functions is completely superficial, with the plants playing no role in cleaning the air despite being nature’s own air purifiers. And despite having smart features that can monitor air quality around it, the device has no function to monitor the state of the plant growing inside it. The latter shouldn’t be too hard to implement with the right sensors and software algorithms, and a larger air purifier that can house more plants and use those plants to keep the air clean is also possible. All it takes is some creative thinking and ambition to breathe new life and fresh air into an old and tried appliance design.

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3D printed plant sculptures act as air purifiers for your indoor space

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Actual, living plants can absorb air toxins when placed inside the house and that is one of the many reasons why people have been adding plants to their decoration indoors. But not everyone is capable of taking care of these plants. I am one of those people. I even managed to kill tiny cactus plants that can supposedly live longer. So no plants for me in my small apartment. But what if there were plant-like things that can serve as both decoration and air purifier?

Designer: External Reference

A Barcelona-based company has created these plant-looking sculptures called Pure Plants through 3D printing and they are more than just decorative items for your space. They actually use Pure.Tech technology to turn these “plants” into air purifiers that are able to absorb and neutralize carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and other volatile organic compounds. Basically, these 3D-printed plants serve as air purifiers to make the indoor air you breathe a little bit healthier.

The sculptures use various geometric patterns and parametric systems that try to resemble plants or at least cactus and other desert looking creatures. They look pretty nice and can also be good conversation starters once people figure out it’s not a real plant. It is made from the Pure.Tech biomaterial which is made up of the tech and PLA, a bioplastic that is made from corn dextrose. This has been turned into a 100% natural mineral compound so the material used to create the living sculptures are also sustainable.

This project was actually launched back in 2020 but at that time, a Christmas tree was the only design. Now they are able to add more items in different colors, species, and formats so you can have a variety of “plants” in your home that will not die and will also prolong your life as you breathe in air that has been purified.

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Plant-growing device helps dementia patients improve memory

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There are a lot of elderly (and some not so elderly) people suffering from dementia around the world. Various studies have shown that taking care of plants is one way to help them as this hobby encourages sensory stimulation and can improve things like memory retention and attention span. Taking care of living things can also give the a sense of purpose. So this is one of the things that doctors are prescribing for their patients. This also means there’s room in the market for new products to serve this purpose for dementia patients.

Designer: Sungchae Park

This concept for a plant cultivation product is called plan.t, a play on the word plant and planning for tomorrow, something that dementia patients may have trouble doing. The designer thought of horticultural treatment as an aid to help those suffering from this condition, not as a cure but to help slow down the effects of the disease. As they grow the plants using this device, the hope is that their memories will be able to grow or improve alongside the greens.

The plan.t device lets the user track the progress of the plants that they’re growing in it through voice recording. They will be able to go back to these recordings to check on them and make sure that what they remember from the last time they adjusted or managed the plants are correct. The machine itself looks like a humidifier but with a plant growing in it, surrounded by soil and with water and light to help it grow.

The renders show that it can grow different kinds of plants. There’s a tray underneath where water can be stored and there’s a lamp at the top which can adjust to the height of the plant. You will be able to power and recharge the device through a USB port at the back. There’s no other information about what other functions the plan.t has but there should be other tools to help dementia patients as they cultivate their plants in the device.

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This hanging wire shelving is designed to showcase each plants individuality and unique purpose!

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REN is a flagship plant store committed to revitalizing dying plants and showcasing each plant for its individuality and unique needs.

Whenever we want to bring some life to our rooms, filling them up with mini indoor gardens usually does the trick. However, taking care of plants comes with its own list of challenges–keeping tabs on the amount of sunlight and water required for certain plants to thrive can get overwhelming. Sooner than we know it, our favorite plants are dying and we’re back at square one. In Mita, Tokyo, social advocacy design studio Nosigner opened REN, a flagship ornamental plant store whose aim is to bring life back to dying plants.

Under close leadership from Nobuaki Kawarhara, fourth-generation Tokyo Ikebana, REN is operated by a team of plant caretakers who specialize in the Japanese art of Ikebana, or the art of flower arrangement. Considering the launch of REN, Nosigner suggests that our love for ornamental plants dates back to our primitive memories of living in forests. Once towns and cities became popularized in the 19th-century, our close proximity to forests and plant life to replaced with city infrastructure and paved roads. Since then, we’ve been craving the presence of greenery in our rooms and day-to-day lives.

REN is a flagship store focused on revitalizing our relationship to plants, noting that, “Ornamental plants brought in to create a pseudo-natural atmosphere in indoor spaces are not adapted to the environment and are therefore weak and often die. While we need ornamental plants, we also have a distorted relationship with them as part of our ecosystem.”

In designing REN’s interior space, Nosigner aimed to look at the room as a single vase to accentuate the beauty of each plant. Swapping out the number of plants for quality, Nosigner built a moveable wire shelf that weaves throughout the entire store, providing individual shelves where each plant is showcased for its vitality and unique personality.

Designer: NOSIGNER

This hexagonal indoor planter system helps you choose plants that will flourish in your home’s natural lighting

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If you like gardening but live in a city apartment, finding out which plants thrive best changes everything. It could mean finding that exact time during the day when a sliver of sunlight hits your floor, giving your bamboo palms the energy needed to make it to another day. Or, it might mean finding the sweet spot in your kitchen or bathroom where you can water your ivy and let it properly drain. Whatever the case might be, Gromeo is a miniature living wall system, designed by Habitat Horticulture to bring us the ideal plant for our unique living spaces. Whether you live in an apartment with ample sunlight or in an apartment without windows, Gromeo delivers plants that are known to thrive in your specific living space.

I’ve got a fever for plants. It’s safe to say, especially with quarantine, we’ve all caught some of it at this point. But taking care of plants can get expensive and time-consuming. My ivy died by the time I learned how to take care of it. Gromeo was primarily created by the thinkers at Habitat Horticulture in order to make the benefits of home gardening accessible to anyone without the constant work that comes with maintaining the plant’s health. Similar to other home gardening systems, Gromeo integrates a base reservoir filled with one gallon of water and uses Growtex’s water-efficient wicking technology for plants to absorb water through capillary action, keeping them hydrated for up to three weeks. Without any plumbing or electrical work needed, Gromeo allows users to pick a wall system based on their living space’s particular light availability. Through a palette-devised key, users can choose between garden wall systems that need anywhere between minimal to constant sunlight. The low-light wall systems typically include lots of leafy greens like fern and palm leaves and the high-light wall systems offer pods filled with cactus and grass. Constructed entirely from maple wood, recycled and sustainable material, Gromeo caters to the environmentalist in each of us. The hanging wall system waters the plants on a daily basis, all that’s required of its user is refilling the reservoir located in the product’s base every two weeks.

Gromeo comes fully planted with the plants ideal for your living space and outfitted with mounting hardware and drywall anchors for easy application. A lot of self-sustaining home gardens today lose their appeal through wasteful construction and loud tech gimmicks, which result in little knowledge gained for users who are actually concerned with taking care of their plants. Gromeo seems to offer a compromise. From the chic and sustainably-sourced materials that make up the structure to the thoughtful approach taken in regard to the customization of each wall system according to a plant’s needs, Gromeo brings the fruits of gardening to even those of us who might not have known we had it in us to take care of a plant, let alone a whole garden.

Designer: Habitat Horticulture

 

Elevated planter and app-enabled grow light designed to uplift your home and bring the outdoors, in

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Sometimes I struggle to really remember what life before the pandemic was. I remember it pretty well, but if someone were to snap and magically cause the virus to disappear, I’m not sure if I’d ever be able to go back to that life in an instant. The pandemic changed a lot of things, broke a lot of things, and forced a lot of us to restrategize. The guys at Modern Sprout know this too well, as their company, developed as a labor of love over time, suddenly found itself without retailers to stock and sell their products. Quickly deciding to pivot so that the company and its range of plant-loving products could continue to thrive, Modern Sprout returned to the very place they started… Kickstarter.

The Uplift Planter is an elegant combination of an elevated planter and an app-enabled grow-light. Designed to be used indoors, and styled to complement indoor spaces, this planter integrates the grow-light into it. The Uplift Planter grow light contains the color spectrum needed to support healthy plant growth while emitting a natural light that compliments your home’s decor, not disrupts it.

There’s a simplistic beauty to the Uplift Planter and its wireframe design. This minimalist approach helps the Uplift complement most contemporary homes (although the Uplift in an art-deco home would look incredible too). The planter comes with a base that it docks into – made of metal and powder-coated in a variety of colors to add a pop to your space. Mounted on the side of the planter is a height-adjustable light arm with a full-spectrum LED lamp that shines light directly on the planter below. The lamp is controlled by an app that allows you to program it, even fully customize your own schedule and control its brightness based on the amount of natural light already in your space. Apart from being height-adjustable to suit your plants, the light arm is removable too, and can be placed into any other planter to give other plants a boost. It’s a simple, well-executed idea that was born after Modern Sprout realized planters and grow-lights have almost always existed as separate products, and never a single solution. In that regard, the Uplift does what it sets out to. It ‘uplifts’ your plant by allowing it to grow, uplifts itself too, with that height-adjusting lamp that ‘grows’ with your plant, and uplifts the space it’s kept in, with an aesthetic that I can only describe as Sparking Joy. Don’t you think so too??

Designer: Modern Sprout

Click Here to Buy Now: $159 $249 (36% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left! Raised over $100,000.

Uplift Planter by Modern Sprout

The Uplift Planter is an elevated plant stand with an app-enabled grow light designed to seamlessly integrate living green into any space.

Plants have become the new critical home essential. With each one you bring into your house, your further perforate the barrier between indoors and out, between nature and nurture.

The problem with most grow lights quickly becomes apparent the moment you decide to use one at home. They’re harsh on the eyes because they emit light in a spectrum optimized solely for plants, not people. The Uplift Planter grow light contains the color spectrum needed to support healthy plant growth while emitting a natural light that compliments your home’s decor, not disrupts it.

A plant’s proximity to a grow light is critical for success which is why they have made theirs adjustable so you can grow plants ranging from small seedlings to large botanicals. The adjustable light arm is removable too, so you can “stake” it into other plants that might need an extra boost.

Grow Your Plants The Smarter Way

The Uplift Planter has built-in brains, meaning you can pair it with the app over WiFi for granular control over light intensity, cycles and schedule, from a few feet to miles away. Includes recommended presets for partial shade, partial sun and full sun plants.

– Preset settings for different plant types
– Shared access of smart devices with any family member
– Fully customizable light schedules
– FAQs for device support
– Brightness control
– Manual on/off switch available
– Pairs with other Modern Sprout smart products
– Customer support access

Elevated Living

The Uplift Planter is designed for seamless integration within the home. Keep it in the kitchen for quick access to fresh herbs, in the living room for some easy ambience, or by the bed for a (green) reading nook that brings life and light to the darkest corners. The purposeful design brings the healing power of plants into every room.

Grow Plants Like:

Indoor Oasis: Ferns, orchids, pothos
Aroma Therapy: Lavender, chamomile, sage
Kitchen Garden: Tomato, basil, arugula
Breathe Clean: Aloe, ivy, rubber plant

Design Details

Click Here to Buy Now: $159 $249 (36% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left! Raised over $100,000.