Who said Lego sets were only for children? The company has just added two new sets—Lego Orchid and Lego Succulents—to the Botanical Collection it launched in January 2021. Painstakingly designed, these add to the sets aimed at adults, the ones based on science and technology, vehicles, history, and design.
The Botanical Collection now features orchids, succulents, bouquets, bonsai trees and a bird of paradise. These are artificial plants inspired by real ones but are remarkably life-like—not an easy design objective to achieve given that Lego is blocky by nature.
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The company has managed to maintain the modularity of individual pieces; these “plants” have to be assembled by putting the pieces together, like any regular Lego set. The Lego Orchid, for instance, has 608 pieces and is over 39cm (15 inches) high when completed. The orchid set has six large flowers and two newly opened flowers. A blue fluted vase and bark mix made from Lego elements adds the finishing touch to this beautiful display of pink and white blooms.
While a lot of us aspire to become “plant parents”, not many of us do a great job of it, killing more blooms than we nurture. In that sense, these artificial plants are an interesting proposition—both from a décor and gifting point of view as well as the wellness aspect. If you ever want to move beyond Mandala colouring books and mature board games, building and rebuilding your Lego plants could be an option.
“The design of this set was inspired by a real orchid we had in the office throughout the design process, so we could see how the flower changed through the seasons,” Michael Psiaki, lead designer at the Lego Group, says on the company website.
“A challenge with this set was creating a cylindrical pot from Lego elements that would be fun to build but also beautiful to look at,” he adds.
The succulents collection features nine individual succulents, which can be built and connected or displayed individually. In all, this collection has 771 pieces to play with.
Anuj Prasad, founder-director and CEO of the Delhi-based design studio Desmania Design, says the attention to detail in the succulents collection makes it a great learning tool for children. “Design-wise, it looks quite interesting—even from an aesthetic and learning point of view. My only concern is that there are so many small parts: How long will they last and still look fresh? These things, given the level of pieces and joinery, collect a lot of dust over time,” says Prasad.
Let’s not forget also that these are made of plastic, which begs the question: How sustainable is it to collect and play with these artificial plants and flowers? Lego says some sets in the collection—the bouquets and bonsai trees—include a number of elements made from plant-based plastic that uses sustainably sourced sugarcane.
There is definitely one thing you will not need to worry about: watering.
For more details on price and availability, visit lego.com
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