Do you want to see your walls beginning to come alive with greenery?

Getting your home to smell and look fresh is a really tiresome task?

That means that you didn’t find out about handy innovations like the Vertical Living Walls, designed by Giulio Sbarigia, which will certainly make  all of the above possible by bringing the freshness of a garden in your home.

Designed to purify and cleanse the air inside closed spaces naturally, the wall-mounted planters can easily house air-cleansing greens such as Edera, Ficus, Vaudosie and Nephrolepsis. Retractable wheels make moving the planters almost effortless while water vaporizers and an in-built LED backlight help create a calm and relaxed ambiance inside your home.

The water vaporizers in the Vertical Living Walls help recycle the air inside homes more naturally and without any of the side effects that chemical based air purifiers may have. And since the design is created to be mounted on the wall, it takes up less floor space, while adding to the décor beautifully.

The design exists for the time being only as a concept though the sheer appeal of the innovation warrant that it should be commercially produced in the future. As a costumer i can’t wait to see it into stores and be able to purchase it.

Fletcher & Myburgh

Both artists have been led by their desire for a natural and organic lifestyle and by choosing precious recycled metals they’ve achieved a just this. By drawing inspiration from the terrains in which they both grew up, rolling hills and curving lanes, heat and sunshine, the passion for form is evident. The result is uber chic pieces of copper and fire that work with all the elements, come rain or shine.

Fletcher & Myburgh’s magical mood swings draw their inspiration from nature and the world of fantasy and wonderment.

The Fletcher & Myburgh Swing Collection contains seven awesome types of swings as it follows:

Jasmin Swing

The classic Jasmin swing is the most delicate of Fletcher and Myburgh’s mystical swings. Its twisted curls of wrought iron create a blissful hanging retreat that let’s you just go with the flow. The best thing about this swing is that although it looks delicate it can carry more than one, so pile in, share abedtime story, escape or just float.

Imagine being able to climb into a tree and become a part of it. Twist yourself in scents of Jasmin and just float for a while? Sounds good doesn’t it? Well imagine no longer. The classic Jasmin swing is the most delicate of Fletcher and Myburgh’s mystical swings. Its twisted curls of wrought iron create a blissful hanging retreat that let’s you just go with the flow. Climb into the wicker basket, curl up in the Indian Silk cushions and swing magically in the breeze. No oak tree in town? Don’t worry as the Jasmin weighs in at just 45kg, a small apple tree is perfect too. If you’ve fallen in love with the Jasmin but have no trees or outside space, fear not…it’s also possible to buy a stand, alternatively wall brackets, beams and conservatory roofs are frequently used.

Bubble Swing

The Bubbles swing is the ultimate tree accessory for anyone wishing to float away in the privacy of his or her own garden. One of the more recent designs, it fuses a modern eclectic circular design with delicate stainless steel metal work. Can you imagine clambering into your own private bauble? Imagine no longer as here it is and after a very rock and roll journey too! Have you ever just wanted to run off and hide in your own bubble, escape from the rat race and return to a childlike freedom in a, well, grown up way? Well you can and all with a very stylish and ephemeral twist!

The Bubbles swing is the ultimate tree accessory for anyone wishing to float away in the privacy of their own garden! These swings not only form a permanent art fixture in your garden but are also the ultimate rock and roll party accessory.

Mypod Swing

The most adventurous creation to date this swing is not only an architectural triumph but also a visionary
masterpiece. Sitting in this piece gives you a feeling of utter escape both in movement and sound. The newest member of the mood family its ridges of pure golden copper encircle you and you’ll find the swing magically turning itself into an acoustic cocoon.

In ridges of pure golden copper that encircle you, the swing turns itself into an acoustic cocoon. Not only is it an architectural and visionary masterpiece it also gives you the sense of utter escape both in movement and sound. When you climb into this swing and sink into the bed of cushions inside you enter a world that totally envelopes you…a throwback to the moment you feel the sensation of hearing your favourite song, smell a childhood memory or escape in your head to a tropical beach.

Ostara Swing

Suspended from either a tree or the circular stand, the Ostara swing is the ultimate swing for two. Nestled inside you can escape the elements and really curl up in its beaten copper walls. The two tone effect looks stunning as an art piece but even better with company – a seductive copper cocoon, which lets you go with the flow.

Suspended from either a tree or the circular stand, the Ostara swing is the ultimate swing for two. Nestled inside you can escape the elements and really curl up in its beaten copper walls. The two-tone effect looks stunning as an art piece but even better with company – a seductive copper cocoon, which lets you go with the flow.

Moon Swing

With its gorgeous full and half moon feel, detailed copper lining and blissful comfort this piece provides total escape, a quiet place to rest away from everyday life. Hang it beneath the bows of a huge tree at the bottom of a garden, amongst the woods or in an open space from one of the specially made frames.

Pumpkin Swing

The pumpkin swing allows you to climb in and sit within its gorgeous copper ridges ensuring the perfect hidey-hole feel. A wonderful enclosed space has been created in its walls and with extras like a 12-volt light, shaped windows and a secret music box at your fingertips – it really is the smashing pumpkin of the swing world. What’s more, you don’t have to keep it to yourself…

These awesome Swing could be the perfect choice for your garden or any of your outdoor space. Swings are perfect for both children and grown ups so don’t worry if you are an adult and sometimes feel the need to swing, swing.. SWING!

In 1986 Peter had the idea of growing a chair. Nine years later Peter and Becky became partners. Pooktre was born. Together they have mastered the art they call Pooktre, which is the shaping of trees as they grow in predetermined designs. Some are intended for harvest to be high quality indoor furniture and others will remain living art. And this is how a beautiful story started…

Pooktre is the art of gently shaping trees as they grow. The designing and setting up is fundamental to the success of the piece. The growing of the idea is the magic of time bringing the piece to fruition. The tree’s growth is guided onto predetermined design pathways. This is a very gentle but time consuming way of shaping.

The tree species that they have used the most is wild plum (Prunus myrobalan). They have been trailing Black Cheery (Prunus Serotina) and they are happy with the process so far. The type of tree is not the reason for the even and balanced growth however – it’s the method of shaping the trees that results in even or uneven growth. They guild out tree’s growth onto predetermined design pathways. They “evolved their techniques of shaping trees in complete isolation from the rest of the world”. With their techniques they know what will or won’t work and they can reproduce any of their pieces.

About a year ago they decided to write a book about their process Knowledge to grow shaped trees. This book consists mainly of photos with explanation text. It goes through how to choose a tree type to the finished piece. They are “flat out trying to finish the book and they plan to release it as a printed book and then an ebook”.

Peter and Becky have two different styles of art. One is the trees that are to remain alive and the other is the trees the are to be harvested so that they can be enjoyed indoors. The shaping of the tree takes place in the first few years, depending on the length of the piece as to the time needed. Once the shaping is finished most people don’t see the tree/trees and will walk right pass the young trees. The trees need to mature in girth before people notice them. A grown neck piece takes about 1 year from seedling to be ready to be worn. Other pieces have taken 8 or 10 years before they mature enough be photographed. The people trees are one example. Most of our pieces take 8 to 10 years as we like to do the bigger projects. Their photos have the date of planting marked on them for the living pieces. The harvested pieces have the date of planting and harvest marked on them.

As they have two types of art, the moving process is different for each type. For the living pieces they grow, when the piece reaches the perfect moment they transplant it to the new owner as in for the harvested one, they just cut it off and transport it.

Their work has only been shown once, at the World Expo 2005 in Japan. After that, they have been told that the effect of their trees on the bonsai community has been profound. The producer of the Growing Village John Gathright said that they have the most refined pieces in the world, and that they rarer that the finest jewels.

A word from the artists who create Pooktre: “Most people seem to think tree shaping takes too long. That’s not how it should be viewed, rather think of it like this: the time you spend shaping a tree is captured by the tree, then amplified. Twenty, thirty, fifty or maybe a few hundred years from now people will be able it see a tree shaping that you did today. Whether or not you chose to shape a tree, the time passes.”

The system let you know if you have over watered the plant and automatically drains the excess water. The pot also has a USB connection using which you can record the moods of your plant, plus it also recharges the batteries for the system.

The smiley faces make you have the sensation that your plant is now your friend, The Digital Pot helps the plant to comunicate it’s needs.

Add a new dimension to your garden with Ecocube.

How does your garden grow? Simple – with ecocube.

Perfect for those with limited outdoor space, ecocube is a contemporary garden space made from sustainable cedar wood and bespoke to your garden. Relax, entertain, and give your garden space to grow with ecocube.

Create your ecocube in 3 easy steps

1. Pick a suitable space in your garden, then choose the right ecocube frame size to fit.

2. Select the position and number of screens to blend in with your garden. How you position your screens is very important – it can help you create a sense of depth and space or privacy and enclosure. But if you’re not sure, don’t worry, we’ll help you.

3. Finally, decide how many planter boxes you think you’ll need and whether you’d like a roller canopy. Each planter is 1m in length giving you generous space so you can grow your garden upwards rather than outwards.

A typical ecocube costs in the region of £8,000+VAT ex delivery.

]]> http://www.designshell.com/articles/gardening/get-a-bigger-garden-with-ecocube.html/feed 0 http://www.designshell.com/articles/gardening/jurassic-coast-garden.html http://www.designshell.com/articles/gardening/jurassic-coast-garden.html#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:23:55 +0000 admin http://www.designshell.com/?p=271

Did you ever think how it would be if you could rebuild a corner of nature which existed millions of years ago? This is the idea from which Nick Williams-Ellis started. He realized in 2006 a garden with which he participated at the design contest Chelsea Flower Show and won the silver medal. Important is not only the original idea but also the fact that he wanted to bring in the attention of the public the necessity to conservate zones and species of natural importance.

As well as using exotic plant material transported from the Sub Tropical Gardens at Abbotsbury, stone and fossil remains from the Purbeck quarries will also feature within this garden and will hint at the incredible environment that once characterised these shores some 150 million years ago.

The Jurassic Coast Garden has as its background a wild garden of sub-tropical vegetation scrambling over a rocky landscape. This represents its prehistoric past when this area was densely covered by tropical vegetation of giant cypress and monkey puzzle trees, cycads and lush ferns. In the foreground this wildness is tamed into a much more designed and man-made setting with close mown grass and cultivated beds, such as can be found at Abbotsbury Sub Tropical Gardens today.

The design of the garden takes the ammonite as its key motif. The line of the path and the seat around the tree reflect this spiral shape. The oak seat will be finely detailed on the leading edge to reflect the distinctive ribbing of an ammonite. The path will be of specially cut, pale grey Purbeck stone and contrasting Lyme Bay pebbles, suggesting the appearance of a sliced ammonite, but unwinding into a more broken, spine-like path that leads to the rough scree garden at the back.

Water is an important element in the design. In the garden, water will cascade into a naturalistic pool and then run along a shallow stream bed, laid with ripple-surfaced Purbeck stone from prehistoric waterways. As the water nears the front of the garden it will be canalised between cut stone. In addition, a discreet trackway of dinosaur footprints, specially loaned from the quarry where they were found will weave through the garden from front to back as a reminder of our connection with the distant past.

The planting will be the dominant feature of the garden. This, too, will reflect the transition from wildness to cultivation, from the prehistoric to the modern plant. Some plants – such as ginkgo and ferns – with prehistoric origins, will populate the back of the garden, while the foreground will contain more modern and floriferous hybrids. The planting will demonstrate the unusual range of sub-tropical and half-hardy material, much of it having dramatic foliage and texture, which is successfully grown at Abbotsbury today.

This is Nick Williams-Ellis’ first time at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Nick set up his own garden design business after moving to West Dorset 11 years ago and counts himself as incredibly fortunate to be doing a job that gives him so much pleasure.

The Foldable Greenhouse is a project designed by Daniel Schipper. It is a light-weight, flexible, modular greenhouse, made of recyclable plastics, especially suitable for small spaces like city houses, balconies, roof terraces or town gardens.

The folding greenhouse is a frameless folding construction made of different components of recyclable plastic which can be folded flat or expand when required.

There are many reasons to have house plants in your home. Plants can do more than adding a decorative touch to your house, they can also add energy to your room and help you feel less stressed. We should also pay attention to what our ancestors have known for centuries, plants are not just ornaments and at some level we are connected to them so much that on cohabitating with them makes us healthier and less stressed. Studies show that there are at least 6 reasons why you should have plants in your home.

1. Plants have been proven to reduce stress so well that a single glance at a plant lowers your heart rate. In addition to this plants lower blood pressure and reduce muscle tension related to stress.
2. Studies show that plants help people relax and focus, resulting in increased productivity, creativity, idea generation, and problem solving capabilities. In fact, the presence of plants helps so much that it has been shown to relieve the symptoms experienced by children with ADD.
3. Plants have been known to help increase the humidity in our homes, this helps to keep the air in our home from getting too dry. Sometimes when the air is too dry we can get more colds and flus.
4. Plants help patients recovering from surgery and ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
5. 5. Plants have also been known to help clean the air around your home. Plants take harmful pollutants out of the air. Some people have recommended that you should keep several house plants in your home just for keeping the air in your home cleaner.
6. It is said that house plants can also reduce the noise in your home. So if you live in a loud area put out a few plants around your windows to reduce some of the noise you will get in to your home.

More than ever, water conservation is becoming a global concern. Even North American cities are facing issues of drought, shortages and the rising cost of water. The goal of this project is to develop a water conservation solution that functions within the suburban backyard gardening lifestyle.

This rainwater harvesting vertical terrace is the brilliant idea of Ontario College of Art and Design Student Michael Tampilic and has been entered in the Rocket 2008 Industrial Design Graduation Show and Competition. The terrace connects up with a downspout from your house and stores water in a large tank to continuously water the plants over long periods of time. It does this by using cotton wicks to transport the stored water by capillary action. Not only is this great for saving water in a desert environment, but it looks awesome and you don’t have to worry about watering.

Vert is a rain terrace: a rainwater harvester and vertical garden. This project establishes sustainable water practices through the harvesting of rain, and brings the advantages of a living wall to the backyard through vertical gardening. Vert alleviates a homes reliance on public utility systems while beautifying unused vertical space.

If you think that creating the garden of your dreams with just a few hours of work is possible you are probably wrong since sooner or later it will become obvious that this is much more of a complex task that one could possibly foretell. There is a way you could get the garden of your dreams in just a few days but that would require landscape designers, a landscape crew and alot of money. It is true that these designers do a wonderful job but the only drawback is that the finished product of these professionals will present their concepts, ideas and personality. It means you will have their dream garden on your property and not yours.

Planning and imagining is part of the work a gardener needs to perform in order to achieve the garden of his dreams. You are for sure wondering if having a garden requires much work? The answer is YES! BUT that work is enjoyable and each hour of effort you put in your garden will reward you with a great sense of accomplishment when you finally take a look at the end result. Just think about the moment when you will be able to stand back and enjoy the beautiful landscape that you were able to built with your own hands.

In the follow up readers will be able to consult several rules of thumb that each clever garnerer should keep in mind at all the time in order to achieve the proper results without experiencing typical problems that each beginner gets annoyed about.

• Instead of several light waterings during the day apply one deep watering, especially when dealing with lawns.
• Lawns need different type of waterings depending on weather, use 1 inch watering once a day in normal condition but if the weather is very hot apply an inch of water once every 3 days. For achieving healthier root development use 4-6 inch waterings that not only ensure stronger roots but also allow longer periods between waterings.
• It is important to know what type of soil you are working on so you can water it properly.
• In order to allow quicker absorption of water and nutrients you should loosen the soil around the plants and apply a protective layer of mulch above the root area
• Clay soil has a slow water absorption therefore you should add organic material such as peat moss or compost. You should also till and spade it for the soil to be loosen. Water it just as fast as the water gets absorbed.
• Sandy soil requires organic material too, otherwise the water will run through it so quickly that the plants will not be able to absorb it.
• Loam soil is the best type of soil you can deal with. It contains clay, silt, sand and absorbs the water storing it for plants.
• The best moments of the day to water are: early in the morning or late at night, this way you can reduce evaporation. Also keep in mind that in order to be able to see where the water goes do not water when it’s windy outside.

After reassuring that you are using proper gardening techniques to maintain a healthy soil full with nutrients, you will have to move on to the next step and choose a planting technique for your lawn.

The first and most appropriate option for many gardeners is seeding a completely new lawn by using hand crank operated seed spreader. Plant while the soil is still warm sometime between August 15 – September 20 or in April – May. Respecting the recommended seeding rate sow ¼ of the seed to the entire lawn area, with the rest of the seeds repeat three more applications, each one in a different direction. The next step is to set the seeds in contact with the soil by barely brushing the seeds under the soil using a bamboo or fan rake. After carefully planting the seeds make sure the soil is kept moist until germination, of course after germination you can water more heavily but less frequently keeping in mind all the time that you must NOT over water and do not use a strong spray. Obviously you don’t want to wash several hours of your dedicated work away!

Cutting the grass and watering will be the prime concerns for your new lawn for the upcoming period. As previously mentioned in this article do NOT use under normal weather conditions more than 1 inch of water per week – rainfall plus irrigation. Do not cut the grass too short, about 1 1/2 to 2 ½ inches is good height for a well established lawn.