Art and Design

As a plant lover and an art museum aficionado, I can’t help but draw the parallel between these two hobbies of mine. They both elicit the same kind of quiet admiration. The anticipation that takes over when I watch the slow unfurling of a new leaf is not far removed from the feeling of awe when I first rest my eyes on a painted canvas.

And I’d like to believe that most plant lover identify with at least some of these feelings.

Part of what brings art into perspective (literally) is how it is displayed. And the same can be said about houseplants. The designers behind Studio Hali-Ann Tooms seem to understand this intuitively.

The Copenhagen-based design studio released a collection of houseplant display home accessories that are luxurious in their minimalism while still managing to remain affordable. The stripped down shape of the holders helps bring to the forefront the special beauty of each plant. You can buy the handmande brass holders together with an airplant of your choice.

And if you want to switch it up a bit, and bring your airplant closer to the ground, the tabletop holder made of powder coated steel is an excellent addition to any desk.

All images via Studio Hali-Ann Tooms and their Instagram account (which you should definitely follow if you’re a fan of airplant displays).

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

For more plant hangers:

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ Shinai, the minimalist oak hanger that grows with your plant

+ Masumoss, the new Japanese plant art trend

+ Sculptural air plant hangers from Fuxigold

+ Wood eco plant hanger by Dutch design studio All the Things You Like

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I will get a very small commission or referral fee at no additional cost to you. You can read more on my affiliate policy page.

Editor’s note (March 2021): I’ve been getting some messages regarding the availability and affordability of buying an indoor greenhouse. A lot of the items that I feature on Green with Purpose are small-batch, hand-crafted and high-quality products designed and sold by small businesses. Often, all of these attributes lead to pricing that makes the product unaffordable for most of us. And this indoor greenhouse is certainly a great example of good design that comes at a steep price. That’s why I’ve been researching online and found an affordable similar indoor greenhouse sold by Giantex. Keep in mind that this is not the greenhouse featured in this post, but rather an affordable alternative. 

Think, for a moment, of all the places you’ve lived. All the apartments, cities, countries. There’s no doubt in my mind that all of them have left an imprint in the way you see your surroundings now. The places that we live in shift something in us; they mould our world view; they sharpen our senses to previously unimaginable observations.

The same happened to the designers at Atelier 2+. Bangkok-based designers Ada Chirakranont and Worapong Manupipatpong moved to Sweden to study at Konstfack, the prestigious university of arts, crafts and design. But in addition to acquiring knowledge and skills, they also absorbed the quintessential Swedish ethos – that of always having nature on their doorstep. And because the harsh weather keeps nature out of reach quite often, green elements make their way indoors. And this is precisely what their gorgeous greenhouse aims for.

The Greenhouse designed by Atelier 2+ is small enough for indoor use but large enough to house a miniature garden. Its creators describe it as “a sculpture that makes room for nature”.

To me, it almost seems like it’s a combination of museum display case and playground full of possibilities. What kind of plants can we bring together in such a protective space? What else can we put in it? How playful can we get within the confines of the box? “Perhaps the size of Greenhouse encourages people to create miniature worlds because it is not large enough for people merely to plant just anything in it. It makes demands on the user, perhaps requiring green fingers or the sensitive touch of a sculptor,” the designers add.

The Greenhouse, available for purchase at Design House Stockholm, is made from lacquered solid ash timber with panes of toughened glass which open up in two hatches. A planting tray made of galvanized metal lines the bottom part of the greenhouse. You can purchase the glass cabinet separately, if you feel like the sculptural height is too much for your home.

For more info: Atelier 2+

Images via: Design House Stockholm

Imagine a planter designed to look so fluid, that it seems to twirl and flow with the plant it houses. Like graceful ballerinas, the planters sold by Dutch designer Tim van de Weerd manage to become the focal point of any room, but without taking away from their surrounding.

Tim says that every accessory or piece of furniture must stir the imagination and play with expectations; that the imagery should always be surprising yet recognizable.

He’s a big believer in design that is simple and elegant, but at the same time characterized by subtle tension. And that design philosophy really comes to light in his Monstera planter collection.

Tim’s designs are anything but rigid traditional plant pots. The Monstera planters collection aims to liberate the plants from windowsills, and make them integral parts of the rooms they inhabit.

The delicate legs of the planter are meant to resemble delicate roots – they stem from the bottom of the planter, almost as a continuation of the plant itself. As fragile as they may seem, the legs are made of steel bars bent by hand and moulded with industrial clay.

The monstera planter set comes in three different sizes: Monstera Magnifica (the tallest one), Monstera Fugiens (which shows the plant as fleeing object) and Monstera Crescens (at 120 cm, it stands out above all tables and sofas).

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I will get a very small commission or referral fee at no additional cost to you. You can read more on my affiliate policy page. 

Editor’s note (September 2021): I’ve been getting some messages regarding the availability and affordability of buying this self-watering terracotta planter. The planter is made and sold in Norway, so it’s hard to ship to the United States. It can also get quite pricey to ship such a fragile item. 

A lot of the products that I feature on Green with Purpose are small-batch, hand-crafted and high-quality products designed and sold by small businesses. Often, all of these attributes lead to pricing that makes the product unaffordable for most of us. And this self-watering terracotta planter is certainly a great example of good design that comes at a steep price. That’s why I’ve been researching online and put together a list of self-watering planters that are more affordable than the ones featured in this post.

And here’s another gorgeous alternative terracotta planter from Art Department Store – a small business owner who sells on Etsy.

Please keep in mind that it’s not the planter featured in this post, but rather an affordable alternative for my US readers. While looking for this alternative, I also noticed that a lot of planters for sale online just look like terracotta, but they’re actually made of plastic. Read the product description carefully before you purchase anything online, so as to avoid disappointment.

We’re quite obsessed with self-watering planters around here.

Exhibit A – Livana, the self-irrigating planter

Exhibit B – Boskke sky planter

They’re easy to work with, practical to upkeep, and just make a lot of sense when it comes to letting plants take as much water as they need from the planter.

And here’s one that is combined with another one of our obsessions: the elegant yet down-to-earth terracotta. Inspired by the nature surrounding her native Narvik, Norwegian artist Ann Kristin Einarsen designed the Oasis two-toned terracotta planter as a reflection of the beauty of the natural world.

The planter is made of two interlocking containers, with the one on the bottom acting as a stable base and integrated reservoir.

Here’s how the Oasis works: you add water to the terracotta base from the side – either using a watering can or a just a bottle; it’s a simple process, and due to the spout, it doesn’t require moving anything. The bottom container is glazed, which means the water will be retained inside it. However, the top container is not glazed, which makes it porous and absorbent. The water is absorbed by the top container from the bottom container, according to the needs of the plant.

The bases come in green, white and dark brown, highlighting the earth tones of the top terracotta container as they come together in a subtle blend of tones.

This type of container is perfect for plants that need to keep constant humidity (yet are prone to suffering from overwatering and root rot), such as ponytail palm trees, peace lilies and some types of ferns.

Photos via Northern

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

Can a piece of paper feed tired bees?

The innovators behind Bee Saving Paper believe so. The concept is simple, yet brilliant. So simple and so genius, in fact, that after I read about it, I was left wondering: How come we’re not already using this on a large scale?

Here’s how bee saving paper works:

+ This fully biodegradable paper is infused with energy-rich glucose that is delicious for bees, yet keeps the paper suitable for everyday use – in other words, it won’t stick to your fingers. This kind of sugar is already used by beekeepers as nourishment for their hives throughout winter.

+ The paper can be turned into business cards, paper bags, take out plates, coffee cup sleeves, concert tickets, clothes labels, and whatever else your imagination desires. Currently, all of these single-use items are usually headed for the landfill after only a few minutes of utility, a practice that’s both  wasteful and environmentally hazardous.

+ But once the items made of bee saving paper are no longer needed, they can be used as energy drink for bees. For example, you could place the paper bag in your garden, or set the business card in a flower pot on your balcony. The paper will attract bees due to its water-based UV paint which has been applied in patterns that bees see as a meadow. (More about how bees see UV this way.)

+ Once the bees find the paper, they can feast on the glucose, and gather up some energy for the road. What’s left behind is another bee favorite: Lacy Phacelia seeds (purple tansy), one of the most attractive plants for insects. The paper is fully biodegradable, so you won’t be left with litter that needs to be cleaned.

The bee saving paper is currently working with corporate partners to make

This project came together as a collaboration between Saatchi & Saatchi IS Warsaw and City Bees, an organization that advocates for the well-being and protection of bees in urban communities.

All images via: Bee Saving Paper

For more info on what to do to protect pollinators, have a look at the Pollinator Partnership leaning center.

There’s one thing that comes naturally when you come across Estrid Ericson’s work: becoming obsessed with it. From the subtlety of the curves in her creations to the minute attention towards keeping simplicity as the ultimate indication of everyday luxury.

Estrid Ericson has long had her own chapter in the history of Swedish design. But as the obsession (there’s that word again) with Scandinavian aesthetic still holds a strong grip on current trends, it’s about time for non-Swedes to discover Estrid’s creations.

In a nutshell, Estrid Ericson took Swedish design from drab functionalism to a homely yet sophisticated bearer of colors, patterns and textures. In 1924, at the age of 30, she opened a store to sell pewter products that she had created herself. Ten years later, she partnered with Austrian architect Josef Frank to transform the store into one of Sweden’s most iconic brands, Svenskt Tenn.

Estrid’s creation are universal and elegant in every season, but this acorn vase might be of particular interest for plant lovers as we navigate autumn.

It was way back in the 1930s that Estrid came up with the idea for the acorn vase, while she was spending the summer at her home, Tolvekarna (The Twelve Oaks). It was the shape of acorns that inspired that of the sprouting vase.

Here’s how to sprout acorns if you want to give this vase, or any other vase, a try.

The prime acorn-picking season is October. Once you’ve picked acorns that look healthy, test them by placing them in a bowl of water. If they float, it’s highly likely that they won’t sprout.

Put the good ones in a damp bag in the fridge – add a wet paper towel if necessary. Check it every week to make sure the bag hasn’t dried out or worse, become moldy. In about 4-6 weeks, you should see some tiny roots coming out of the acorns. Now’s the time to put them in water.

Fill the acorn vase with water and place the sprouting acorn on the rim. Give it another 3-6 weeks before you see green growth. Set the vase near a source of light. Admire the fine root structure and smooth leaves to your heart’s content.

Well, it’s October now. You know what to do.

Photos via Svenskt Tenn

For another variation of the sprouting vase, have a look at the Plantation porcelain series.

It’s either

Crunchy. Kaput. Dry as a bone.

or

Drenched. Sloshing around ankles deep. Root rot.

These seem to be the two types of descriptions that follow the “I can’t keep houseplants alive.”

It takes a little bit of practice to get the balance right between under watering and overwatering.

And since what we call a houseplant nowadays has once been an outdoor plant growing in its own microclimate, there’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to a watering schedule. The plant wants what the plant wants, and most of the time we don’t get the memo until it’s too late.

I once came back home from vacation to a swarm of fruit flies happily buzzing around the carcass of a peace lily that had reigned supreme over a corner of my living room. My overwatering had claimed another victim. It was not a pretty sight.

What the apex of my short-lived career as an over-waterer taught me was to seek help in my sloshy ways before another one of my green friends bit the dust.

And until you learn your plants’ dos and dont’s for hydration, a little help is more than welcome.

In this case, a little help means letting your plant regulate its water intake by placing it in a self-watering container like the one from Sbam Design. Livana is a self-irrigating container made out of a ceramic planter and a glass vase for water storage. The glass base can hold enough water for 12 to 16 days.

So once your most precious plant is settled in a Livana, you’re free to go on vacation.

Sbam Design, a showroom collective based in Italy, was born out of the desire to bring together art, design, fashion and generally all things creative made by young people. They bring all of these things together through their showroom and event venue in Busto Arsizio, a city steeped in textile industry, and only 34 kilometres away from Milano.

Photos via Sbam Design and Maison Objet.

For more plant hangers, have a look at the links below:

+ Sculptural air plant hangers from Fuxigold

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ The lamp-terrarium ecosystem

+ Shinai, the minimalist oak hanger that grows with your plant

+ Modular planter from Portuguese design studio Dedal

+ Shinai, the minimalist hanger that grows with your plant

Crash! Boom! Bang!

Not just the title of a Roxette Top 40 hit (hello, 90s’ child!) but the symphony of onomatopoeia performed by a few of my flower pots as they tumbled off a suspended shelf.

The culprit: me.

More specifically, my miscalculated decision to hang a shelf in an area with a lot of foot traffic. Now there’s no way to undo the mess. No way to make the dirt clean itself. No way to glue together the crassula ovata succulent that snapped.

So what I needed to do was either to tone down my clumsiness (ha, not a chance) or find a safer way to secure pots on suspended shelves. These shelves by Dedal seem like the perfect choice for the latter solution.

(If Dedal sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve also featured their versatile modular planters.)

The Snuro shelves – designed by Irena Ubler – were created with plant-lovers in mind, and the design will fit most Ikea-sized flower pots. During the design ideation phase, Irena Abler and the team at Dedal explored different types of materials and shapes – from wood board to clay and ropes. But in order to develop a more stable and safe product, they settled on a cork and wood sandwich board.

What you should know about cork is that it’s a quintessentially Portuguese material — half of the world’s cork production originates in this country. It’s also a very sustainable material to work with as the harvesting of cork doesn’t damage the tree. Cork oaks can live up to 200 years and they can be harvested once every nine years. So this material fits right in with Dedal’s mission to promote Portuguese artists and support local artisans while also advocating for a sustainable home decor industry.

Photos via Dedal

For more designs by Irena Ubler >> this way

When I first came across Miwitipee, the French brand designing sustainable, limited-edition home accessories, I found it hard to pick a product to feature on Green with Purpose.

I ultimately opted to introduce our readers to the minimalist plant hanger that adapts to different flower pot sizes. But in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to talk about their other designs too. And I especially couldn’t ignore the cute little houseplant adornments that they call chamans. You can stick these these whimsical figurines in your flower pots, and they’ll watch over your houseplants. Or, if you’re the grumpy kind who doesn’t believe in magic, they’ll just put a smile on your face.

I reached out to Julia who, together with her dad, Marc, is the creator of these adorable characters, to chat about her creative process.

Hi, Julia. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

My name is Julia. I live and work in Toulouse, a city located in southern France. I’m the happy co-founder of Miwitipee which is the fruit of a collaboration with my father, Marc.

We design and manufacture objects inspired by our imaginary journeys to make your home travel. We’re very concerned with the well-being of our environment, so we only use natural materials such as wood and paper.

How did you start designing houseplant accessories?

Our playground is all about how to make homes more enjoyable. Since it is difficult for us to imagine a house without plants, the idea of making objects that are dedicated to them came very quickly. So we started by drawing a plant holder and … a duet of chamans. They have met a success we were not expecting. Naturally, we’ve been drawing others to add to the collection.

The chamans are irresistible and so different from all the other objects usually adorning houseplants. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Oh, thank you ! As far as I can remember, I’ve been imagining and drawing little characters.

I love to invent characters with names and personalities of their own. I like them to look cunning and caring, fun and cute. They are like little friends who are always in a good mood.

How does a typical work day look like for you?

On a typical day, you can usually find me working in the workshop. We prioritize the preparation and shipping of orders, so that always comes first thing. Then we spend a lot of time making our products or custom creations. We usually work ten hours a day, but it really depends on the workload, which can vary a lot!

Occasionally I will work from home, pencil in hand, to draw the products to come.

Do you have a favorite houseplant?

I do not want to make others jealous, but I think I particularly like my two little avocado trees that I watched turning from pits to shrubs.

Where can people find you online?

We sell all our products directly in our online store, Miwitipee, and we ship (almost) everywhere in Europe.

Thank you for your time, Julia. To check out the chamans, click this way.

Photos by Lucie Paimblanc for Miwitipee

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

How do you feel about multitasking?

I’ll be honest, when it comes to fragmenting my time and spreading myself thin, I’m not a fan. On the other hand, if we’re talking about objects, that’s when I can get on board with multitasking. What’s better than buying or making something once, and having it perform multiple functions?

And one type of multitasking objects that’s quite popular in the design world is the modular concept.

Take, for example, the Ujo container sold by Dedal, a design studio based in Portugal.

Ujo’s modular character makes it easy to use in several different ways. Because Ujo is made out of a ceramic base, a lid and two middle modules, you can mix and match. Let’s start with using it as a vase, either for a bouquet of long-stemmed flowers – with all four components in place – or a more delicate bunch of spring floral arrangements – by removing one of the middle modules.

Then let’s imagine it as a flower planter, and you’ll see it gets even better. You start off with a little plant pup in the small container and, as your plant grows and thrives, all you have to do is add another module to lengthen the flower pot.

And if you’re keen on getting creative with its uses, it would make an excellent propagation station due to the orifice in the lid that can allow plant roots to dangle in water.

The entire line of items by Dedal is sustainably-produced in Portugal with a commitment towards preserving artisan skills and supporting local small businesses. And that’s something socially conscious houseplant lovers can get behind.

All images via Dedal Studio.

What do you use to propagate your plants in water?

As a self-professed jar hoarder, I oscillate between the uber-popular Bonne Maman jam jars, empty bottles of maple syrup or even the occasional mismatched coffee mug.

Does my propagation station look pretty? Most of the times, no. It does the job, but not in a “I want to stop and admire this every time I walk past” kind of way. And the inflexible sizes are an inconvenience. When I’m rooting avocado pits, I have to pierce them with toothpicks to have them hover above water. When I left pothos cuttings in water for too long, the roots grew so large and tangled that I couldn’t get them out of the bottle. The wow factor just isn’t there.

If I were looking for wow-factor galore, I’d turn my attention to this porcelain propagation station inserts by Polish artist Alicja Patanowska.

Alicja created this set of four propagation aids with hydroponics in mind. She got the inspiration for the Plantation set after the spent a month picking discarded glasses left behind by London partygoers. Early morning, she collected glass vessels from curbs, alleys, bus stops and benches. She then came up with a brilliant way to reuse the glasses as propagation stations, using ceramics inserts to turn the discarded into a green display.

How does the Plantation collection work?

You get a glass or an empty vessel of any kind, place the ceramics piece on top, add water and then add the plant that you’re rooting.

One of the shapes can even be used upside down, and turn a simple jar into a makeshift mini-greenhouse.

The Plantation collection is perfect for herbs, ornamental plants or just cuttings that you’re preparing for transfer into soil. And when you place them side by side, you get a nice plantation effect on your windowsill.

All photos by Sylvain Deleu

For more sustainably-designed plant accessories:

+ The Boskke Sky Planter

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ The lamp-terrarium ecosystem

+ The Calabash plant hanger made out of potato starch and sawdust

+ Brass airplant hangers from Fuxigold

+ Masumoss, the new Japanese plant art trend

+ Shinai, the minimalist wood plant hanger that grows with your plant

+ Ujo, the modular ceramics planter from Portuguese studio Dedal

What do you get if you blend the clean lines of Scandinavian design with the quirky sleekness of Dutch design?

Exhibit A: This elegant and streamlined plant hanger that plays with perspective.

The wood eco-plant hanger is designed and sold by All Things We Like, a Dutch eco-design label that focuses on playful and unique sustainable products. The entire plant hanger collection is inspired by midcentury Scandinavian design, but skillfully crafted with the help of modern techniques such as lasercutting.

With an eye towards sustainability standards, designer Janneke van der Heijden and her team use FSC-certified wood, and partner with local craftsmen and social enterprises to produce their items as locally as possible.

You can also buy a variety of porcelain flower pots from the same store.

The Utrecht-based studio believes in fair and honest design that inspires fun and sustainable choices.

In 2011, the design studio started with a line of wooden lasercut necklaces which quickly sold out and paved the way for creating more products out of wood, organic cotton, ceramics and biopaper. Nowadays, their products are sold in the trendiest concept stores in Europe and in their online store.

All photos via All Things We Like

For more sustainably-designed plant hangers:

+ The Boskke Sky Planter

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ The lamp-terrarium ecosystem

+ The Calabash plant hanger made out of potato starch and sawdust

+ Brass airplant hangers from Fuxigold

+ Masumoss, the new Japanese plant art trend

+ Shinai, the minimalist wood plant hanger that grows with your plant

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I will get a very small commission or referral fee at no additional cost to you. You can read more on my affiliate policy page. 

Let’s do a quick creativity exercise. If I gave you three pieces of solid oak and a roll of twine, what would you create?

It’s not a lot to go off, but that’s where the imagination of designer Julia Ravelomanantsoa and her dad, Marc, comes into play. The father-daughter team are the designers behind the French brand Miwitipee, and the creators of the Shinai plant hanger.

What we like about the the Shinai planter is that it grows with your plant. Oftentimes, when our plants thrive, we have to repot them to larger containers. And then we have to work out a game of flower pot musical chairs until plants, hangers and containers match in size again.

However, due to the flexible nature of the wood, the Shinai plant hanger adapts perfectly to pots up to 12 centimeters in diameter, for the small version, and 16 cm for the large version.

The Shinai planter is designed and manufactured in Toulouse, France, by a family-owned studio. The daughter-father team behind Miwitipee pay special attention to eco-friendly practices. The wood that they use is PEFC-certified solid oak – PEFC is the world’s leading certification dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management. True to the zero-waste credo of the design studio, you can plant the seeded paper labels that comes with the products and you’ll get a beautiful wildflower corner in its place.

Oh, and if the word shinai sounds familiar, it’s because the plant hanger is named after the weapon used in kendo practice that is made out of bamboo slats held at each end.

You can purchase the Shinai plant hanger straight from the studio, from select European retailers, or via Etsy. For more fun sustainably-made products from Miwitipee, make sure you follow them on Instagram.

All photos via Miwitipee.

For more sustainably-designed plant hangers:

+ The Boskke Sky Planter

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ The lamp-terrarium ecosystem

+ The Calabash plant hanger made out of potato starch and sawdust

+ Brass airplant hangers from Fuxigold

+ Masumoss, the new Japanese plant art trend

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

What do good designs have in common? They very often start with a juxtaposition of ideas woven together to create something new. This is the case with the latest houseplant trend coming from Japan – the Masumoss, winner of the 2017 Good Design Award.

The Masumoss combines elements of traditional Japanese culture in an innovative way: the masu – a wood box that was used to measure rice, the kokedama technique of keeping root structures watered and healthy, and the bonsai art form of plant pruning.

These three elements blend together in a new design by Keita Yamaga. The Masumoss is manufactured in Akiha, the Niigata Prefecture, which has been a major horticultural area for over four centuries.

Green’s Green, the company behind Masumoss, pays special attention to sustainable practices.

With the advent in popularity of kokedama and bonsai, the demand often leads to an ecosystem abuse, and overpicking of moss triggers the destruction of natural habitats. That’s why Masumoss uses eco-friendly moss that has been grown on moss farms that employ local farmers and make use of abandoned farmland.

The masu box is made out of sustainably harvested local wood, and the company reinvests part of the profits in forest management initiatives.

Taking care of a Masumoss art piece – we do believe it looks like art – might seem tricky. It’s actually as simple as taking watering it gently a couple of times a week when the moss looks dry.

The delicate and elegant Masumoss arrangement is currently available in Japan, Europe and North America.

Photos via Green’s Green and Premium Japan

For more well-designed plant hangers:

+ Brass airplant hangers from Fuxigold

+ Crystal suncatcher airplant holders

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ The Calabash plant hanger made out of potato starch and sawdust

+ Shinai, the minimalist oak hanger that grows with your plant

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I will get a very small commission or referral fee at no additional cost to you. You can read more on my affiliate policy page. 

I came across Cristina’s work when I was putting together a short guide on how to incorporate houseplants in wedding decor. I was scrolling through Etsy in an attempt to find ideas that would satisfy even the most persnickety of wedding organizers. And even in such a sea of impressive creations from gifted artisans, Cristina’s air plant hangers stood out.

The mobiles that Cristina makes out of brass have an air of elegance, simplicity and sophistication. Geometric yet fluid, sculptural yet free-flowing.

I reached out to Cristina to ask her about her creative process and what inspired her to create a line of home accessories for air plant collectors.

Hi, Cristina. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

I am an interior designer from Barcelona, but I’ve been based in Berlin for the past eight years. I have always loved plants and home decor. It runs in my family as my grandma was also a plants enthusiast. So I decided to start Fuxigold to combine the things that I really like: design, handmade work, plants and home decoration.

What made you want to become a metalsmith?

I always like experimenting with new materials and making objects, so I decided to take a goldsmith course and I started to make some jewelry. I learnt how to work with noble metals such as brass and silver. However, I find doing home décor objects more interesting.

Can you give us some insight into your creative process? How does a piece designed by you come to life?

In the case of air plant hangers, I decide which air plants I like the most, and then I design an air plant holder which fits with the style and form of the plant. Form follows the function. Then I create different designs for different uses for the air plant holders – there are hanging holders, wall sconces and plant stands. I use an old Scandinavian ornamental technique, so the holders or mobiles are called Himmeli (from the Swedish sky).

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I get my inspiration from geometrical forms, such as the Platonic solids or Johnson solids, and try to turn them into a minimal geometric object, in this case air plant holders.

Do you have a favorite houseplant (other than air plants, of course)?

I have a few. But recently I got a maranta leuconeura when I was visiting my family in Barcelona and I’m in love with the colors of the leaves.

Where can people find you online?

They can find my store on Etsy and if they want to keep in touch, they can also find me on Instagram.

Thank you for your time, Cristina.

All photos via Fuxigold.

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

What inspires you to create?

For the people behind Dutch design label Rescued!, it all started with empty olive oil tins waiting for garbage pickup behind a Greek restaurant. With a designer’s eye for transforming trash into treasures, the team repurposed the tins into stools.

And that was just the beginning. What followed was an entire line of home goods made out of repurposed materials that were previously destined for the landfill.

Take the Calabash plant hanger, for example. It may look like pottery, but it is in fact 3D-printed using a material that’s a combination of sawdust and potato starch.

The Calabash hanger blends the elegance and simplicity of Dutch design with the eco-friendliness of putting industry byproducts to good use. And if you still believe that repurposed products are not the prettiest out there, the attention to detail and the sexy curves of the Calabash will definitely change your mind.

The philosophy behind the line of Rescued! products is all about believing that every object can tell a story. You don’t just buy a mass-manufactured off-the-shelf item. Instead, you bring into your home something that has its own story, its own history, its own imperfections and dents.

This is more than just a reused product. It’s a story of transformation and reinvention. By people who care, for people who care. And in the case of Rescued!, they don’t care just about the looks, but also about the people who make the objects that we welcome into our houses. The products are manufactured by skilled craftsmen with disabilities,  housed close to the social workshop where the products come to life.

By the way, if the word calabash sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a synonym of gourd.

“Look at the world through positive eyes and you’ll see treasures everywhere,” is the Rescued! motto, and we’re happy to oblige.

All photos via Rescued!

For more well-designed plant hangers:

+ The Boskke Sky Planter

+ Botanical hanger inspired by nature and Gaudi

+ The lamp-terrarium ecosystem

+ Shinai, the minimalist oak hanger that grows with your plant

+ Masumoss, the new Japanese plant art trend

+ Sculptural air plant hangers from Fuxigold

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I will get a very small commission or referral fee at no additional cost to you. You can read more on my affiliate policy page.

What do you do when you have a serious crush on houseplants, but your living space doesn’t grow to accommodate this infatuation? Do you stop buying? Stop propagating? Stop exchanging cuttings with other plantaholics?

Or do you, for the sake of all things green and leafy, vow to defy gravity?

The answer is clear, we think.

When in doubt, go up.

Design studio Boskke came up with the perfect solution to the conundrum of balancing a love of houseplants with city living in cramped quarters. Their Sky Planter, already a best-seller at design fairs across the world, is making it into the apartments of city dwellers everywhere.

The suspended planter is made of smooth stoneware ceramic, or recycled plastic for a lighter and more affordable touch. With a slow flow irrigation system that gradually feeds water to the roots of the plant, the planter will relieve you from watering duties for two weeks at a time.

What kind of plants would thrive if suspended upside down?

Herb gardens, for starters, would have no problem with this arrangement. And hanging herbs above your food prep area might even encourage you to experiment with cooking with fresh herbs more. Viney plants, natural climbers in the wild, will also thrive upside down. You can safely add pothos, philodendron, ivy, tradescantia or jasmine to your planter. Also consider plants that love moisture but dislike soggy roots – ferns, arrowhead and orchids are among the most common houseplant with these characteristics.

The Sky planter helps conserve water and keep your plants alive when you’re away. Unless you’re Spiderman, there’s no shortage of space on the ceiling, so why not take advantage of this nifty design? (Hello, Spiderman! No disrespect here.) But remember, safety first. Hang the planter out of the way and secure it from a solid beam.

The design studio is based in New Zealand. But they also sell the Boskke planters on Amazon.

All photos via Boskke.

“It ended up crispier than bacon on a sizzle grill,” is how one of my friends described his experience of getting a houseplant and subsequently procrastinating on the whole watering aspect of owning said houseplant.

I didn’t know what advice to give him back then, other than hoping that he doesn’t bestow the same amount of care on his cat.

No matter how many “easy to grow houseplants” lists you find floating on the internet at any given time, there will always be houseplant owners who forget to water their plants. Or recovering overwaterers – such as myself – who underwater out of an abundance of care. Underwater for a month in the summer and you might end up with crispy-looking plants or specimens that turn pale (I’m looking at you, spider plant).

My friend is over his houseplant-killing phase, but if I knew then what I know now, I would point him in the direction of the Mygdal plantlight by Kiel-based Nui Studio.

The “plantlight” is a completely self-sufficient lamp-terrarium combo made out of mouth-blown glass by German artisans. Because the design is hermetically sealed, there is no evaporation, so there’s no need to water the plant inside. And because the design also doubles as a lamp, you can place it in a windowless room or a neon-lit office and the encased plant will survive. Once the LED lamp is on – for at least four hours a day – there’s no need for natural light for the houseplants inside to thrive.

The limited-series design is made in Germany and it’s the fruit of the labor of local artisans sharing decades of knowledge and tradition of glassblowing and metal spinning.

Is the plant trapped in the lamp forever? Not necessarily. If you want to change the display, you can do so by removing the aluminium parts and swapping the plant with another one.

Traditional craftmanship and modern design peppered with a dash of technology make the Mygdal lamp a timeless interior design accessory and a conversation starter, for sure.

Photos via Nui Studio by Erin Block Photography.

For more green designs, check out these vintage running shoe planters and a plantable pencil that blooms into daisies.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I will get a very small commission or referral fee at no additional cost to you. You can read more on my affiliate policy page. 

Let’s talk about pencils.

The neatest zero waste writing instrument I have used so far was a pencil made out of discarded – and recycled – Euro banknotes. But in the end, when it was all sharpened and gone, I was left with the pencil stub. Not exactly the best end-of-(pencil)-life solution.

Wait a minute. Why are we talking about pencils on a website about plants?

Because I want to introduce you to a pencil that becomes a plant. It’s called Sprout, the original plantable pencil, and it just skyrocketed to the top of my wishlist.

Here’s how it works: once you’ve sharpened the Sprout pencil to an unusable length, you can plant it in a flower pot with drainage, or out in the garden, and you’ll soon have non-GMO, high quality and easy to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables. The seed pot will sprout into fragrant herbs, colorful flowers or delicious cherry tomatoes. The pencil stub then becomes a plant tag and will eventually decompose if buried.

The fastest Sprout pencil germinates in one week, so if you’re impatient to see the transformation from pencil to plant, your best bet is to choose sunflower, red flax or cherry tomato pencils. Other options for the seeds include daisies, carnations, basil, thyme, sage and coriander.

The pencils are made from sustainably-grown PEFC/FSC-certified wood, biodegradable seed capsules and natural clay and graphite core.

The company is based in Denmark, so if you’re in the US, you can buy the plantable pencil from their Amazon store. If you’re in the European Union, you can buy the pencils directly via their website. The Sprout pencil is manufactured in Poland (for the European market) and in Minnesota (for the North American market).

And get this, for the colored pencils, the color of the plant that will sprout matches the color of the pencil.

Their website also lists a plantable eyeliner that’s vegan and made with ethically sourced materials. I’m not sure if it’s available in the United States yet, but do keep an eye out on the official store.

If you have a business, you can order personalized pencils engraved with your message. Ikea, Toyota, Marriott, Target and The European Parliament are a few of the organizations that used the Sprout pencils at their own sustainability events.

But I’m thinking, the personalized version of the planatable pencil would be a snazzy unique gift at a wedding.

All photos via Sprout

See, aren’t you glad we talked about pencils today?

If you want to read more about houseplants and gardening, hop on my once-a-month newsletter list. There’s no endless email sequence here. Just a monthly email to keep in touch and chat about plants.

What would you do with an old shoe?

Leave it by the dumpster. Maybe take it to a recycling center. Or most likely throw it in the back of the closet and forget about it until your next move.

What if we’re talking about Nike sneakers that hit the market in the 90s?

Luckily, Tokyo-based Kosuke Sugimoto took a different route. Inspired by the artistic decay of moss-covered ruins, the artist, also known as Shoetree on Instagram, is using vintage Nike running shoes as a growing medium for plants.

He buys vintage Nike shoes at auctions, painstakingly cleans them and coats the mesh of the shoes with moss. It can take up to three years for the moss to take over the mesh in a process that Sugimoto calls “justification of deterioration.”

The planter shoes are currently for sale at Japan-based pop-up stores and events.

For a closer look at the planters, check out this video featuring Shoetree on Play Tokyo and, of course, the artist’s own Instagram account.

All images via Shoetree.tokyo