Lessons From The Past: Joey Roth Designs Planter Using 4,000 Year Old Tech [View all]

Kinda pricey at $45, but they're lovely planters:

Industrial designer and erstwhile TreeHugger contributor Joey Roth is known most recently for high tech with his Ceramic Speakers; now he goes most decidedly low tech with his latest, a self-watering planter.

The idea is thousands of years old; Joey explains:

The idea for this design came from planning my outdoor garden. While researching irrigation methods, I discovered the Olla. This is a simple clay vessel that's buried near a plant's roots to provide a constant trickle of water. Farmers in arid regions have used some form of the Olla for thousands of years. and it remains a very efficient way to irrigate without much water lost to evaporation.

TreeHugger Sami covered the Olla in Unglazed Clay Pots Create Efficient Drip Irrigation, writing "many cultures have been perfecting more efficient, labor saving irrigation systems for centuries. In fact, unglazed terracotta pots have been used for over 4000 years to create slow release watering systems." Joey brings it back with a modern twist.

More: http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/lessons-past-joey-roth-designs-planter-using-4000-year-old-tech.html