Grow with the flow in this greened swing by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.

There’s a delicious feeling of freedom one gets from swinging backwards and forwards on the momentum of a swing and as far as garden swings go, this one is a floral, fragrant gem. Called Swing with the Plants, it was designed for Amsterdam-based design collective Droog.

The way it grows is the seat of the swing is filled with soil and seeds are sewn within. As the shoots climb up the ropes, curling around them, it becomes a spot for indoor or outdoor contemplation. Jasmine would be ideal as a scented creeper. Simply add a view, decent weather, and a glass of wine for finishing flourishes.

The designer, Marcel Wanders, was a founding member of Droog. He has since worked with everyone from Target to Swarovski and Baccarat, and has been called the Lady Gaga of the design world.

Available in green or black, price $319.

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The Vertical Garden Kit is your own personally-designed green installation. Trimming optional.

We’re all fans of vertical gardens, but as living art, mounted on a wall inside your house? This green square allows you to create your own piece of live contemporary interior styling. It’s very calming, having shaggy, wall-mounted foliage to gaze at in lieu of a TV. And clipping those stems to keep them neat can be satisfying, too.

The set up is clever: a panel fixed to the wall with screws holding small, removable pots; these are kept moist via a built-in irrigation system whose tank will keep the plants watered for six weeks. The panel is water-tight, preventing moisture from reaching the wall. Just add the leafy stuff of your choice and watch the tendrils descend.

The Vertical Garden Kit contains one 42cm x 40cm wall panel, 16 removable pots, 2 screws and 2 wall-plus (frame shown not included) and costs £49.95 ($78.85). You can also get larger plant pots, for a more dramatic display.

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The Biome allows you to grow exotic plants in a carefully controlled atmosphere.

Biome is a flora terrarium with a delicate balance moderated by you: its climate, water level and nutrients are managed via smartphone or iPad. The idea promotes “digital downtime” – steering the owners of 21st-century, 24-hour gadgets towards a slower life.

The control and nurturing of a real eco-system takes patience and care. This smart garden has low-energy lighting to replicate sunlight and contains sensors on the dome’s conditions that link back to the device when connected; air and moisture levels are controlled by the hole in the pointy top.

Choose your landscape – tropical, desert, herb garden – and then control it using an app on your device, which displays a readout of conditions. The Biome, by London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson, was designed for an exhibition; hopefully it will be available to buy.

(Take the hint, Wilkinson.)

The post A Dome for The Home: The Biome Terrarium appeared first on EcoSalon.

Smool: not a dairy-free dessert, but the Dutch design company responsible for these sculptural watering cans.

With all your statement planters and herbivorous tabletop features, it seems appropriate to have an equally arresting and pretty device to keep their precious cargo in pristine condition.

The Spring watering can is ergonomic and streamlined. You fill the wide spout, and dispense from the narrow one.

The can is made from matt plastic, and comes in tangerine orange-yellow, olive green, grey, and powder blue. Smool being a combination of the words smooth and cool (Amsterdam-based designer Robert Bronwasser says his products are smooth to use and cool to have); this one has an enviably lissom shape and unfussy design.

Drool-worthy is the natural, tree-like appearance, making for arty camouflage amongst household greenery. The price is an equally desirable 15.95 euros (around $18).

Images: Smool

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