There’s heaps of information out there about roots and their functionality but what I’ve always been drawn to are the amazing forms and patterns roots can make….sprawling, weaving, splitting, curling. They can take on both a sense of strength and delicacy at the same time.

I’ve always thought it would be most interesting to have the ability to essentially exercise a type of x-ray vision and view living roots under the soil so when I came across this flower pot concept called “Flowerpot EYE” by industrial designer Olga Kalugina, I immediately wanted one. This is indeed quite cool. Also looks helpful for people like me who have the worst time remembering to water house plants.

Description from designer: “EYE is a flowerpot which allows seeing root system of plant. EYE itself defines humidity of soil, light level, soil conditions and an ambient temperature, and then deduces them on the display. It is possible to see all development of a plant and to estimate influence on it of various factors. EYE will teach us to understand a plant better. In EYE for reception of energy uses chemical reaction, between the substances, which roots allocate in soil and the reagents containing in the case of a pot.”

Or, a non-technical way of going about it would be to place some plants in clear glass containers so that you could clearly see the actual root structure of the plant. Artistic yet simple.

images via martin labar, troposphere, squamish, olga kalugina, michele aka zimza