Hydro Bonsai

Hydro Bonsai

I’ve been quiet on social media lately in 2025 — a bit of a pause. For the past 7 to 9 years, I’ve been working with air plants. It all started when my very first piece was accepted by a customer at Kloof Nek. I still remember that moment — hearing that someone actually bought my work… it was such a joy.

Things flowed well for years — until the beginning of 2025. That’s when I hit a strange creative block. It was like the energy, the design flair that used to come so naturally with my bonsai creations, just... paused. I felt stuck.

Deep down, I knew I needed to create something new. Something that could bring visual impact to a whole new level. My heart was screaming from the inside — I had to evolve.

Then one day, I was chatting with a friend. She showed me a product she’d bought — a metal-and-glass container growing a plant hydroponically, with its roots exposed. It was designed for succulents. Simple, but it lit a spark in me.

That moment became the start of a new journey.

Hydroponics has been around for ages. I’d actually explored the system myself back in 2012 — mostly in the context of growing vegetables or propagating roots. But I’d never really thought about applying it this way, in a design-driven form.

As a graphic designer, I’m constantly drawn to things that catch my eye — you know, those moments when inspiration hits and background music starts playing in your mind. People often ask me, “Where do your ideas come from?” And honestly… I think it’s from how I feel about the beautiful things I see around me. Things made with heart and soul. Places, textures, stories — they stay with me.

One of those lasting impressions for me has always been roots. I love the way plants expose them. Back when I worked in the orchid industry, I would often remove orchids from their pots to revive them. Funny enough, it’s usually the potting mix that causes the rot. But once you take the plant out and see those healthy roots, it’s like seeing hope. They just need air, light, and love — and they bounce back.

To me, roots are the most honest, most beautiful texture a plant can have.

And that’s how Hydro Bonsai was born — a kind of mini greenhouse that lets the plant thrive with constant hydration, proper ventilation, and something very precious here in South Africa: humidity. Hydro Bonsai maintains its own little microclimate, helping the plant stay happy and healthy.

But let me be real — the first attempt was... rough.

Combining glass and wood is no joke. Precision is everything. And cutting glass? Oh man — you get one shot. No second tries. If you mess it up, that’s it. And the wood? If you're even one degree off in your angles, you won’t get a proper square. You can imagine how that plays out with my perfectionist brain — one wrong cut, and suddenly I’m hearing high-pitched sirens in my head while mentally falling apart... sigh.

But! Luckily, I stuck through it. Thanks to a (mostly) stable spiritual state and sheer stubbornness, I figured out how to make it work. Yes, there were breakdowns — but no destruction. And now, finally, I’ve found a way to bring Hydro Bonsai to life!