Design Plan
Our final design, named the Tree of Life because of its tree-like design and healthy impact on the world, not only allows the planter to grow his/her own food cheaply, but also to grow the food in a small space with little physical effort. It uses a suction bulb and a narrow inner tube to harness the force of suction in nature by drawing up the water and distributing it to the various planters that would be hanging off of it, similar to how suction in a plant's vascular system pulls water from the ground up into the plant or how suction draws liquid into an eyedropper or pipet.
When not in use, the suction bulb could be removed to fill the water tank at the bottom with water. In places such as Africa where running water is not readily available, the bulb could be removed to collect rainwater into the tank, saving the owner of the Tree of Life a lot of labor and time getting to and from the water spout.
Our design would be made of a strong and durable, yet light and thin material, and the plant baskets (not designed) would be able to accomodate most crops, especially those native to the area where the Tree of Life would be used.