Air planters

I thought those modern upside-down air planters were cool, if a bit gimmicky. Like, they’re a neat concept, but they weren’t “for me.” Or so I thought. Jamie surprised me with two air planters for Christmas, and after arranging the plants and wires into place, I’m quite taken with them. The effect is surprisingly minimal for a plant that’s dangling upside-down in the air.

I was curious about how on earth an air planter could work. It seemed like the ultimate in form over function, like one of those DIY vertical garden kits — call me skeptical. But the Boskke packaging assured me that each container has a ‘slo-flo’ system which allows water to slowly seep in from its reservoir. Their claim is that a full tank will last up to a month. Sure, all right, let’s see how these air planters work. Let’s do this.

(Just to be clear: this is not a sponsored post. My blog does not have businesses throwing products at it, no. I just thought other people might be curious about the design+assembly of these things.)

The ‘slo-flo’ system is a ceramic disk at the base which regulates the water flow. More passes through when it’s dry, less when it’s saturated. These are the recycled-plastic version of the Boskke Sky Planters, because ceramic = $$$.

Plant and dirt goes in.

Plastic mesh goes in. It can be trimmed to fit around stems.

And then the lid snaps in! Once it’s upside-down, it all stays together. Pro Tip: for my second pot, I left space at the top and added a layer of black gravel, which won’t fall through the mesh.

(Tiny design suggestion for the makers: black mesh for black pots? Don’t mind me.)

The planters go onto the provided hooks and wire, and the little green indicator on top lets you know how full the water reservoir is. Handy.

I chose a couple of plants that can tolerate less-bright rooms: a mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis paradoxa) and a ribbon fern (Pteris cretica albolineata). I’m a little worried that this room — our kitchen — might get too dim in summer, when the deck eaves keep out the overhead light. But I’ve had a mistletoe cactus in the entryway for two years and going, in similar conditions, and it gave me the faith to try another one.

And as for how they look: Love ’em. I didn’t know this wall needed these planters until they were hung into place. The suspended objects make the ceiling feel higher, and for being such trendy decor items, they blend in well against the charcoal wall. The forms of each plant become the focus. These modernist air planters have won me over. I’ve got retro and mid-mod planters a-plenty, how about some modern modern?

It’s early days, so I’m still concerned about the likelihood that the roots will rot in this container, or that the plants won’t get enough bright light. We’ll see. If that happens, these planters can be reused on the deck and I’ll turn them into a miniature Christmas cactus farm.

Oh and, if you’re wondering why I’m not showing wider shots, there’s a reason for that: this post is a teaser for what’s to come next, which is the floating buffet underneath the planters! Live-edge top and everything. 🙂 I PROMISE THE NEXT POST IS NOT ABOUT PLANTS. 🙂

Do you have any indoor plants, specifically low-light ones? Tips, recommendations? Good and bad advice welcome, haha.