It’s not only happening here. Home gardening arount the world is booming and blooming. But you’d have to work hard to one-up what’s going on in Spain in terms of innovative gardening.
It makes perfect sense. The Covid-19 lockdown has led to cabin fever for a lot of people, so stepping just a few feet outside to grow and cultivate your own garden is not only therapeutic but gives one a sense of accomplishment.
Quick anecdotal reference: Online sales of home goods and garden products increased by 63 percent from mid-March to mid-May, according to e-commerce data analytics firm Klaviyo. And a consumer survey conducted by the market research company Numerator revealed that more than one in four people who bought gardening tools and supplies in March attributed that purchase to circumstances involving the pandemic.
A Spanish startup has launched the world’s first “piano” made from living plants.
You had me at “what?!” so let’s try to explain.
Flora is used as a biological antenna, which can detect changes in frequency when they are touched. This change in frequency is then translated into a voltage — conducted by the plants — since they are natural conductors of electricity.
The voltage creates a sound, activating the input of current from the electrical network into the circuit.
And voila! Let the light and music show begin!
The “green piano,” as it has been christened, launched last August in Spain’s Ibiza Biotechnological Botanical. That site is Europe’s only biotechnology botanical center.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said founder and CEO Pablo Vidarte. “Multiple studies show that engaging with plants has a positive impact on humans from an emotional and psychological perspective.
“We aim to create a global consciousness of nature that helps lead the way to a greener future. That’s why we’re so enthusiastic about leveraging our technology that allows us to transform plants into biological switches, to create an amazing experience.”
