The Planter

The Edible Island Planters are large planters that double as seats,

Suitable for roof tops back yards and urban furniture.

The Edible Island Planter is perfect for creating an easy to manage vegetable garden.

Size –approximately a meter and a half by a meter, 700mm high.

Fits in lifts, through doors and up narrow staircases.

The built in base works well on rooftops as no soil touches the ground.

Weight – base = 38kg ,lid 10kg. Easy To be carried by two females.

The Plastic is a 100% recyclable. (used in Ocean Kayaks)

It is certified AS4020 the standard for portable water and AS2070 suitable for food content.

Trees shrubs and natives grow equally well using the correct soils.

For vegetable gardens the use of an organic potting mix with wetting agents allows for vigorous
growth and less need for watering.

The double walls insulate the planter. A garden hose can be hidden between the walls and reach up where the top soil is and be connected to a drip hose across the soil. A timer can be attached for when on holidays.

Wheels can be connected below out of view. The planter can then be put in any position and plants can be moved out of extreme sun.

If you are tired of gardening you can simply put a lid on it. You then have instant seating with the option of growing a tree through the middle for shade. Herbs or shrubs are great for social areas.

Inspiration

The story behind The Edible Islands…

I lived eight years in Barcelona while there I designed for the international company gca arquitectes associats and the London company CAMU. For both companies I was asked to make one off piece i.e. furniture, lamps, fabrics and ceramics that linked directly with the architecture and surroundings.

The apartment building where I lived had a rooftop, normally used for drying washing. I organized with neighbours to transform the space into a roof top garden, a social place where everyone could have dinners and parties together.

Evenings were cool, the view always looked great with a glass of wine and great mates to talk and collaborate with.

It became obvious that tomatoes cropped up everywhere.

The older Spanish won’t go anywhere without being an arm’s reach of a fresh tomato. They crop up on balconies, vacant lots, any where a tomato could grow or a pot could be squeezed. I also noticed that the Spanish (who have a similar climate to Australia) liked sitting outside in Plazas and Las Ramblas (the promenades) chatting about life.

The plazas unlike our squares are shady inviting places for people to slow down and take a break on hot days.

All these experiences as well as walking along one of the strikingly beautiful Great Ocean Road beaches in Australia and noticing the interesting shaped rocks, culminated and influenced the ideas for the Edible Island Planter design.