Portable smart farm concept lets you plant veggies anywhere inside your home

Indoor gardening became quite a fad in recent years as people tried to cope with being stuck indoors for days at a time. But while the majority of this trend revolved around succulents and decorative plants that are easy to grow, it also presented an opportunity to start a trend of growing consumable greens indoors as well. Indoor planters try to offer this kind of convenience, but most of them tend to be large appliances no smaller than cabinets or shelves. Smaller households that want to grow a small number of verbs and vegetables might feel left out, but this concept tries to offer those same conveniences and smart features in a more portable design that you can literally put anywhere in your house, apartment, or room.

Designers: Deokhee Jeong, Yubin Choi, Youngnam Lee, Sewoom Hahn

Smart planters may sound simple but the amount of calculations they have to make can be quite complicated. They have to make sure that the plants are not just getting the right amount of LED light each day, they also have to distribute the right amount of water that the plants need, not less and definitely not more either. It’s no surprise, then, that many indoor planter appliances can be quite big, taking into account not only the water container and soil pots but also the electronics and mechanisms needed to make it work.

The POT version of the BalconyFarm planter condenses all those those into a farm that can fit on a small table or even a wide window sill. The box-like device has eight circular containers that can hold the potted plants, but in reality only six of these can be used at the same time, at least if gardening indoors. One spot is where you’ll set up the lamp, while the other circle is reserved for the water container. These two can be placed in any of the eight holes, making the proper arrangement of herbs and vegetables even easier.

Despite the petite size, the BalconyFarm POT has the same smart features as its bigger sibling. That means it knows exactly how to to distribute the water to plants, no matter which spot you place the water container on. Admittedly, there are a few disadvantages, though, like the uneven distribution of light from a single lamp and the lack of ventilation around the plants. On the flip side, you place this planter anywhere, so you can use the growing plants as a decorative centerpiece for your table or desk as well.

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Smart gardening pot concept makes growing plants indoors less stressful

There has been a new kind of hobby that gripped the world in the past few years, especially when people were forced to stay home for a few months. “Home gardening” was no longer limited to having a small plot of soil outdoors, especially if you can just grow them in pots indoors. That said, it’s a process that still requires a bit of work and effort, especially if you want to keep your plants alive long enough to enjoy the fruits (or leaves) of your labors. Unsurprisingly, a rather niche market of indoor planter appliances has popped up, some including pretty smart functions to boot. This concept tries to offer the same conveniences in a more aesthetic presentation, providing a painless experience of growing plants in an automated environment that looks great as a piece of home decoration as well.

Designer: Saiyami Jhaveri

Just like with plants grown outdoors, indoor plants need regular maintenance from watering, sunlight, and even protection from pests. You can do all of those manually, of course, and some people do enjoy the satisfying feeling of getting down and dirty with such tasks. Others, however, find the process too time-consuming and burdensome, especially if all they want is regular access to fresh herbs or beautiful green plants to liven up a space.

Ecobloom is a concept device that tries to take the drudgery out of this painstaking and laborious process. Almost all parts of that process are automated; all you really need to do is plant the greens and make sure the water tank at the top is filled. You don’t have to do guesswork on when it’s the right time to water the plants thanks to soil moisture sensors that determine the perfect moment for you. Drippers also make sure the plants don’t suddenly get drowned by dispensing the right amount of water as needed. And, of course, there are artificial “grow lights” that save you the trouble of having to put the pot out under the sun.

The smart gardening pot has an interesting function that you won’t always see in actual appliances. It is noted to have a built-in insect repellent to keep those pests away and protect your plants. The concept doesn’t exactly detail how this function works, but one can presume it will be using safe and scientifically tested methods that won’t harm humans and pets in the process.

What makes Ecobloom really interesting is the form it comes in. It uses three concentric circles at different heights, with the topmost acting as the water tank. This gives the appliance a more pleasing appearance compared to just boxes or compartments. Ecobloom can thus be also used to decorate a space, giving as much enjoyment to the planting process as simply watching the plants grow.

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Bring The Sunlight Into Your Homes Even Through The Night

Don’t get enough sunlight at home to grow your plants? This one is for you! In the ever-evolving world of smart technology, there’s a new contender that’s set to revolutionize the way we care for our indoor plants – Equinox. More than just a grow light, Equinox is a meticulously designed product that mimics the natural orbit of the sun, ensuring your pet plants receive the optimal light they need for robust growth and vitality.

Designer: Yechan Choi (Yekki)

Equinox takes its inspiration from the celestial dance of the sun around the Earth, specifically designed to replicate the sun’s position in the sky. The name itself, Equinox, signifies the time when day and night are of equal length, a crucial period in the natural world. This smart grow light is engineered to provide your plants with the same quality and intensity of light they would receive outdoors.

One of the standout features of Equinox is its ability to provide light at the same angle as the sun. This is achieved through a sophisticated system of LEDs that move in calculated angles over time. By utilizing sunrise and sunset time data, Equinox ensures that your plants receive the right spectrum of light throughout the day, promoting photosynthesis and fostering healthy growth.

Equinox goes beyond traditional grow lights by integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technology. With built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, you can effortlessly control the brightness and color temperature of the lights using a dedicated app on your smartphone. The app allows for easy customization, ensuring that your plants receive the perfect amount of light at any given time.

Adding an extra layer of convenience, physical dials on the Equinox device itself offer a tactile and intuitive way to adjust settings. This combination of high-tech connectivity and user-friendly controls makes Equinox accessible to all, from seasoned plant enthusiasts to those new to indoor gardening.

Equinox recognizes that your plants have different needs during the day and night. During the daytime, you can simulate the vibrancy of the outdoors with bright, clear light that encourages active photosynthesis. As night falls, you have the option to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere for both you and your plants by switching to warmer-colored light.

This adaptability ensures that your indoor space remains both functional and aesthetically pleasing, with Equinox seamlessly integrating into your daily routine. Equinox not only benefits your plants but also contributes to a more sustainable future. By providing the right amount of light precisely when needed, it minimizes energy waste, making it an eco-friendly choice for conscientious consumers.

Equinox is more than just a grow light; it’s a technological marvel that brings the beauty and precision of nature into your home. From its celestial design to its intelligent programming and user-friendly controls, Equinox sets a new standard for indoor plant care. Embrace the future of gardening with Equinox, and watch your plants thrive under its nurturing light.

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How this automated hydroponics indoor garden brings you healthy greens all year round

We’re all advised to add more fruits and veggies into our diets, but markets and even nature itself seem to be working against us. Fresh food is harder to come by, and going to supermarkets has become even more of a chore than it already was before. Online shopping is, of course, expensive, and we are rarely sure about the quality and safety of the greens we buy from stores. We’d plant these ourselves, but then we’d still be at the mercy of weather, seasons, and our aching backs. Thankfully, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore with this ingenious combination of nature and technology that lets you enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh, healthy food right inside your home, no matter the season.

Designer: Tilden Cooper (Assoc. AIA)

Click Here to Buy Now: $799 $1,599 ($800 off exclusive to YD readers only). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Growing plants indoors have become a bit popular in the past years as people found themselves stuck at home with very little to do outside of work or school. It didn’t take long for succulents to be replaced by edibles as the benefits of homegrown vegetables, herbs, and even fruits became more apparent. Growing these healthy greens the traditional way, however, is not only very difficult but also horribly inefficient, which is why an innovative product like Nutraponics is needed to make such a vital part of our nutrition practically effortless.

Nutraponics is what one would call an automated hydroponics garden system, which is to say it’s a self-sustaining indoor garden that uses water-based solutions instead of soil to grow plants. Of course, that barely scratches the surface of what Nutraponics can do, which is to grow, nurture, and monitor your darling veggies for you. All you need to do is plant the seeds, set the parameters you want, and practically forget it until it’s time to harvest those fresh, delicious, and nutritious greens.

This miracle garden appliance harnesses the power of multiple technologies, making them work in perfect harmony to ensure the growth of plants in its care. The Grow Ring that encircles the tower, for example, delivers a balanced light spectrum that supports all stages of a plant’s life cycle, from seedling to fruiting, in an energy-efficient manner that doesn’t generate too much heat. An electronically controlled water pump delivers nutrient-rich water directly to the roots of the plant using a patent-pending water distribution panel, ensuring that plants get the nourishing fluids they need exactly when they need it.

Best of all, all of these happen without requiring your attention or intervention, at least until it’s time to refill the water. That doesn’t mean you’re not part of the process though. Thanks to Nutraponics’ advanced and precise monitoring system, it can keep a close watch on important factors like temperature, pH levels, nutrient solution quality, water levels, and more. It will bring concerns to your attention before they become problems, allowing you to quickly step in to replenish the nourishing water or any other matter that needs to be resolved.

With Nutraponics, you can enjoy 3x faster plant growth and 40% greater yields, ensuring you’ll have a fresh supply of your favorite herbs and greens when you need them, all year round. And with its small footprint, this indoor garden doesn’t just get out of your way but also adds a beautiful piece of decoration to your home. Why settle for dubious and expensive supermarket greens when you can grow them quickly at home with minimal effort, thanks to the Nutraponics self-sustaining indoor garden.

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Odd planter concept lets you enjoy observing your plants grow in a fun way

Different people tried to cope with the pandemic quarantine in different and sometimes creative ways. While some were content to catch up with their TV shows and games, others took up new hobbies to while away the time. One of the more popular ones seems to have been growing plants indoors, which is not totally new but also not something adopted by the masses. Even here, there’s a variety of goals and purposes to indoor gardening, though a majority seems to have been focused on the more aesthetic benefits of having lush, green living things inside the home. Ironically, these people seldom go out of their way to grow those plants in equally aesthetic pots, something that this design concept tries to solve right from the start.

Designer: Adrian Min

You can’t just use any container to serve as a plant pot, of course, regardless of how pretty that container might be. There are a few factors to consider to allow a plant to thrive and survive, which is often what informs the design of a planter. These more functional planters, however, aren’t what you’d always call presentable, definitely nothing you’d proudly display on your table or shelf. That doesn’t have to be that way, though, and this “Odd Pot” concept marries form and function in a way that looks not only appealing but also playful.

It’s definitely an odd one for a pot, though mostly because of its unconventional shape. It comes as a tall bowl that stands on three short tapered legs. Instead of a typical brown clay, the pot seems to be made from some terrazzo material, probably ceramic. A removable disc knob juts out from the pot’s back and is the primary mechanism for its highlight feature.

This feature comes in the form of a half capsule that adds something interesting to the presentation while also giving the viewer a different way to look at the plant in the pot. This “cover” is made from glass but has different textures as well as transparencies. One is completely smooth and transparent, while another is smooth yet frosted. Perhaps the curious one is the ribbed clear glass that adds an interesting play of light with its reflections and refraction.

While the Odd Pot retains pretty much the exact same function of a regular planter, its form takes the presentation to the next level. With its stumps for legs and an “arm” that extends from its body, it almost looks like an anthropomorphic version of a planter. It might even remind some of the “sus” characters from a popular game from the past year or two. Granted, the pot’s design isn’t going to be conducive to all kinds of plants, particularly the ones that grow tall or wide. But for most succulents, it will do just fine and will even add a bit of character to your plant decoration.

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This self-watering indoor planter is constructed from porous materials to prevent the spread of mold

Mate is a self-watering indoor planter constructed from porous materials with a water basin that allows plants to deliver water to their roots at their own pace.

Indoor planters have taken off in recent years, mostly due to how much more time we’re spending at home. While you can’t beat a home garden, indoor planters and gardens offer a unique alternative for those who’d prefer a bit of green to spruce up their living room or access to fresh herbs and vegetables for cooking in the kitchen.

Designer: Umberto Calle

Self-watering indoor planters use a method of irrigation called sub-irrigation that delivers water directly to the plant’s roots, allowing plants to drink water at their own pace. Italian product and industrial designer Umberto Calle found functionality through simplicity with his self-watering indoor planter called Mate.

Comprised of only four pieces, Mate hosts a transparent bottom that functions as the device’s water basin for the upper layers to absorb from when needed. Users need only fill the water basin when levels are too shallow and then the plant’s roots drink from this reservoir whenever necessary. Fastening into this bottom layer, Calle designed an outer pot to cover the main planter, which works to supply the soil with plenty of air.

The main planter locks into the outer pot and carries the soil for the crops. Alternatively, the outer pot can lock into place above the main planter to make room for larger plants, augmenting the device’s size from 1.5 to 15 L. At the base of it all, Mate has a removable button that detaches the non-stick cake pan to initiate the reporting process.

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Many self-watering planters currently on the market are known to cause root rot because of the material used to construct them. Mate is made from porous materials like clay and concrete to allow for breathable plant cultivation. To prevent the widespread mold problem that most indoor planters face, Calle chose porous building material specifically to divide the water and air flows.

Comprised of only four pieces, Mate is built to do the hard of plant cultivation so all you have to do is show some love. 

Mate comes in two sizes, 1.5L and 15L.

The main water basin collects water for plants to drink from and nourish their roots when needed. 

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This concrete restaurant merges brutalist architecture with a vertical garden design for an inviting green vibe!

Walking into the Loop Design Studio’s Playground Restaurant, patrons will feel transported to some whimsical greenhouse somewhere in the middle of their concrete city.

When a new restaurant opens up, it has the potential to change the entire vibe of your neighborhood. Restaurants have to make sense of the neighborhood they come into and contribute something new to it. The new Playground Restaurant in the commercial hub of Chandigarh, India tries to do just that by incorporating familiar brutalist and modernist interior design elements and blending those with blooming plant life to give the recognizable concrete look playful, green energy.

A cinder block wall forms an irregular building pattern and merges a concrete look with a vertical garden of potted plants. Overhead, a translucent glass ceiling disperses soft light, and the surrounding walls, plotted with concrete planters and greenery, aerate the restaurant’s open-air space. While markings of the city’s modernist origins appear throughout the restaurant, those are juxtaposed with key biophilic design elements.

The industrial ceiling is softened with vintage hanging lamps and surrounding greenery. Even the walls, made from protruding cinder blocks, are bustling with vines and plant life. The cinder blocks assemble an irregular pattern, stacked on top of one another at varied orientations. Loop Design Studio filled the blocks’ exposed cores with vintage glass Edison light bulbs that emanate warm, golden light and the blocks that jut out from the wall with potted plants.

The wall between Playground Restuarant’s cinder block walls is lined with audio cassette tapes. A woodfire oven sets the stage for the restaurant’s elevated, cozier corner that features terracotta flooring with polished cobalt blue tiles.

Rustic, mismatched wooden tables fill the interior of the Playground, enhancing its cozy appeal. Flanking both sides of a wall lined with audio cassette tapes, the cinder block walls create a sort of shelf system which Loop Design Studio filled up with warm lighting fixtures and plenty of different potted plants, like dracaena and evergreen vines.

The restaurant’s lounge area features webbed woodwork and brass accents to evoke a darker, more romantic mood. By tapping into Chandigarh’s brutalist cityscape while embracing the natural playfulness of biophilic design, Loop Design Studio established a restaurant that feels familiar and sheds new light on the city’s ingrained concrete personality.

Designer: Loop Design Studio

This hydroponic planter uses water from dishwasher, washing machine, and toilet to grow plants

It’s long been established that gray water can be used for irrigating veggies and plants, provided the edible part of the plant remains untouched by it. This is important since water from washing machines, dishwashers, etc can have traces of chlorine, grease, salt et al. – which can be harmful to it. Yet, the use of graywater for irrigation, not only benefits in saving water, but it also ensures less dirty water contaminates the local water bodies. There have been numerous examples of people using used water in gardens, now an avid designer has conceived an idea of a planter that uses water from household facilities for growing plants.

Dubbed “Grow”, this is a hydroponic system for nurturing plants, herbs, and more utilizing water from dishwashers, washing machines, and toilets. The designer’s motive behind such a design is to offer indoor gardeners a more conscious way to water their greens. While using graywater for watering indoor plants sounds like a perfect idea, the initial information about the Grow proves a different scenario.

From how it’s presented; when the water is flushed, fresh water flowing into the tank is first pulled by the planter system for irrigation and then it returns to the flush. This outrightly suggests that the Grow is not basically using graywater, instead, its utilizing fresh water for its needs. This may work beyond the idea of a worthy planter for the environmentally friendly; it for an instance sticks with us for the convenience of watering it offers. How the system checks the situation of overwatering or other tad bits of gardening, is something that still needs to come to light. Nonetheless, Grow does gives the notion of bringing nature into the home a new dimension!

Designer: Gal Kuflik

This multilevel indoor planter + lamp is the evolution for a millennial plant lover’s home!

Plants are vital for a fresh inside environment, and the whole aspect of bringing nature indoors makes them worth all the effort. While in yesteryears simple planters were the norm, modern times call for indoor planters that go way beyond their intended purpose. Gökçe Nafak impressed us with the Lumiso desk planter that doubled as a lamp, and now, riding on the accolades of the cool accessory Gökçe has created another design that is well suited for bigger homes.

This is the GreenVita indoor planter which brings tenfold the greenery into your home – you can grow indoor plants or veggies in this exquisitely designed accessory that also functions as a lamp to give your space the right amount of ambiance. Place it by your desk or in the open lounge space alongside your aquarium, and you’ll feel that sense of calm when you finally retreat to comforting rest. The grow-light of GreenVita makes sure the plants and veggies get the needed light spectrum to bloom in all seasons.

It’s been designed to easily water the plants by pulling out the tray at two-level which can be loaded with different plants on one level and the veggies on another. The air perforations on both sides let out the optimum amount of fresh oxygen to keep the indoors free from any airborne bacteria. Rounded wheels on the bottom let you move the indoor planter to any corner of your home without much problem, and that’s great keeping in mind your plants will require to be exposed to natural sunlight every once in a while.

Designer: Gökçe Nafak

This tiny vegetable cultivator is an indoor garden for one, bring fresh food to your table!

Now more than ever, I think we’re all itching to get outdoors to spend time in nature. Enjoying the natural pleasures of life, like gardening and cooking, has become a top priority for many of us. However, being stuck inside due to quarantine restrictions can make that difficult. I know I hardly have room on my window ledge for a hummingbird feeder, let alone a vegetable garden and I’m not the only one. Designers like Eun-Jeong Pi attempt to bridge the small spaces in which many of us live with our strong desires to still remain close to nature and live sustainably – Farmin, a smart vegetable cultivator designed by Pi, offers one such bridge.

Farmin is comprised of four main parts: the body, cover, seedling bags, and an LED lid. The body is definitely the hub of the vegetable cultivator, storing the soil, seedling bags, and water inlet. Along the left side of the body, an LED indicator signals to users when the soil in Farmin could use some water, which can then be distributed using the water inlet until filled completely. Then, on the right side, the body features an air filter that helps maintain the cultivator’s productivity and regulate the air that the plants breathe.

Dotted over the body’s surface, seedling bags provide good drainage and aeration for each cultivation period. Farmin’s transparent, yet foggy cover alludes to the morning fog in nature that nestles above evergreens in dense forests, working to remind users that their miniature vegetable garden can bring them closer to nature. Of course, the cover also works to contain the vegetable garden’s mature plants so that they don’t wilt or make a mess of your kitchenette. I know mine is already messy enough without any spilled soil. An LED lid also works to mimic sun rays for each vegetable to absorb and use as nutrients.

Nowadays, many of us have painted our thumbs green (even if the paint was toxic), and designs like Eun-Jeong Pi’s smart vegetable cultivator, Farmin provides the means to test them out and give smart home gardening a try. Millennials seemed to have been following this trajectory towards sustainable living for a while now and this time spent in quarantine has only solidified our dreams of cultivating our own small garden one day. Alexa, play ‘Garden Song’ by Phoebe Bridgers.

Designer: Eun-Jeong Pi

With the popularity of home gardening steadily increasing over the years, Eun-Jeong Pi created their own solution for small-scale gardening fit for your kitchen counter.

Through different ideations, Farmin ultimately assumed a soft and simple structure, allowing for intuitive operability and attractive display.

With an easy-to-use hinge door, Farmin hopes to help make home vegetable cultivation that much more accessible and the fruits of your labor that much more immediate.

An LED display offers different modes of operation, depending on the natural light that your vegetable garden might already be receiving. Turn on ‘Night Mode,’ when the sun goes down so that your home cultivator’s available light is maintained.

A slim water inlet allows users to nourish their garden with water, while an LED indicator signals when your soil might need some replenishment.

Farmin’s accompanying app provides users with the means to adjust the conditions inside Farmin so that their plants remain well-fed, while also offering fun tips for recipes and plant care.