From the first second we entered the wonderful store RESTORETED in Amsterdam, which I already wrote about in my last post, I wanted to buy an extra suitcase and fill it with all the special things that were displayed on the store’s shelves and tables. Of all the things, one item caught my attention in a special way – it was an innocent-looking opaque jar and inside there was a little flowerpot with an Coffea arabica plant.
I always had a soft spot for plants and flowers {I even opened a Pinterest board exactly about this topic!}, but I’ve never encountered this type of planter. Something in its simplicity, yet its originality, immediately appealed to me.
If I lived in Amsterdam I have no doubt that I would buy this flowerpot on the spot, but a live plant in a glass jar isn’t really something you can take home as a souvenir all the way home by plane. Even I have my limits 🙂
I took a picture of this wonderful flowerpot and that same evening I went to the website of the company that manufactures it, Pikaplant, to understand exactly what it is, and if they ship internationally.
As I expected, unfortunately, they don’t ship to Israel {they deliver to a few places around the world, where there are importers of the product}, but while I was reading, all that was written on the site about the idea behind this magical flowerpot, I fell in love with the product even more and I decided to try to make a similar DIY version at home.
The Pikaplant Jar is a plant that never needs to be watered – because it waters itself! It’s genius!
As someone who can’t even keep cacti alive, I felt like this product was created just for me. The flowerpot is hermetically sealed in an upside-down glass jar which creates a moist ecological environment, causing constant recycling of water and air. This environment produces carbon dioxide which condenses on the glass sides of the jar, creating moisture the plant needs to grow. According to the company, the plant can stay alive in this condition up to a whole year!
Actually, creating this flowerpot with the plant seemed quite easy – after all, it’s a large jar and inside there’s a clear glass which the plant is planted in. The only thing that was missing was this specific type of plant – Arabica coffee. I decided to consult with the seller at the nursery, who also never encountered this kind of flower pot in her life, and after brainstorming, we decided to go for a different plant we thought would be suitable – one that requires a very moist environment. I debated between the various herb plants and finally decided on “Magic Mountain” basil.
Why specifically this plant? It’s simply stunning – that's why! 🙂
Like I thought, the assembly work was fairly easy – I just divided the big plant I bought between the original flowerpot and the glass I bought and I mixed the soil of the plant with a little coffee waste {I used some used Nespresso capsules, but you can also use the black coffee which remains in the glass after drinking}. The coffee creates great natural compost for the plant because it enriches the soil for a long time, in a slow and controlled release process. Although it didn’t say anything about coffee or another fertilizer on the company's site, but I guess they use a good fertilizer to help the plants live for so long in this situation.
I carefully placed the plant that I arranged in the clear glass into a clean glass jar and sealed it. That’s it! It's that easy 🙂
In the meantime, I’m very happy with the result 😉 Now I just have to wait and see how long the “Magic Mountain” will live in the jar… After all, it’s a different plant than the one sold in the original jar…
On the company’s website there’s a page explaining exactly how you should use the product, and what to do if any problems come up – I highly recommend you read it if you plan on making one at home.
What do you think about the idea of a plant in a jar?
If you decide to make your own, share it on Instagram with the hashtag #Hedonistit so I can get excited with you!! 🙂
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הפוסט DIY – Plant in a Magical Jar הופיע ראשון בHEDONISTIT