As the trend for urban gardening continues, designers are coming up with ever more inventive ways of incorporating living plants into our architecture and interiors. Lighting designs that double as planters are a great way to bring greenery into the interior or to save space on the patio.  

Resembling a contemporary hanging basket, the Babylon (as in ‘the hanging gardens of’) plantable lamp by Object Interface features an upturned aluminum shade that’s lined with a removable sheet of ABS plastic for growing cascading plants in.

Also called Babylone, this spherical plexi-glass pendant lamp by Alexis Tricoire for Greenworks doubles as a suspended terrarium. The 50 cm sphere has five openings that allow stems and leaves to grow out of the globe while the base is covered with pumice – a material with a high water retention and plenty of minerals and micro nutrients to help feed the plants.

Designed for French brand Forestier by No© Duchaufour Lawrance, the Gloriette outdoor lamp has a wire frame shade that doubles as a trellis for growing vines and creepers. When lit, the light within shines out through the greenery to stunning effect.

Previewed in Milan last year, the Lightflow lamp by Luciano Scippa for Pimar combines an LED lamp with a limestone planter – for both indoor and outdoor use.

The Dino lamp by Deger Cengiz is a felt desk lamp with a flexible neck. A container integrated into the base stabilizes the design while also providing the perfect space for a pot plant.