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Garden
Volksgarden is a hi-tech hydroponics ferris wheel
By Jeff Salton
22:26 September 23, 2009 PDT
Veggie and flower-lovers who don’t have much garden space, or whose gardens are deprived of necessary available sunlight, can use the Volksgarden to enjoy simple, clean and effective hydroponics gardening indoors. It’s like a never-ending ferris wheel ride for your plants. The Volksgarden unit has space to grow up to 80 plants at once. Herbs, vegetables, fruits and grains can be harvested easily and continuously without the need for a degree in horticulture. The Volksgarden manufacturers say yields from their product are much greater than other hydroponics methods because plants rotate around the growth-optimizing light source – once every 45 minutes, 24 hours a day. Read More
Arty sunflowers look good and provide power, too
By Paul Ridden
17:38 August 24, 2009 PDT
A boring and unattractive loading area at the rear of a retail development in Austin, Texas is now hidden from view by a collection of 15 huge blue sunflowers, the petals of which collect energy from the sun to power the artwork's LED lighting and generate funds to help towards costs. Whether driving past or walking through the Electric Garden, onlookers will be treated to an awe-inspiring panorama where art meets functionality. Read More
Roll-out vegie patch for the time-poor (and non-gardeners)
By Karen Sprey
06:13 August 10, 2009 PDT
From the ‘it’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that?’ file comes the… Roll-out Veg Mat. Lack of time or a green thumb is no longer an issue (or an excuse). Just roll out the pre-sown-and-fertilized corrugated cardboard seed mat, add soil and water, then sit back and enjoy the fruits – or rather, veg – of your very limited labor. Read More
Vertical Landscapes: The only way is up for green cities
By Darren Quick
06:24 July 28, 2009 PDT
Demand for office and housing space in ever diminishing land space has led to taller and taller buildings reaching for the skies in cities around the world. This shortage of land in many cities has unfortunately also led to a scarcity of natural vegetation in urban settings. We’ve looked at several vertical-farming concepts - dedicated buildings that provide space to grow crops in city centers - but a new architectural system from Vertical Landscapes (VL) seeks to invite nature back into our cities on a broader scale. The architectural system transforms buildings into columns of vegetation to add a much needed touch of green, help clean the city air and possibly even produce small scale crops, all while retaining the building’s usual use for office or housing space. Read More
How does your garden grow? Find out with the Brinno time-lapse camera
08:22 July 13, 2009 PDT
Budding David Attenboroughs now have a means of creating home-made documentaries of their own gardens with the Brinno GardenWatchCam. A sturdy little time-lapse digital camera, the GardenWatchCam allows you to literally watch grass grow, taking 1.3 megapixel macro images at intervals ranging from one picture a minute to one a day. Read More
The AIR-igator draws water from the air for thirsty gardens
20:09 June 29, 2009 PDT
At a time of severe water shortages and ever-hotter summers, conservation of water for gardens is increasingly important. But you can only collect rainwater when it’s raining. What about the rest of the time? The AIR-igator ingeniously solves this problem by collecting condensate from air conditioners, storing it and then automatically drip-watering. So, the hotter it gets, the more water your garden gets. Read More
Smart sprinkling with Cyber-rain
By Paul Ridden
04:29 June 26, 2009 PDT
With the return of Summer comes the now familiar imposition of water restrictions and the unwelcome return of headaches for gardeners and nursery managers alike. Fortunately, pain relief for lovers of all things horticultural is available in the form of clever green tech known as smart irrigation, which plugs in to online weather information to optimize garden watering and minimize waste. Timing being everything in business (as well as comedy), smart sprinkler manufacturer Cyber-Rain has recently upgraded its range to add more independent zone control, better wireless communication, a simple and clear interface and an enhanced software solution. Read More
AquaHub conserves H2O in the garden
21:03 April 22, 2009 PDT
With water conservation becoming an increasingly urgent priority in many parts of the world, we're always on the lookout for something that saves on H2O. Described as a "power strip + surge protector for watering outdoors", the AquaHub is a water management tool that connects to a standard garden hose, branching out into six regulated irrigation outlets to pinpoint and cater for the specific needs of different areas within the garden, saving time as well as water. Read More
Vertical farming with seawater
By Darren Quick
04:03 March 24, 2009 PDT
The saying used to go, ‘only in America’, but in recent years it might be truer to say, ‘only in Dubai’, especially when it comes to architectural wonders. Buildings that would be unfeasible just about anywhere else seem to regularly spring from the ground in the oil rich emirate. The next eye-popping construction to grace the skyline could be a seawater vertical farm that uses seawater to cool and humidify greenhouses and to convert sufficient humidity back in to fresh water to irrigate the crops. Read More
EasyBloom helps gardeners make the right choices
By Emily Clark
22:33 January 8, 2009 PST
Incorporating the same sensor technology used in the NASA Mars Mission, the EasyBloom Plant Sensor from PlantSense helps even the most novice gardener select the right plants for their garden and rescue unhealthy plants from an untimely death. Read More
Keith Lawhorn
- November 11, 2009 @ 03:07 UTC
