Complex building proposal for Nagasaki by Suppose Design Office www.wgsn-homebuildlife.com MICRO GARDENING: TREND ANALYSIS By Liza Mackenzie, WGSN-homebuildlife, July 2011 With Japanese apartments being extremely small, and gardens hard to come by, a slow but steady movement towards micro gardening has started to come to the fore. Coincidentally, radiaon fears among the Japanese have led to an increasing demand to know the origins of food and water, so being able to grow things on your window sill can, in a small way, bring some peace of mind.
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Complex building proposal for Nagasaki by Suppose Design Officewww.wgsn-homebuildlife.com
MICRO GARDENING: TREND ANALYSISBy Liza Mackenzie, WGSN-homebuildlife, July 2011
With Japanese apartments being extremely small, and gardens hard to come by, a slow but steady movement towards micro gardening has started to come to the fore. Coincidentally, radiation fears among the Japanese have led to an increasing demand to know the origins of food and water, so being able to grow things on your window sill can, in a small way, bring some peace of mind.
NOVELTY The Merry Farming project was initiated to get kids excited about gardening
Each Merry Farming kit contains a packet of basil seeds, an instruction leaflet and a tablet of compressed soil
Micro gardening is not an entirely new concept in Japan - previously we’ve seen the craze for Green Capsules, which contain tiny plants that can be hung from your mobile phone, only now people want something more sustainable or recyclable
www.wgsn-homebuildlife.com All images this page: Koshi Kawachi, Source: www.koshikawachi.com
In an exhibition in Matsuzakaya department store in Nagoya, Koshi Kawachi transformed old manga comic books into a medium for cultivating plants. Kawachi is a Tokyo-based artist whose work often features recycling and waste as a theme.
www.wgsn-homebuildlife.com All images this page: Green Supermarket at Interior Lifestyle 2011, Tokyo, Source: WGSN
PACKAGING The trend for reconnecting with nature has been bubbling up over the last year, and giving plants as gifts has become the natural next step.
Recently spotted at Tokyo’s 2011 Interior Lifestyle expo was Green Supermarket’s gift concept of a large story-book containing edible illustrations.
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Francfranc seed packet, Source: shop.bals.co.jp, Francfranc Vegemug, Source: shop.bals.co.jp, Flower Muji plant-bag, Source: flower-muji.net, Eggling pots ,Source: As seen at www.yoshiyukimaeda.drop-tokyo.com, Francfranc Vege Trio, Source: shop.bals.co.jp, Tse Tse
People want to interact with nature on an everyday basis, not just on weekend trips to the mountains. Giving plants as a gift has spawned cute, packageable plants that can be picked up in trendy interior boutiques and not just local garden centres
SPACE SAVERS Bringing agriculture into small Japanese apartments can be a challenging task
Specially-designed plant holders that can be hung flat on the wall are key
www.wgsn-homebuildlife.comOrné de Feuilles, Source: www.ornedefeuilles.com, LisLis hanging bucket, Source: lis-lis.com, Orné de Feuilles hanging pod-vases, Source: www.ornedefeuilles.com
Nano-boxes can be stacked together or spread out between small spaces
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Nagae, Source: www.ginga-do.jp, Nagae at Interior Lifestyle 2011, Tokyo, Source: WGSN, Naga, Source: www.ginga-do.jp, Nagae at Interior Lifestyle 2011, Tokyo, Source: WGSN, Bonsai treeSource: www.neogreen.co.jp (x2)
JAPANESE GARDEN At the 2011 Interior Lifestyle expo green living was a central trend, with a variety of ways of implementing green into the everyday on show
Naft showcased a variety of Japanese-inspired micro gardens, adding a touch of zen to the home
The Japanese gardens feature peaceful water elements and pebbles in silver and black burnished metal
www.wgsn-homebuildlife.comComplex building proposal for Nagasaki by Suppose Design Office Source: www.suppose.jp (x2), Green wall, Source: kurashiki.okayama.jp, Goya plant Source: www.superstock.com
With energy saving being a high priority this summer, the government has introduced the “green wall” project. Goya plants – a bitter vegetable normally used in Japanese cuisine – is being given out to local residences and businesses as a way to keep buildings cool and to lower air conditioning usage during the hottest months of the summer
Not only do they hope to lower energy consumption, but to also raise awareness of energy saving Japan has seen green walls before but it’s the first time it’s become a real priority, and instigated at a local level
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Fukuoka ACROS building, Source: www.japantrends.com, Green vending-machine, Source: pingmag.jp, Dr Yuichi Mori (right) shows plants being grown on the surface of a specialist film, Source: www.japantrends.com, Hydroponics, Source: bettergardeningtips.com
At the recent TEDxTokyo convention, Dr Yuichi Mori unveiled his latest breakthrough in hydroponics (growing plants without soil). His futuristic agricultural system demonstrates that things can be grown anywhere, even in space. Dr Yuichi’s method means less soil-borne diseases will occur in the plants, thus the need for pesticides is greatly reduced. The doctor is excited about the potential to radically change Japan’s agriculture and ecology, which has suffered much damage since the tsunami
More can be found out about Dr Yuichi Mori’s hydroponic technology here: www.tedxtokyo.com
SUPERFICIAL GARDENS For those unable to grow real plants inside the house, a variety of interior accessories are available to bring a bit of nature into the home
WGSN loves Di Classe’s green umbrella stand - a humorous play on what’s real and what’s fake
+d have created the soothing Kusa plastic-plant accessory, which rocks gently in the breeze in a way reminiscent of rice grass
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