A Planter That Turns Indoor Gardening Upside-Down

The easiest and most sustainable way to filter indoor air is to buy a few houseplants. Yet, cramped city apartments--the ones that arguably could most use a burst of fresh oxygen--don’t have enough room to accommodate a lot of greenery without transforming a studio flat into a veritable greenhouse. Fortunately, there’s the Sky Planter, a beautifully simple inverted pot that hangs from the ceiling, taking up nary any ledge space.

Designed by Patrick Morris while he was a student at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, in London, the Sky Planter was originally produced by his New Zealand-based company, Boskke, out of porcelain, but now they’re available in recycled plastic. As you can see from the 20-second demonstration video, the setup is a cinch: Simply transfer the plant into the pot, place the mesh screen around its base, and lock the lid to hold the soil in place. A porous reservoir--refillable through a hole at the top--delivers just the right amount of water through diffusion. That means that most of the water reaches the plant roots directly, reducing evaporation and conserving water.

Bosske has assembled a of plants that adapt exceptionally well to the system, including geraniums, orchids, and a variety of herbs. Sky Planter is available in three sizes (ranging in price from $17.95 to $37.95) and comes with two fixed-length hanging wires. To get your ceiling garden growing, go here.