Tag Archives: flowers

LEGO® Botanicals to release four new collections for your inner florist

Posted on by

While it would be nice to always have fresh flowers adorn your homes, there are several reasons why not all of us can have that. It can either be too expensive to constantly have to replace them or if you’re like me, you have a black thumb and they may not last that long. An alternative to this would be to have artificial or plastic ones but wouldn’t it be more fun if you could “build” your own?

Designer: LEGO®

This is what LEGO® has discovered with the success of their hugely popular Botanicals collection. It’s not kids and geeks who have fun with all these builds but even those who believe plants and flowers are relaxing. It’s so popular that it now has its own logo and specific theme. For next year’s collection, they are adding four new sets: the LEGO® Botanicals Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet, the LEGO® Botanicals Mini Orchid, the LEGO® Botanicals Lucky Bamboo and LEGO® Botanicals Flower Arrangement. They will be available for pre-orders at the very start of 2025.

The LEGO® Botanicals Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet includes 15 flower stems and foliage including some of the most popular pink flowers like daisies, roses, cymbidium orchids, waterlily dahlia, etc. The stems are adjustable and this set can be combined with other bouquets. The LEGO® Botanicals Mini Orchid meanwhile features five orchid flowers that are in bloom and some that are still buds. it also has a terracotta flowerpot on a wood-effect plinth so you can display it beautifully.

The LEGO® Botanicals Lucky Bamboo is for those that find it relaxing to have a bamboo plant in the room but can’t keep an actual one. This includes three green bamboo stems, pebbles, a plant pot, and a wood-effect plinth. Lastly, the LEGO® Botanicals Flower Arrangement has several flowers in the set including camellia, peonies, hydrangeas, baby’s breath, ranunculus, bouvardia and lilies. This is the ultimate collection for those who want to explore their inner florist without wasting actual flowers.

The post LEGO® Botanicals to release four new collections for your inner florist first appeared on Yanko Design.

Pollinator’s Paradise: How to Attract Bees and Butterflies to Your Garden

Posted on by

A pollinator garden serves as a sanctuary for humming bees, birds, and other beneficial insects that carry pollen from one part of a flower to another. In addition, pollinators play a crucial role in fertilizing plants, are responsible for the production of seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and make an indispensable contribution to our ecosystem. As we know, the overall population of pollinators has been on the decline, therefore it is essential to create a garden and other spaces where pollinators can thrive. Apart from bees, other wildlife species like moths, wasps, and beetles, help in the transfer of pollen and form the driving force behind the creation of a healthy habitat. This step-by-step guide will help you to create your own pollinator’s garden.

Image courtesy of: davidcharouz

Introduce Native Plants

To attract a variety of pollinators to the garden, it’s crucial to choose native plants that can thrive in the local soil and climate. Butterflies love native species of plants so consider planting a diverse selection of flowers that bloom at different times throughout the growing season. The overlapping flowering schedule will ensure that flowers are available for pollinators from spring to fall. Select plants that continuously bloom throughout the season so that they can provide pollinators with nectar and pollen all season long. In this way when one plant stops flowering the other one does. Consider perennials as they comparatively require less maintenance when compared to other plants. Additionally, they are hardy plants that can survive on average rainfall and can come back year after year, making them an ideal choice for any garden.

Choose Between Seeds or Plants

Seeds can be a cost-efficient option, especially for larger gardens, although they require a longer wait time. To use seeds, it is recommended to distribute them in the fall or late winter before the summer growing season, allowing ample time for germination. On the other hand, purchasing plants from a nursery may require a higher initial expense, but they often yield quicker results and can attract pollinators to your garden within the same growing season.

Grow Colorful Flowers

Nature has designed the flowers beautifully where colored flowers in hues of red, yellow, and orange are most appealing to bees and other flying insects. Factors like colors, shapes, and sizes make certain flowers more appealing to bees and butterflies. Note that selecting plants with colorful blooms not only adds visual appeal to a garden, but it also plays a crucial role in attracting pollinators by giving them a signal of food, particularly hummingbirds that are drawn to red and orange varieties.

Image courtesy of: MyLove4Art

Arrange Flowers in Groups

Pollinators flutter from flower to flower, aiding plants in reproduction so there should be at least three to five groups of pollinator plants. It will create beautiful layers of color and all the insects shall be spaced out and have access to plenty of food and nectar. Additionally, the shape and form of flowers are important factors to consider, as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees tend to prefer flowers with a tubular form. Make a note that small flowers may not be able to bear the weight of larger butterflies and butterflies with shorter proboscises may not reach the nectar in deep, tubular flowers. Therefore, it’s recommended to include a mix of flowering plants to attract a diverse group of these beautiful creatures to your garden.

Image courtesy of: ipolly80

Create Sunny and Shady Spots

As flowering plants can thrive in both shade and sunlight, introduce a combination of shady and sunny areas. Make a note that butterflies and some other pollinators are cold-blooded and require sunlight to become active. Hence butterflies love to bask in the sun as they flit from one garden to another, pollinating plants along the way. Many of their preferred wildflowers for a pollinator’s garden flourish in areas with full or partial sun exposure, along with some shielding from the wind. One can create a balanced garden by going for foliage-based plants like grasses alongside a combination of flowering and foliage.

Say No to Pesticides

Avoid using pesticides or insecticides on plants and explore alternative solutions instead of resorting to chemical sprays to prevent environmental contamination. Some of the less-toxic alternatives include diatomaceous earth, neem oil, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which can effectively combat pests. Plant lemon grass to keep mosquitoes at bay and avoid planting plants like the rose plant that require the use of pesticides to protect them from bugs.

Include a Bird Bath

Pollinators need water so introduce a bird bath that will help insects to perch water so set up a shallow dish, bowl, or birdbath with half-submerged stones as perches. Add small rocks or sand on the edges of the wet patch to provide perches for butterflies to drink without landing in the water. Surround it with plants or hide it at ground level to reduce evaporation rates and keep the water there longer. Note that if the bird bath is deep the insects may drown. Consider installing bird feeders and nesting boxes to attract local birds.

What are the best Flowers for attracting pollinators to the garden?

One can enhance the chances of attracting pollinators by choosing the right flowers. Certain species of flowering plants contain nectar and pollen that makes them attractive to pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Here is a selection of the best flowers for attracting pollinators to your garden:

• Butterfly bushes (Buddleia) are irresistible to butterflies and easy to care for but can be invasive. Opt for sterile cultivars and consider their sprawling growth when choosing a planting spot. Dwarf types are available for a neater look.

Image courtesy of: antony-robinson

• Coneflower (Echinacea) is a top butterfly and bee-attracting flower that adds a pop of color to your garden and stands out when planted among low-growing perennials.

Image courtesy of: Annu1tochka

• Pot marigolds are a fast-growing plant that produces blooms lasting up to eight weeks during summer.

Image courtesy of: jozrilic

• Black-eyed Susan, an iconic wildflower of North America, was one of the earliest domesticated garden flowers with its stunning golden yellow blooms and striking black centers that captivate the eye. It is one of the favorite flowers of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Image courtesy of: wirestock

• Lavender is a perennial with a sweet fragrance and is a great choice for attracting pollinators. The plant bears tall and fragrant purple spikes of blooms, originating from the Mediterranean, it is drought-resistant and can tolerate heat.

Image courtesy of: wirestock

• Sunflowers look beautiful and are a vibrant and delightful addition to a garden, luring bees and butterflies with their bright colors. The best part about sunflowers is that their large bloom works like a magnet for butterflies and bees.

Image courtesy of: nelsonart

• Penta’s flowers, perched atop deep green leaves, are irresistible to butterflies and hummingbirds, with plants growing up to 18-24 inches tall and 10-15 inches wide.

Image courtesy of: wirestock

• Joe-Pye Weed, a tall plant with lush foliage, is perfect for adding architectural interest to flower borders and attracting many butterflies, with the ‘Gateway’ variety reaching up to six feet in height.

Image courtesy of: wirestock

Watching butterflies and other pollinators enjoying your garden may take some patience, but the result is well worth it. It’s important to maintain your garden by regularly weeding and watering it to ensure its vitality.

The post Pollinator’s Paradise: How to Attract Bees and Butterflies to Your Garden first appeared on Yanko Design.

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

Posted on by

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.

Lego Cherry Blossoms lets you have spring in your house soon

Posted on by

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.

The post Lego Cherry Blossoms lets you have spring in your house soon first appeared on Yanko Design.

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

Posted on by

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!

The post Self-Cleansing Antimicrobial Vase Uses Centuries-Old Technique Involving Copper To Make Your Flowers Last Longer first appeared on Yanko Design.

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

Posted on by

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.

The post Flower-inspired vases are designed to accentuate the beauty of the flora first appeared on Yanko Design.

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

Posted on by

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!

The post This copper tubes vase lets you create a lovely minimalist flower arrangement first appeared on Yanko Design.

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

Posted on by

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.

The post Surface Pro 9 Liberty Special Edition lets artistry bloom on your 2-in-1 tablet first appeared on Yanko Design.

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

Posted on by

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.

The post Preserve or dry flowers in this frame-like device to add some floral magic to your interiors first appeared on Yanko Design.

Realistic Heart Flower Vase: Love In Bloom

Posted on by

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]