Artists, philanthropists, gallerists, collectors, and entertainment world notables gathered at the Hammer Museum’s eighth annual Gala in the Garden on October 9, 2010. The Gala, which raised over $1 million for the Hammer’s renowned exhibitions and public programs, was held in the Museum’s elegant outdoor courtyard and honored artist Charles Ray and author, chef, and food activist Alice Waters. The event was co-chaired by Viveca Paulin-Ferrell and Will Ferrell and featured tribute speeches by artist Jeff Wall for Ray and actress Jane Fonda for Waters. A “living wall” of plants, designed by Woolly Pockets, was featured as a backdrop to the presentation stage –a nod to Water’s commitment to sustainability – and helped create the rich and textured elements of the overall decor.

Jay Longtin is the owner of Envy, a cozy and inviting nursery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. He is well known and loved for his passionate love of plants, especially rare and exotic houseplants. If you ever find yourself in Seattle, definitely stop by Envy and you’ll feel like you’re “walking into someone’s really cool apartment loft– plants arranged like furniture! of all kinds, all interesting-looking, squiggly, bulbous, branchy, bonzai, interesting intelligent shapes I always see at cool people’s houses who have cool plants.“

Hi Jay! Thanks for taking time to speak with us! So when did your store open? How long have you been selling Pockets?
Our store originally opened in July of 2008.  We were in a space 1/2 the size of our current space.  We’ve been in this new location since July of 2009.  We’ve been selling pockets for a year now.

Who is your favorite Pocket? Why?
I have a feeling my favorite pocket is going to be the chandelier, but as of now I’d have to say the indoor hanging walls.  I love them because they can go pretty much anywhere and they create such a dramatic focal point/addition to the room!

Who is your customers favorite Pocket?
My customers are primarily buying the outdoor Wally 1-5′s.  I’ve done a few installations on customers patios/balconies and they just love them!

Do you have an in-store Pocket installation?
I do have an in-store pocket installation, pictures included.

How do you think gardening has affected you?
Gardening is an artistic release for me.  It calms me a bit when this world gets too crazy.  Although, in my yard it sometimes consumes me!  But overall, gardening is a joy.  The pockets are great because they let me be even more artistic than I thought possible when it comes to creating vertical garden art.

Do you think plants & gardening can impact children? How so?
I do think plants and gardening can impact children.  I think it’s important for our youth to understand where and how food can grow.  I also think it’s important for them to see the beauty in all plants because plants create the world that we live in.  Having an understanding for plants and a relationship with them will help keep our world green!

What is your favorite color of Woolly Pocket?
My favorite color pocket.  While I think that brown or black is the most practical for most uses, I love the blue.  It’s bright and really commands attention!  I also think the camel hair is just a beautiful, soothing color that makes most plants feel very soft and comfortable.

If you could create ANY color for our next Pocket, what would it be?
If I could come up with the next color, I personally would love to see a terracotta color.  It would be very rustic and any plants would look fantastic in them!

If you could design any Pocket, what would it look like? What would it do? What would you name it?
If I could design a pocket… just off the top of my head, maybe some kind of 3 tier meadow would be really cool.  Almost like a pyramid.  There would be some kind of stand up the middle that mounts to the base (largest planter) and then a smaller one above that, followed by 1 more above that.  They would be spaced so that when they are all planted you would not be able to see the pole/mounting support up the center.  And I suppose I would call it the Pyramids.

How do you think Pockets can change the World?
How can pockets change the world – I think pockets can make planting really exciting for people.  The colors, the different options for size and design, the ability to use it for home gardening, the educational benefits for our youth… I think people can get excited about these!  It’s a great product, and it takes gardening to a whole new place.  I think we’ll be seeing many many more bright, vertical living walls given the ease and design of the Woolly Pockets.

Envy is located in Seattle, Washington.

1546 15th Ave.

Seattle, WA 98122

(206)-588-2498

Visit them online at envygrows.com, on Facebook or Twitter!

Hey Woollies! Ever wonder where all our crazy ideas get turned into reality? The Woolly Laboratory of course!

Our Woolly Mad Scientists: Ben Redgrave & Jason Adams of Alumina Design

Nestled in a quite neighborhood near the LA River is where the Woolly scientists create, develop and test all of our wondrous woolly inventions.  Most recently at the Woolly Lab, the Woolly Bar has been brought to life!  The Woolly Bar simply put, displays Wally’s in action!

On one side you have shelves stocked full of pockets along with a neat framed poster showcasing different pocket installations that gets your mind flourishing with options.

On the other side is an intriguing living wall where you get the live experience of planted Wally’s. It’s designed to make the light bulb in your head turn on and keep the possibilities glowing! This crafty apparatus is also easy-to-assemble and eco-friendly.

The Woolly Bar is very “woolly” in terms of sustainability, as it is made from reclaimed raw cypress wood salvaged from the swamps of North Carolina. The wood is coated with Poly Soy instead of noxious lacquer and does not contain any harmful VOCs (volitale organic compounds). Poly soy is both environmentally friendly and non-toxic, you can even eat off of it safely! The framework that holds the shelves in place is even made from 100% post consumer aluminum cans, thus making the entire Woolly Bar 100% sustainable, just like the pockets that are displayed inside it!

The Woolly Bar can be found in garden & home retailers across the US that stock Woolly Pockets. Just email info@WoollyPocket.com for more information about the Woolly Bar and where to find the closest one near you!

2nd & 3rd images ©suthi picotte

About a year ago, I was spending a relaxing Sunday driving on a quiet stretch of Los Feliz Boulevard, when out of the blue my eye caught a garden oasis and I was forced to pull over and investigate. What I found was Potted, this amazing shop selling the most colorful pots, fountains, garden sculptures and beautiful furniture in a cozy garden setting. An hour later, I left with my car full of gorgeous glazed pots, a sack of soil and newfound inspiration to revamp my garden! A great store does that to you, and Potted is one of my favorites! Recently, they started selling Woolly Pockets, and we’re so thrilled to profile them!

Potted is the vision of two self-professed “Garden Tarts”, Mary Gray and Annette Goliti Gutierrez. Their idea was to create “a mecca for like-minded, design-loving, garden enthusiasts–people like us who want to shop for the outdoor area of their homes like they do their interiors.” Annette took a moment to give us the low down on Potted!

Hi Annette! So, when did your store open? How long have you been selling Pockets?
Potted opened 5 and a half years ago and we’ve been selling pockets for about 6 months.

Who is your favorite Pocket? Why?
We can’t believe we’re saying this, but the Tina is fast becoming our favorite. We love how great houseplants work in them and you don’t have to worry about those pesky saucers. And they look cool as hell!

Who is your customers favorite Pocket?
Probably the Wally One is still the favorite but as they become more adventurous they move up to the Three.

Do you have an in-store Pocket installation?
We have THREE in-store installations. We’ve gone pocket crazy.

How do you think gardening has affected you?
Gardening is like great sex and the cigarette afterwards. It’s exciting, relaxing and fulfilling.

Do you think plants & gardening can impact children? How so?
How could they not? I think gardening is a little addicting. Once you see your first avocado pit start to sprout it starts. Pretty soon you’re popping sunflower seeds and then you move on to the hard stuff…veggies!

What is your favorite color of Woolly Pocket?
Brown and Peacock.

If you could create ANY color for our next Pocket, what would it be?
Eggplant or Aubergine (you decide) and Sage or Celery would be good too. Oh and Flannel Grey…that would be good too. And–ok, I’ll stop.

If you could design any Pocket, what would it look like? What would it do? What would you name it?
Well, I’m glad you asked because I would absolutely design a rectangular pocket that would fit on the center of a table. 12″, 20″, 24″ long and maybe 4″w x 4″h. It could have a few interior panels that give it strength so it won’t lose its shape. It would absolutely be the most perfect table centerpiece. I think she’s a Lola (okay, the name of my beautiful daughter but I still think it works).

How do you think Pockets can change the World?
I don’t know if Pockets can change the world but they’d certainly do a lot better than nuclear weapons.

Potted is located in Los Feliz, California.

3158 Los Feliz Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90039

(323)-665-3801

Visit them online at Pottedstore.com, on Facebook or Twitter!

Miami just got a bit greener last week. Our partner in Woolly, FosterPlants, just installed a lush living wall at the new Splendid store in the Aventura Mall! In just one day, FosterPlants was able to turn a bare wall into a gorgeous and verdant oasis of living plants! The modular Wally system makes for a simple installation process, with instantaneous results! Here’s a little slideshow of the step by step process:

You can also read a detailed report about the installation at Steve’s blog.

Splendid was one of the first retailers to install a Woolly Pocket Living Wall in their Los Angeles flagship store. They saw how a living wall transforms their space and creates the right mood for their clients and employees! What a breath of fresh air, literally!

Last week, SHFT opened their art gallery pop-up in Downtown Los Angeles. Woolly Pocket was there with Wallys and Islands! They perfectly complemented the sustainable yet design oriented vibe of the art and products on display. The exhibition is thoughtful and beautiful. All the artwork echos the theme of sustainability in one way or another. Here’s a sample of what’s on view. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images North America

SHFT, a new media platform created by producer Peter Glatzer, actor Adrian Grenier and designer Lauren Gropper will be bringing their virtual, eco-conscious curation of goods into the real world this Thursday in Downtown Los Angeles. And since they’re opening up shop in the gallery district, it’s only fitting that they include an art exhibition of Los Angeles based artists, including Tierney Gearon, Jay Mark Johnson, Lauren Bon, Rebeca Mendez, Mel Ransier and Ramon Coronado. The show will examine the notion of sustainable messaging through art. The exhibit, curated by Edie Kahula Pereira for SHFT, will run through the month of May.

We’re thrilled to have a Woolly Pocket installation in their pop up, and look forward to celebrating consciously! Won’t you join us?

May 13th, 2010
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

SHFT Gallery at The Continental
408 South Spring Street
Gallery District Downtown LA.

One of the best things about Woolly Pockets are their versatility. It’s great to see people finding new and exciting uses to fit their needs and goals. Here’s a case in point:

In Historic Williamsburg, Virginia, a newly planted Vertical Garden now lives in an 85 year old boutique department store, Binns of Williamsburg! Tom writes to us:

“We have started to photograph customers in front of the wall in the gowns they are considering and buying. It makes a great backdrop.”

What a Woolly idea! Thanks Tom! If you find yourself in Williamsburg this spring, be sure to visit Binns and the outdoor farmers market taking place in front of their store!

http://binnsfashionshop.com/

In the latest issue of Chicago Home & Garden, there is a great profile of Tara Heibel, owner of Sprout Home. We love how she utilizes Woolly Wally’s to add a splash of living color! Sprout Home has locations in Chicago and Brooklyn, both stocking Woolly Pockets!

www.sprouthome.com

Pigment in San Diego has a gorgeous installation of Wallys in their store. A nice variety of plants are used, with some cascading over the pockets. Clearly they have an eye for natural elements in modern settings.

Pigment
3827 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 501-6318
www.shoppigment.com