My Urban Garden Deco Guide

Follow Michelle Obama and create a veg patch in even tiny spaces

It seems Michelle Obama has created a veg patch at the White House.
I guess that says a lot about the Hipness of the Grow your Own trend.

Urban space is rare and that can hamper ones real life ambitions in the food growing department.

But good news: this planter seems a very good solution . Get it at http://www.urbangarden.bz/
'We have created a unique design of a 100% organic raised western red cedar planter that allows one to grow approx. 50 to 55 vegetables, herbs, and plants all within a 3x4 footprint of space.  We also have a small herb garden design of the same organic construction.'
' The Urban Garden addresses the two major issues that keep most people from growing their own produce. Time and space.!'

The micro organic garden design allows for low maintenance.

The three foot by four foot footprint allows apartment and condominium owners to have a garden on most balconies. Fresh organic produce awaits you with your purchase of the Urban Garden.'

http://www.urbangarden.bz/
 

Khepri outdoor shower by Metalco

 

Discovered Metalco  and love this high spec outdoor shower by designers Staubach & Kuckertz.

Available in orange , white and beige.

 

Ikea garden solar lights

Clever budget find by Not Cot : ' Just noticed at MoCoLoCo that the new IKEA Summer 09 collection is on its way~ and after some IKEA site searching found all the new summer pieces here and all of the solar lights here! One nice thing about the IKEA selections, they all run on replaceable rechargeable batteries and use LEDs!'

[And I agree that  the other summer pieces are very good too!

Live Within Skin : extravagant vertical planter and water harvester

Greenmeme.com is an edgy design company ..or rather a team of conceptual design innovators.
I love their Live within skin creation that they describe as follows:

'A modular vertical garden, water jet cut screens combine CAD manufacturing techniques with plants.
These walls can be pro-actively used to address issues of air quality, storm water runoff, thermal insulation, and sound attenuation.
Live Within Skin can serve both interior and exterior applications and may be adapted to most environmental conditions through plant selection, integrated irrigation, and lighting. We encourage the use of rainwater harvesting and catchment systems or other techniques of water reuse when possible.'

ABOUT Greenmeme

Started in 2005, Greenmeme is the continuing vision of artists Freya Bardell and Brian Howe, where a collaborative group of artists, ecologists, architects, scientists and builders come together to create sustainable, ecologically focused work which varies in scale, materiality and context. Through these experimental partnerships with experts in other relevant fields, our strategies of representation are in a constant state of research and design. From living walls to interactive installations, our work provides a multi-layered experience of unique urban and natural ecosystems, integrating living, playful sculptures into informative environments

Green roofs already sold in a box: why not at IKEA?

 Green roofs were in vogue a few centuries ago. The practice has recently resurfaced but  in a limited way as only those able to hire talent could afford it because installation was so tricky.

Now London based http://www.urbanroofgardens.com is making it as easy as a mail order click & tick exercise .

One can order a box that will cover 12 square meters for just under 600 hundred pounds. 

ECO NOTE

This democratisation of a valuable eco tool for urban living has started but would be dramatically accelerated by the sale at outlets like IKEA!

ABOUT The UK offer: Urbanroofgardens is proud to present a complete "Green Roof in a Box" - all you need for an instant green roof delivered direct to your door! Easy to install and low maintenance, your environmentally friendly green roof will provide recreational space for you and a habitat for wildlife.  Your pack comes complete with a 4 component system ready for you to lay down: a RoofMat (comprising a root barrier and waterproof membrane), a GreenMat (for insulation, water retention and feeding), a GroLayer (special growth medium) and finally the SedumSpread (fasting rooting macerated sedum plants). We can supply in any quantity, and we're also happy to come and fit it - email us for a quote. Available NOW!

Dimensions: One pack sufficient for 12 square metres

Delivery: 5-10days

Pierre Bonnefille proves low carbon designs can be so SO chic

Pierre Bonnefille is a specialist.... no, rather an expert in decorative paintings based on materials, textures and colors for  indoor and outdoor painted decors, murals .

Among his creations: the walls of the Café Marly near the Louvre, the Bernardaud Salon de Thé, rue Royale in Paris; and the Christian Lacroix boutiques in Paris, Milan, Moscow...

 

I have adored his work for years and decided to ask whether they could work outdoors...

Got a mail yesterday saying indeed the panels do !!!! J 'adore!

 

ECO NOTE

 

His palette is derived from natural pigments, combined with minerals, waxes and other natural materials.  

 

Solar light parasol : Studio G spots proof a revolution is happening

Fellow blogger Rochelle Greayer  has spotted THE ultra cool solar design

' The SunShade has taken the generally poorly executed concept of solar lights for the landscape and revolutionized it. It is a shade by day and a light source at night. Automatically responding to light conditions to make the transformation, these solar powered lights are excellent for a hotel pool area or outdoor restaurant.
Creator, Lianne Genugten describes the design on her website:

The flexible solar cells in the cover of the parasol collect energy from the sun. As the sun goes down the shade transforms into a lampshade and brings light during the night. By means of sensors, the SunShade opens and closes automatically.

Like a mechanical flower, it reacts to day and night.

I wish I could figure out how to upload the little video of the change from garden shade by day to funky landscape lamp by night but I am struggling… so you must visit her site to see the video of the change .'
 

Zero carbon designs

Love this quirky 'hedge fun' spotted by UK's SUN  ... more entertaining than all that blurb about bankers and their hedge funds!

ECO NOTE

If you pop over to the article you will see that zero carbon design can [ or could] know no limit .... I 'd just love to see more 'design ' designs ...and have a surprise soon on the subject...

 

Garden bench in reclaimed boat wood and non-toxic paint

Outdoor and garden furniture  is getting more 'quirky' and creative. Here is an interesting garden bench called the  Hanna Bench.

Made from recycled/reclaimed boat wood with a silkscreened grass image  it can be bought for  about  $900 . - Spotted by Freshome

 

Patio chair created by the winner of the emerging artist award

Recycled garden hoses get a second life thanks to Chase Deforest , who won the 2008 Emerging Artist grant from the American Craft Council.

Deforest is a  trained  sculptor, a furniture designer, a long time basket maker AND an avid gardener.

This  combination of skills with a nadded dose of quirkiness bring us various designs including this basket and patio chair

At: Via- Via