Published on Monday, February 25, 2008 .
I am intrigued by the work created by Patrick Blanc a french botanist and artist. We know all too well the huge need for green spaces especially in urban environments, he has a fantastic solution – Vertical Gardens
www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
He is based in Paris, certainly a city with many beautiful squares and buildings, but it is a geographical area with little room for expansion. There is very little opportunity for the creation of new open spaces or parks when demand for housing is so huge. However, where there is a blank building wall he sees an opportunity. He fixes a solid frame onto the wall and, by allowing water to trickle down, it provides soil-free habitats for various plants which in turn can provide a home for all manner of lifeforms from birds to frogs. The Garden can be inside or out and plant species are chosen to suit the climatic conditions.
Mr Blanc began his botanical experiments in his own home and now he works on commissions all over the world with projects ongoing in China, Spain and his native France. His first UK commissions are Leamouth Peninsula a docklands regeneration scheme ongoing in 2008 and the Pacha Club, Kings Cross, London. Due to the density of the growth there is no need for weeding, so over time they develop from a two dimensional design to a 3D living work of art and each project is protected by copyright. He has a book “The Vertical Garden: In Nature and the City”
Postcript to this article. Click
here for latest news on the Pacha Club, London commission.
UPDATE. In the UK there is a Gardeners World Special featuring an interview with Patrick Blanc and discussion of his work. Date for broadcast is 8pm on Friday 20th March 2009. I’ve done a quick update post
here.UPDATE. Short feature and images
@ Wired.com regarding PB’s recent vertical garden at the Athenaeum, London. 24 August 2009
Published on Monday, February 18, 2008 .
A really good friend of mine pointed me in the direction of this blog theglassdoorknob.blogspot.com. This is the post that caught my eye, just in case you cannot find it from the link (as it was January post). It’s the bit about not accepting common wisdom that something is going to be difficult or impossible and therefore we give up without even trying. How many of us are guilty of that!!
from Jan 10th 2008 theglassdoorknob.blogspot.com
this week i started taking yoga classes again after a long time away from the mat. i had such an amazing first class, and i left the studio with an important insight.we were working on bow pose. as soon as the words left the teacher’s mouth, my body began to tense up and tighten. while i do have the flexibility to move myself into this pose, holding myself up comfortably has always been difficult. she guided me through the pose and though i did exactly as i was told, thoughts were running through my head. this is hard. i can’t hold this position much longer. my stomach hurts, etc. soon, i was told to release the pose and rest.before trying the pose again, the teacher said, “now before you even get into this pose, find a way to be comfortable, to be at ease here.” instant transformation. my perspective shifted and as i practiced bow pose this time, it was, to my amazement, much easier and more comfortable. in fact, i kind of enjoyed it for the first time in my yoga practice.how many times in life do we bring our pre-conceived notions along for the ride? we assume that we are going to have difficulty, pain and we close the door to the possibility that we can find comfort or ease in this space.
Published on Thursday, February 7, 2008 .
Last week I was privileged to get to see some amazing work at a slideshow showcase organised by Redeye (the photography network for the North-West of England). It was truly a worldwide feast of chosen winners with images from photographers in China, Poland, Spain, Bangladesh to name but a few.
I really liked “Landscape with Apparent Horizon” by Darren Harvey-Regan, UK. Check out the full set of images at www.harveyregan.com/3%20frameset%20landacape.html. There were 20 slideshows in total, to be considered for inclusion the running time needed to be between 1 and 5 minutes and then get through a rigorous selection panel.
One set of images really stood out. Have a look for yourself, but be prepared for some powerful and distressing photographs:- “Maternal Mortality” Jean Chung (South Korea) – www.jeanchung.net/maternalmortality.My third choice from the evening would have to be “Old Dhaka-Belonging” by Munem Wasif (Bangladesh) click on this link to see what I mean www.munemwasif.com ( then follow link to Gallery>Stories>Old Dhaka Belonging gallery).
scatterdrum is a personal blog by Gill Moore. Gill is a professional photographer based in Manchester in England.
She works for commercial and editorial clients together with shooting personal projects. This side of her work often includes exhibiting, publishing and working with like-minded collaborators on an environmental theme.
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