NATIONAL REPORT—At last fall’s HX: The Hotel Experience trade show in New York, two companies exhibited products that help extend the life of cut and “live” flowers and plants. The first company, Kulvase, introduced its line of vases that utilize battery-operated cooling technology. The second company, WaterWell Planters, debuted its line of self-watering planters that keep plants hydrated for up to months at a time. Both companies’ products offer environmental and operational advantages.
Dana Smith, founder of Kulvase, says that since she was a child, her father gave her long red roses every Valentine’s Day. Flowers are an important part of her life. One day in her aunt’s floral shop, she wondered how she could prolong the life of flowers. With the help of her father, who has an engineering background, Kulvase was born. Cooling the water in a vase helps extend the life of the flowers in the vase, as it stops the flowers from sending phytonutrients to where the flowers were cut. It is the phytonutrients that accelerate the process of decay. Within the base of a Kulvase vase there are small, silent fans that cool an aluminum plate. Inside the vase there is an aluminum plate and rod. “You don’t have to add chemicals to the water,” Smith says.
Kulvase offers five glass vases and four ceramic. “They all come in five colors,” Smith says. “Most are between 8 inches to 12 inches high. We can do customization.”
In addition to extending the life of flowers, the vases save on time and labor. Water does not have to be changed as often, stems do not have to be trimmed, and flowers do not have to be rearranged every few days to keep them fresh
No Overwatering with WaterWell Planter
WaterWell planters are designed to deliver the perfect amount of moisture on a continuous basis. They can be used indoors and outdoors. An overflow hole ensures that plants never receive too much water. WaterWell planters have been engineered to utilize 75 percent of a pot’s volume for water storage, nourishing plants longer than the average planter. Planters include the main well for holding water, a soil tray which holds the plants and is removable for well filling, filter fabric which keeps soil in the tray while allowing water to pass through, and hydrating wicks that draw water from the main well to the plant’s roots via capillary action. Planters come with premium potting soil.
WaterWell planters save on watering time while also saving water. Outdoor planters harvest rainwater. They are available in 8″ and 10″ sizes, as well as 27.5″, 31″ and 36″. There are more than 40 color options. According to WaterWell Planters, the planters offer a return on investment in the first year.
Go to Kulvase and WaterWell Planters.
