Head down, bum up

By Meridee Walter, November 15, 2007 @ 9:49 am

Patrick Morris’ eureka moment has taken the world of pot plants and literally turned it on its head. His invention, the Antipode Planter, allows plants to grow upside down. It hangs from the ceiling, turning a plant into a unique conversation piece.

Newton would be proud, but he might also be interested in the gravity-defying mechanics of the Antipode Planter. A locking system prevents water and soil from spilling onto expensive carpet, and a built-in drip-feed reservoir means the plant requires 90 percent less water than a conventional pot plant.

Morris was studying ceramic design in the UK in 2004 when he noticed a cramped office crowded with plants, and wondered if there was a more space-efficient way of placing them. The Antipode Planter is the result. A UK New Designers Award followed and then a chance to sell a herb-planter version through Sainsbury’s. “That was when I realised it was much bigger than just a graduate project,” he says.

Time to get serious, then. Morris and his brother Jake created Morris Design Office to commercialise the Antipode Planter and plan to broaden their range. The brothers operate the company from their parents’ Matakana pottery studio, Morris and James, but these days Patrick spends plenty of time on airplanes meeting overseas buyers.

The first Antipode Planter will arrive in New Zealand stores in late October 2007. So next time you buy a pot plant, the first question might be: “Floor … or ceiling?”