When you see them, don’t you just itch to turn some wasted urban spaces into lush green outdoor rooms and edible gardens? That must be what German design collective Thinking Hands thought when they designed Hochbeet, a raised bed planter that can instantly transform barren yards, patios, terraces and almost any available corner into a garden.

With a depth of 12 inches (30cm), Hochbeet is perfect for shallow to middle-rooted plants such as lettuce, strawberries or peas.

Modular Planters: Change Your Mind and Garden Space
Like other raised bed gardens, Hochbeet is perfect for dealing with poor urban soil conditions. Many raised bed designs however are heavy and require commitment to a particular placement, but Hochbeet is very lightweight and can be easily moved and rearranged. As I personally love to change my mind whenever I feel like it,  I’m attracted to modular planters like these as a simple way of reconfiguring or enlarging the garden footprint on a whim.

Elevated Raised Bed: Easy Up and Down
My 95 year old father-in-law (who grows some of his own food) would love Hochbeet’s added height which makes gardening comfortable for those who prefer not to kneel or bend. And for apartment dwellers or residents that need to climb stairs, the lightweight system is easy to carry while the portable design enables super easy set up and disassembly.

Hochbeet was one of fifteen YoungStar competition products spotted at the design and gardening trade fair Spoga+Gafa in Cologne, Germany. And one of the winners was…