Japanese companies have been known for their originality and innovation, the landscaping and furniture businesses are no different.
Planted Seats (images courtesy of Mindscape)
Mindscape, a landscaping company, has been creating green spaces and designing green products since 2002. Their "Peddy 1st" line is a series of grassy benches, stools, and bollards (a vertical post) designed for outdoor use. When we say grassy benches, we mean that literally--grass grown on a seating surface, oddly resembling a giant chia pet.
Potential downfalls? Watering renders this unlikely for an indoor space, and ants might crawl up my pants.
Planted Tables (photos courtesy of Ayodhya)
Ayodhya, an established furniture company founded in 1994, has come out with a collection of planted tables dubbed the "Secret Garden." These range from grass and moss grown on a table surface, to a layered mossy landscape covered by glass.
The grass on the table? Not so much, it would be difficult to keep a glass of water on a bed of uneven grass. The mossy scape? Certainly merits consideration, the moss is actually already dead and sealed under the glass, so you won't have to worry about watering.
Planted Bathmat (Photos courtesy of La Chanh Nguyen)
Last but not least is a mossy bath mat designed by La Chanh Nguyen, you may have seen this before. Chanh's design uses a decay-free foam (plastazote) that serves as a growing surface for different varieties of moss. Not much maintenance is required, so long as you shower everyday, and use a biodegradable soap (or make sure no soap residue follows you out).
Potential downfall? Though low light and hardy, some light is still required to faciliate moss growth. Also keep in mind, this mat is alive, harboring an entire ecosystem of microfauna, and may serve as a safe harbor for tiny insects or mites. There's no way to wash it, short of killing your vegetation. Even so... we still want one!
Do you own one of these pieces of furniture? Are our fears ill-founded? Please share your experiences with us in our forums!