Low Maintenance Indoor Gardening With Pikaplant
Two new home gardening options for people whose green thumb is a little unreliable
Whether or not you’ve got a green thumb, Amsterdam design agency Leaps Innovation has developed two unique systems that make caring for a plant as easy as admiring it. Their line, Pikaplant, offers both no-maintenance required blooming plants and—for the slightly more hands-on—an entire self-watering vertical plant shelf. While Leaps envisioned the creations, their work doesn’t stop there. “We produce our products, and we work with local suppliers and production facilities,” managing partner Dan Sutjahjo tells CH.
With Pikaplant Jars, select florals are hermetically sealed within glass—locking in nutrient-packed air and humidity. This combination allows for longevity (Pikaplant claims one of their prototypes continues to bloom after six months). As for how they select the specific plants, Sutjahjo explains, “We start by looking at interesting biotopes, and any cool-looking plants that might be native to them. We’re lucky to be in the Netherlands—the horticulture sector here is huge and there are growers for all sorts of plants. So if we like a plant we look up a local grower, drive by, pick up a few samples and start testing. Our studio is starting to look like Plants vs Zombies.”
If you’re desiring more access to your plants, and the fuller sensory experience, the Pikaplant One vertical garden requires more maintenance, but still does most of the dirty work for you. Without electricity, the unit delivers the appropriate amount of water to any plants its owner selects—be that flowers or herbs. Once a month the system requires a water refill, but that aside an “ebb-and-flow” system circulates the liquid—regardless of what level it’s placed on the vertical shelf. Standing just over six feet tall, it can fit a substantial number of plants and lends an organized green space sensation to rooms.
Both products aim to make indoor plants less of a hassle, and it’s just the start for the brand. Leaps Innovation has plenty more ideas for furthering the Pikaplant line. “This year we plan on launching a couple of new Jars and another iteration of the One vertical garden,” Sutjahjo says. They may turn toward crowdfunding for some projects and with the functional beauty they approach their design process with, it’s a company worth keeping an eye on.
The made-to-order Pikaplant One (price available upon request) and Pikaplant Jar (€49) are available
online or in person at Hutspot in Amsterdam.
Images courtesy of Leaps Innovation
