Ever stumble upon a beautiful leaf or flower and wish you could freeze it in time, keeping it forever without it withering away? That was the idea behind Sola Cubes, one Japanese designer’s creation that would showcase the wonder and beauty of mother nature by preserving them in acrylic cubes.

A series of new plants have recently joined the Sola Cube family, some of which are available through the Spoon & Tamago Shop. There’s the Eucalyptus capsules from the diverse flowering tree that’s native to Australia. There’s also Sea Lavendar, a colorful flower that hails from the Mediterranian region. Lastly, there’s Lunaria annua, a biennial known, strangely enough, as both Honesty and the Money Plant. But its name come from the Latin word for moon because of its resemblance to a full moon.

Sola Cubes (sola means “sky” in Japanese) were created by designer Koichi Yoshimura and feature real, hand-picked plants that have been encapsulated in resin cubes. Sola is expressed through the kanji character 宙 which means “universe,” and signifies all the we know and don’t know about time and space. Yoshimura spent years perfecting a systematic production process and employs experienced Japanese craftsman to ensure that this small transparent cube holds a plant at its very center and that no air bubbles get inside.

They each come in individual boxes making them perfect for gifts. There’s also a gift set of 3 that comes in a wooden display case.

the packaging design for Sola Cubes