plants – Page 2 – TwistedSifter

These Plant Cakes Made with Buttercream Frosting Look Incredible

Jakarta-based Ivenoven makes incredible cakes of flowers and succulents from delicious buttercream frosting

Jakarta-based Ivenoven makes incredible cakes of flowers and succulents from delicious buttercream frosting. While many amazing looking cakes have been made using fondant, they often look better than they taste. Buttercream frosting on the other hand…

The family business launched in January of 2014 and they have grown ever since to now have 12 talented female bakers on their team. You can see all of their amazing creations on Facebook and Instagram where they regularly share their latest works.

[via My Modern Met]

IVENOVEN
Facebook | Instagram

Picture of the Day: Headges

A trio of ‘headges’ on the Dalmeny House estate in Edinburgh, Scotland

Photograph by jasontredecim on reddit

Seen here are a group of ‘headges’ somewhere on the property of the Dalmeny House, located just north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Dalmeny House is a Gothic revival mansion designed by William Wilkins and was completed in 1817. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Rosebery and was the first house in Scotland built in the Tudor Revival style. Today it remains a private house, but is open to the public during the summer months. [source]

Below is a close up of the ‘headges’ 🙂

via jasontredecim on reddit

Ann Carrington Makes Beautiful Bouquets from Old Silverware

In a series entitled, “Bouquets and Butterflies“, artist Ann Carrington transforms old silverware into beautiful metal bouquet sculptures

In a series entitled, “Bouquets and Butterflies“, artist Ann Carrington transforms old silverware into beautiful metal bouquet sculptures. The pieces were most recently displayed last summer for a 6 week solo exhibition at the Royal College of Art in London.

Carrington studied at Bourneville College of Art, Birmingham and The Royal College of Art graduating in 1987. In 1988 she received The Herbert Read Award, followed by the Commonwealth Fellowship for Sculpture in 1992.

Ann was also commissioned to make The Royal Jubilee Banner for the Queen in celebration of her diamond Jubilee. The Royal Jubilee banner hung from the stern of the Royal Barge ‘The Spirit of Chartwell’ as it made its journey up the River Thames from Battersea to London Bridge on the historic occasion of the Thames Diamond Jubilee procession 3rd June 2012.

To see more amazing artwork by Ann check her out at the links below.

[via Colossal]

ANN CARRINGTON
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Picture of the Day: The Highest Public Garden in London

The Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street is a unique public space that spans three storeys and offers 360 degree views of London

The Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street is a unique public space that spans three storeys and offers 360 degree views across the City of London. Visitors can wander around the exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks and an open air terrace of what is London’s highest public garden. Entry to the Sky Garden is free, but space is limited and visits must be booked online in advance through the official site.

The landscape designer behind Sky Garden is award-winning landscape architecture practice Gillespies. The designers opted for a series of richly planted terraces for Sky Garden and the planting is dominated by drought resistant Mediterranean and South African species. Individual plants have been chosen to work in harmony with the particular quality of light found under the roof canopy. Colour and flowers flourish all year round in the Sky Garden. Amongst the flowering plants are African Lily (Agapanthus), Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) and Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) interspersed with fragrant herbs including French Lavender and Rosemary.

via Colin on Wikimedia Commons

Picture of the Day: Pink Perfection

“Camellia japonica”, a winter blooming piece of perfection

Photograph via Wallpapers Craft

Seen here is a Camellia flower, a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. In the wild, camellias are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. Their leaves are commonly used for tea. [source]

Although not 100% sure (any gardeners/botanists want to confirm?) I believe this particular species is Camellia japonica (aka Pink Perfection), which is the pre-eminent species of the genus and counts over 30,000 cultivars.

The blooms can reach 5 in. (12 cm) across and bloom from late winter to spring. [source]

Wallpapers Craft via Newbix on reddit

The Incredible Vertical Forest Residential Towers in Milan, Italy

The award winning towers designed by Boeri Studio feature 900 trees and over 2,000 plants

Photograph by

Officially opened in October 2014, Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) is a pair of award-winning residential towers in the Porta Nuova district of Milan, Italy designed by Boeri Studio (Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca and Giovanni La Varra).

The towers have heights of 110 metres (360 ft) and 76 metres (249 ft) respectively and host 900 trees (each measuring 3, 6 or 9 meters or 10-30 ft) and over 2,000 plants from a wide range of shrubs and floral plants distributed in relation to the façade’s position towards the sun.

Learn more about this fascinating design along with pictures, videos and Google Street views of Bosco Verticale.

Bosco Verticale Drone Tour

On flat land, each Vertical Forest equals, in amount of trees, an area of 7000 m2 of forest. In terms of urban densification the equivalent of an area of single family dwellings of nearly 75.000 m2. The vegetal system of the Vertical Forest aids in the construction of a microclimate, produces humidity, absorbs CO2 and dust particles and produces oxygen. [source]

The living façade means the exterior is constantly evolving, changing colours with the seasons and offering the Milan’s residents and ever-changing view of the cityscape.

Trees are a key element and the types of trees were carefully chosen to fit with their positioning on the facades in terms of height, and took two years to conclude alongside a group of botanists. The plants used in this project were grown specifically for this purpose and were pre-cultivated. Over this period the plants slowly got used to the conditions they would be placed in on the building.

Below you can see some current Google Street views of Bosco Verticale and how its exterior changes with the seasons.

See on Google Maps Street View Here

On November 19, 2014 Bosco Verticale won the International Highrise Award, a prestigious international competition bestowed every two years, honouring excellence in recently constructed buildings that stand a minimum of 100 meters (328 feet) tall. The five finalists were selected from 26 nominees in 17 countries.

On the November 12, 2015 the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) selected Bosco Verticale as the “2015 Best Tall Building Worldwide” at the 14th Annual CTBUH International Best Tall Building Awards.

For more information visit Boeri Studio.

[h/t Sumit316]

These Floating Pots Let Your House Plants Levitate and Spin

“Lyfe” is a zero-gravity growing system allowing you to cultivate your favorite plants in mid-air

Lyfe is a “zero-gravity growing system allowing you to cultivate your favorite plants in mid-air.”

The Kickstarter project was launched earlier this month and surpassed their funding goal of US$80,000 in 48 hours. They have currently raised over US$140,000.

LYFE consists of a planter that hovers over an oak base via magnetic levitation. Designed to gently rotate during suspension, LYFE nourishes plants with 360 degrees of sunlight exposure, 365 days a year.

The 12-sided geodesic planters were created by a Sweidsh-based design firm based in Stockholm. The team previously worked on another floating product—a levitating desk light called Flyte.

Design

– The 12-sided geodesic planter is molded from silicon, making it grippy and tactile. As it rotates in mid-air, different shades appear
– To mitigate against over-watering, a drainage system allows water to escape to a hidden, inner reservoir
– A custom shaped magnet pushes up against an electromagnetic base, allowing the planter to levitate in mid-air

Specs

Base Dimensions: 153mm x 153mm x 38mm ( 6 inches x 6 inches x 1.5 inches )
Base Weight : 1.300 grams ( 45.8 ounces )
Pot Dimensions: 80 x 100 mm
Pot Weight: 240 grams ( 8.5 ounces )
AC Adapter: Input 100-240V – 50/60Hz; Output 15V 1A

For more information, visit the official Kickstarter campaign

Miniature Treehouses for House Plants Because Why Not

Jedediah Corwyn Voltz is an artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles. For an upcoming exhibition at Virgin Normal entitled, Somewhere Small, Voltz will showcase a series of miniature treehouses he has built for a various house plants.

The playful series features impressive details and touches to make the miniature spaces feel authentic. If you’re in the LA area, the show will be on April 23 from 4 pm to 10 pm. To see more artwork and illustrations from Voltz, check out the links below.

[via Colossal]

JEDEDIAH CORWYN VOLTZ
Blog | Prints | Portfolio | Instagram

This Plant Lamp Can Grow Anywhere and Requires No Human Care

The designers are extending the concept of terrariums and indoor grow lights into a hanging fixture

Studio We Love Eames have designed a plant light that can grow in any environment (i.e., windows optional) and do not require human care. While the concept is similar to a terrarium or indoor ‘grow light’, these have been designed more as light fixtures for windowless spaces like basement rooms and offices.

The LED-powered lights come in standing and hanging versions and the ecosystem is self-sustained and can grow undisturbed for years. Created by Emilia Lucht and Arne Sebrantke, you can find more information on the lights on Facebook.

[via Behance]

WE LOVE EAMES
Website | Facebook | Behance

Picture of the Day: Neon Greens

Seen here is ‘Pilea involucrata’ commonly called the friendship plant, a bushy trailing plant native to Central and South America

Photograph by Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, License CC-BY-SA 3.0

Seen here is Pilea involucrata commonly called the friendship plant, a bushy trailing plant which is sometimes cultivated, especially where high humidity can be provided, such as in a terrarium. It is native to Central and South America. [source]

The photograph was taken by Diego Delso and was a finalist for Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2012

via Diego Delso on Wikimedia Commons