Louise Burr is no stranger to problem-solving and leadership. The busy mum of three was the only woman to graduate as a civil engineer from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2001, with her research thesis on sustainable road solutions winning a national prize.
Later, she would become first female chief engineer of the Middle East region, followed by sponsoring the largest Government infrastructure project since World War II for Australia’s new fighter jet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
But after a 25-year career as an Air Force officer, who also happens to be an interiors addict, she turned her attention to solving an age old problem – watering houseplants.
“I developed a love of plants throughout my twenties and thirties, but once I had children and a hectic work/life balance, caring for them became a real burden. The guesswork around over or underwatering led to many plant fails such as annoying puddles, dying plants and fungus gnat infestations.”
By the time she’d worked out the delicate balance of watering her plants, she was faced with another issue. “Many of my plants were big and heavy. If I was short on time, I’d underwater them to avoid leaky messes. But, if I could manage it, I preferred to fully saturate them to ensure they thrived – but that meant moving them outside or to a sink,” she said.
“However, carrying my plants was backbreaking, and then remembering to bring them inside once they’d stopped dripping was difficult with my busy schedule. Poor drainage, clogged drainage holes, vacuuming and floor stains were just a few of the other hassles. They were meant to bring me joy but wound up being a bit of a burden!”
After extensive market research, she found that the majority of plant owners had similar frustrations. She spent more than a decade thinking about the idea for a mess and stress-free plant pot, and when no one filled the gap in the market, she did it herself.
PerkyPod is a patent pending plant pot, with a unique internal drainage, filtration, and water catchment system. It’s the world’s first self-draining planter and is designed with aesthetics in mind so it will complement any décor.
Plant owners can thoroughly soak their plants without having to relocate them, and the excess water drains away into a water catchment drawer. This drawer can be emptied at any time and recycled onto another plant, making it essentially impossible to over water your plants and creating a healthy soil ecosystem for plant to thrive. PerkyPod also has optional castor wheels to make moving large plants around the house a breeze.
Louise worked with interior and industrial designers to create a winning product. A self-professed nature lover, environmental responsibility is at the core of Louise’s creation. “I want to make indoor and outdoor plants accessible for everyone no matter their green thumb status, age, physical ability, busy-ness, or type of dwelling. Above all, I want to help people to stop killing their plants.”
Louise adds: “My military career showed me that the attention is always in the details, so I spent over three years undertaking extensive research and development to ensure PerkyPod would be stylish and functional. I have entirely boot-strapped this project and am so proud that PerkyPod is Australian made, manufactured in Sydney.”
PerkyPod features recycled composites, promotes responsible use of water, prevents plants from dying, reduces the need for artificial plants and is made of premium UV-stabilised materials to ensure long-lasting durability.
“PerkyPod will also make it much easier to grow your own herbs, fruit and vegetables. The wheels allow you to move plants to optimise the daily hours of sunshine, and no puddles means it’s easier to keep balconies tidy while complying with body corporate regulations by avoiding drips and overflow.”
Photography: Megann Evans
