Cool Thing of the Month
The Solar Plant
I've never had much luck growing house plants. You've heard
of the proverbial "green thumb?" Well, I've got a "brown 'n
crispy" thumb. Despite all my good intentions, plants just
seem to sense that I'm more likely to eat them than care for
them. I've had much better luck with things electronic. That's
why I like the Solar Plant so much. No aphids. Nothing to
wither or fall off. No guilt-trip if you forget to water it.
Actually, watering this plant is a bad idea. Instead of soil, it
has a mini solar panel. A rechargeable battery resides inside
the ceramic pot base, and a high-intensity LED illuminates a
graceful, translucent stalk.
At first glance, the solar plant may strike you as cold and
sterile. But it has a simple elegance... and a story all it's
own. You see, a real plant absorbs carbon dioxide and sunlight
during the day, then releases oxygen at night. The Solar Plant
doesn't breathe but it does absorb light energy during the day
and releases it after sundown. This cyclic exchange echoes
nature's rhythms.
The Solar Plant is from gifted Japanese product designer,
Takanori Hayakawa,
and available in three colors at the very hip
Compact-Impact online store.
